7 Kids Detective Party Games That Turn Your House Into Baker Street Headquarters
These 7 detective party games are for kids ages 8 to tween, and each one is a game kids already know with a Holmes twist. Play them in this order: crack the code, spot the disguised culprit, match the thumbprint, sneak past the guard, follow the counted steps to the treasure, hunt for Moriarty, then crack the safe. Each one tells you how to set it up, how it plays, and how to make it easier or harder.
- 1
The Dancing Men Code
Inspired by The Adventure of the Dancing Men
The classic secret-code game. In the story, a criminal sends messages made of little stick figures dancing, and Holmes cracks them. In our version, a gap between figures marks where one word ends.
What kids do
Teams race to crack the same coded message, matching each figure to its letter on the key. The first team to crack the message follows it to a hidden prize.
The reveal: A team figures out the first word and the whole table starts yelling letters.
Setup
Use our free printable, or draw your own stick-figure key for the alphabet. With our printable, the coded message reads LOOK UNDER THE COUCH, so hide the prize under the couch. If you make your own, write a short message in the figures and hide the prize at the spot it names.
Make it easier: Hand out the whole key, best for younger kids. Our printable already has one.
Make it harder: For older kids, fill in only half the key so they work out the missing letters the way Holmes did.
Host tip: Write the message in plain words first, then code it. Test it on a friend before the party.
- 2
The Master of Disguise
Inspired by A Scandal in Bohemia
Holmes was famous for disguises so good that even Watson didn't recognize him.
What kids do
Everyone gets a secret card with the same word on it, like magnifying glass, except one player whose card says Disguised culprit and has no word. Going around the circle, each player says one clue word about the secret word without saying it. The culprit has to bluff. After two rounds, everyone points at the player they think is disguised. If the culprit is caught, they get one guess at the secret word to win anyway.
The payoff: The culprit says sparkly and everyone turns to stare.
Setup
Index cards and a list of secret words, like magnifying glass, fingerprint, trench coat, flashlight, detective hat, secret code and treasure map.
Make it easier: Tell the culprit the category.
Make it harder: Play one round only and no repeating a clue.
- 3
Whose Thumbprint?
Inspired by The Norwood Builder
In the story, a thumbprint on a wall is the proof against an innocent man, until Holmes realizes it was planted.
What kids do
Every guest presses an inked thumb onto a card when they arrive. Later, something stolen turns up with a thumbprint on it. Detectives compare it to the cards with a magnifying glass and name the thief.
The reveal: Someone says wait, look at the swirl, and the whole group leans over the magnifying glass.
Setup
Use a washable ink pad and index cards with a name on the back. Pick a secret culprit and have them press an inked thumb on a stolen item, like a framed card, while no one is watching.
Make it easier: Tell detectives to match the swirl shape first.
Make it harder: Teach the 3 main fingerprint types: loop, whorl and arch. Detectives must name the type before they match it.
Safety note: Use washable, non-toxic ink and keep wipes nearby.
- 4
The Blue Carbuncle Guard
Inspired by The Blue Carbuncle
In the story, a famous blue jewel is stolen and the thief tries to hide it where no one would look. This is the classic sleeping guard game.
What kids do
One player is the guard, sits in the middle with eyes closed, and the blue gem sits on the floor in front of them. The host silently points to one thief. That thief sneaks up, grabs the gem and tiptoes back to their seat. If the guard hears someone, the guard points right at them. A correct point wins the round for the guard. If the thief gets back with the gem, the thief wins.
The best part: The guard points straight at the one kid who thought they were silent.
Setup
A blue bead or paper gem, a clear floor and a way for the guard to keep their eyes closed.
Make it easier: Put the gem closer to the circle.
Make it harder: Scatter a few crumpled sheets of paper along the path.
Safety note: Walk, don't run. Keep the floor clear of toys and shoes.
- 5
The Musgrave Ritual
Inspired by The Musgrave Ritual
The classic treasure hunt where you count steps. In the story, an old family riddle gives directions in paces, and Holmes follows them to the hidden treasure.
What kids do
Each team gets its own ritual, like this: Start at the front door. Walk 6 steps toward the window, 3 steps toward the kitchen, then 2 steps back. Look under. Teams pace it out together, counting out loud. The first team back with its treasure wins.
The best part: The team argues about whose steps count and starts over.
Setup
Tape a start spot. Walk each ritual yourself and hide a treat bag at the end of it. Write one ritual per team, each with a different start and different steps, so teams don't follow each other.
Make it easier: Hand each team a simple map of the room.
Make it harder: Measure in heel-to-toe feet instead of steps.
Safety note: Keep paths clear of stairs and cords.
- 6
Hunt for Moriarty
Inspired by Professor Moriarty, Holmes's greatest enemy
Sardines, the reverse hide and seek that tweens love. Moriarty is Holmes's enemy. In this game he's the one in hiding.
What kids do
One player is Moriarty and hides while everyone else counts to 60. Then the detectives search on their own. When a detective finds Moriarty, they quietly squeeze into the hiding spot too. The last detective still searching becomes the next Moriarty.
The payoff: A closet fills up with kids trying not to laugh while the last detective walks right past.
Setup
No props. Pick which rooms are off limits. Dim lights make it better.
Make it easier: Let detectives search in pairs.
Make it harder: Moriarty hides a clue card, and the group has to find it to win.
Safety note: Keep out of cars, locked rooms and anywhere unsafe, and keep an adult in the house.
- 7
The Bruce-Partington Plans
Inspired by The Bruce-Partington Plans
In the story, secret plans vanish from a locked safe and Holmes has to track them down. This is the finale.
What kids do
Winners of three earlier games earn a digit card. At the end, detectives pool the cards, put the digits in order and try the combination on a locked box. When it clicks open, everyone gets a prize.
The reveal: The lock clicks and the box opens.
Setup
A lockbox or small box with a 3-digit padlock. Pick the combination, write each digit on a card and hide the prize inside. Test the lock before guests arrive.
Make it easier: Give a hint for every wrong try.
Make it harder: Scramble the digit cards and add a riddle for the order.
What you'll need
Supplies
- Paper, pencils and markers
- Index cards
- Painter's tape
- A treat bag or small prize for each team
- Wipes
Detective touches
- Magnifying glasses
- Small notebooks
- A washable, non-toxic ink pad
- A blue bead or paper gem
- A lockbox or small box with a 3-digit combination padlock
- A prize for the finale
Want the whole night planned, not just the games?
These 7 games work on their own. If you'd rather have the full night laid out from the first guest to pickup, The Mystery of the Vanished Aurora is our ready-to-run version, with the printables made for it.
