Ultimate Murder Mystery Games

Gareth Sammer is the founder and main author behind Ultimate Murder Mystery Games. Based in London, Gareth has been writing murder mystery games since 2006 — inspired by a childhood memory of playing one at school and a family trip to a murder mystery weekend that left him wanting more.

After years of playing commercially available games and feeling something was always missing — plots that ended too abruptly, characters without personality, games that could only be played once — Gareth set out to create something better. His first game, Mayhem at Ewe Tree Hall, was an immediate hit with friends and family. What made it stand out was a clever mechanism that changes the murderer and victim each time the game is played, making it genuinely replayable.

He followed this with Serving up a Murder, and it was during his third game, Crisis at the College, that a friend convinced him to start selling them. In 2008 he launched Ultimate Murder Mystery Games commercially, and the company has since sold thousands of games across the world.

Gareth's games are known for their strong replayability, stripped-back scripts that give characters room to breathe, and secret tasks that add an extra dimension of fun beyond simply solving the crime. His approach puts the players at the centre of the story, making every game night feel different.