All the Inheritance is a murdering mystery party game where anyone can be the killer as each heir hopes to kill the decedent – while avoid being killed themselves – to collect the most money. Use luck, memory, backstabbing, and clever deductions to win all the inheritance you can and uncover who is really your friend.

All the Inheritance is included in The Movie Murder Mystery Party book with some improvements and added rule variations.

Required Items

In order to play All the Inheritance, you’ll need:

  • At least five people (the more, the better)
  • Pencils or pens for each player
  • A pack of index cards (or thick paper that won’t bleed)
  • Notepads or paper for each player
  • A timer (or someone who can count backwards)
  • Play money
  • A location for murder!

How to Play

In All the Inheritance, there are five main phases: hide the cards, kill the decedent, exchange information, figure out whodunit, and divvy the inheritance.

Decide who will be the Decedent

In any fashion you wish, designate a person to play as the decedent (feel free to refer to his person as the Rich Uncle/Aunt). This person will be responsible for randomly selecting who and what killed them, announcing the murderer, and keeping score. All other players will be referred to as heirs.

Pass out the Cards

Give every heir one index card (hereafter refereed to as cards). With the card, write your name on one side. Be careful not to let the name bleed through the other side. The decedent will also take one card and draw a heart on one side.

Hide the Cards

First, have the decedent leave the area with a timer for 30 seconds. While the decedent is gone, all of the heirs must place their card face down on various objects (for example: candlesticks, toaster, coffee table, a copy of Twilight, etc.). The cards will designate what and who killed the decedent. The heirs can also pick up other players’ cards and move them around or swap them for a different one. When ten seconds are remaining, the decedent will count down aloud.

Kill the Decedent

When time is out, the decedent will enter the area while everyone else leaves (or closes their eyes). The decedent will randomly pick a card and replace it with the heart card, facing down. The decedent is now dead, killed by object the card was resting on and from the hands of whoever’s name is on the card. (The decedent should make a note to remember what killed them.)

Who Killed the Decedent?

Now that that the decedent is dead, everyone gets to figure out whodunit by gathering the remaining cards, with each heir collecting one card. (Remember, although the decedent has a card, the blank heart card replaced it so everyone will be able to get a card.) The goal is to deduce whodunit by whose name you don’t have and whose name was on the card the decedent picked.

However, you do not want to pick your own card as that will be the death of you and you’ll be killed too. (Oh, no!) If you picked the blank heart card, nothing bad happens to you. You must announce to everyone that you died – the more dramatic the better.

When all of the cards have been claimed and death announcements have been made, start the exchange.

The Exchange

Now that all of the cards have been collected and everyone died, the exchange of information can begin. But first, the decedent passes out $1,000 to each heir that is still alive. Starting from the decedent’s position and going clock-wise, each heir alive must do one of the following:

  • Trade cards with another heir in a free exchange of information
  • Buy a card from a heir
  • Request a free peek (especially if you sold your card earlier)
  • Whisper trade where you found your card
  • Make a guess for the murderer and murder weapon, unable to sell or make trades with anyone else

However, there is a risk! If the person you exchange cards with gives you a card with your name on it, you die and you must announce your death and the heir who killed you gets $2,000, unless it was a double kill. Dying during the exchange prevents you from getting any money for guessing who killed the decedent. This move also helps other heirs deduce who didn’t kill the decedent. Heirs are free to exchange the blank heart card although nothing happens (but it’s a fun backstab). If the requested heir declines, the requesting heir does not have to make an offer with another and then the next clockwise person gets to do an exchange.

Game Information

Dennis Spielman, of www.DennisSpielman.com, created All the Inheritance. The game is available for free to play – just do not sell it in any form. If you enjoyed this game, please consider buying one of his fantastic books. Happy killing!