15 settings for a murder mystery party

Back in August of 2019, I wrote "15 themes for a murder mystery party," but recently a friend challenged me to brainstorm settings for a murder mystery--so here I go (I am determined not to repeat any settings listed in the aforementioned post)!

1. Renaissance Faire. Perhaps a joust over the hand of a fair maiden turns a tad too real? But who could've swapped the show weapon for a deadly one?
2. Silent Zen Retreat. The peaceful silence is broken by a scream. But who decides to keep their vow of silence, treasuring it above even solving a murder?
3. Drag Pageant. The competition was supposed to cutthroat--but not literally. Was it a jealous queen in search of the ultimate crown or was it a drag mother paving a bloody way for her drag daughter?
4. The Senate Floor. Just before a crucial vote, the power goes out. When senators and aides fumble their phone flashlights on, they see one of their own dead on the floor, bleeding over the latest controversial bill. Tell me, is Capitol Hill worth dying on?
5. Cryptid Museum. Once a year, the local cryptid museum offers tickets to a lock-in party. It's not a large museum, so the guest list is appropriately small, but the museums has nooks, crannies, and secrets in abundance. When one guest is mysteriously found dead right at the exit, the question becomes who--or what--could have done the deed?
6. Aquarium. When the city's struggling aquarium's fundraising gala turns deadly, how many will end up sleeping with the fishes?
7. Bank. The robbery was going off without a hitch...until the vault opened to only reveal a dead body. But can the would-be thieves along with those trapped in the bank determine a safe way out for all of them?
8. Open House. Admittedly, the realtors and their clients should have been suspicious about the remote estate going for a low price, but they were just too intrigued by the cultural gem filled with local lore. When the body of the mansion's owner is discovered, can the the real estate foes band together to uncover all the truths that the walls hold?
9. Chocolate Factory. The owner of the chocolate factory was always known to be an eccentric, but when the lead spokesperson is found dead at the factory's annual employee appreciation party, has the owner (or someone deeply inspired by him) perhaps taken the Willy Wonka fantasy too far?
10. Game Show. The about-to-retire host reveals what's behind door number 2 and it's--a body?! The studio is immediately locked down, but can the crew, contestants, and the small audience that had been invited for the final taping suss out the murderer without ruining the legacy of the show they all (at least once) loved?
11. Speed Dating. What's worse than putting yourself out there? Well, murder for one. Will the host desperate to keep her business going be able to rouse the remaining daters into helping her solve the mystery of the dead bartender before the literal ticking clock runs out?
12. Escape Room. The corporate overlords had decided that an escape room would be just the ticket to help their newly shuffled around team bond. What they (likely) didn't expect was for the person running the escape room to drop dead. With the emergency escape button disabled, can the trapped coworkers find their way out of the room and solve the murder before they too meet a deadly end?
13. Survival TV Show. Everyone signs up for this show to be pushed to their (often physical) limits, but when one contestant drops dead in the middle of a puzzle challenge, it's cameras down immediately. With the remote location and a killer somewhere in their midst, can the rival contestants, beleaguered crew, and out-of-touch host unite to correctly oust the murderer, or, at least, survive the night?
14. Murder Mystery Party. The host just wanted to have a fun party with her friend group that has been drifting apart the past few years. But when the person who was supposed to play the dead body finds an actual dead body, everything shifts. Can these friends decipher the real clues from the game clues and find the real murderer amongst them?
15. Family Reunion. Everyone comes to the large Airbnb knowing that it could be the family patriarch's final family reunion. He just turned 100 and his health has begun to decline. But when he is actually found dead, all of the kith and kin scramble through his various files to uncover the final will, all the while hoping that even though a relative is a murderer, no one is a family annihilator. But will the final (or any other) version of his will and testament illuminate who among them is, in their heart, a true killer?

(Prompt by Eleanor Pratt)

Photo by william f. santos on Unsplash