Teens and Adults

Court in the Act

Court in the Act

Join us at the court of Queen Elizabeth I of England for an evening of revelry, intrigue and murder. You will be in the middle of the action and it will be up to you to wheel and deal with the other guests. Can you achieve your goals, keep your secrets hidden and survive Court in the Act? It's up to you.

The Court of St James's Palace, London, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. All present have but lately arrived from the Royal premier of Master Shakespeare's latest rib-tickling comedy, Two Ladies of Venice. Now, the Queen makes merry and entertains her courtiers, guests, would-be husbands and envoys from foreign powers with a sumptuous banquet. But while all prepare to feast and frolic, dark clouds gather, the sound of war-drums is heard in the distance - and that dear old man the Archbishop of Canterbury, who surely had never an enemy in the world, is found brutally murdered.

During Court in the Act you will discover the following:

  • Who murdered the Archbishop of Canterbury?
  • Why must Queen Elizabeth never marry?
  • Who wrote Shakespeare's plays?
  • What is the secret of Dr John Dee's magical powers?
  • ...and can England be saved from defeat by the Spanish Armada?

Find out in Court in the Act!

Published By: Freeform Games
For 13 to 21 players


Purchase Court in the Act

Additional Information

Court in the Act is unlike many murder mystery games. Although the game starts with a murder, most of the characters have more important things to do than to investigate it. And the killing may not be over - it is unlikely that everyone will survive the remainder of the evening!

Court in the Act is played just like a murder mystery game. You may be trying to solve the murder, but primarily you are (initially at least) concentrating on your own goals and objectives. Unlike most boxed murder mystery games, Court in the Act lets you decide how to achieve your goals and thwart your enemies.

On the evening of the game the guests are met by the organizer, the Chamberlain of the Court of St James. They then receive their detailed backgrounds - including dark secrets, objectives and money. When everyone has arrived the Chamberlain announces that, despite the recent tragic events, dinner will now be served. The fun then begins as everyone questions, bribes and blackmails each other. As the evening progresses they may even try to murder one another! Depending on what the players choose to do, there are several different possible endings, but finally everyone finds out how they did, and what secrets everyone else was concealing.

Download a a free introduction to this game (PDF), which explains how the game works, and includes a cast list of all the characters, an invitation to send to your guests, and much more.

This game lasts for about four hours and is suited to an evening. It is often played over a meal -- a finger buffet if possible to allow guests to circulate and talk in private.

This murder mystery game comes with a Cast Iron Guarantee: if you're not completely satisfied with the game, simply request a refund from Freeform Games within 30 days.

Related Information

The descriptions and images for this game are based on information provided by the publisher. All rights reserved.