Cold Ink Party Files · Dinner Party

A Ranch to Die For

The biggest ranch in the valley sells at sunrise. During the fireworks, somebody makes sure the man selling it never signs. Host a murder-mystery barbecue for 8 to 20 suspects, print it at home tonight, and even you won't know the killer.

$19 reg $29 CAD · instant download
A Ranch to Die For cover
8–20
Suspects, all full roles
21
Characters in the kit
~2.5
Hours · age 16+
90+
Print-ready pages
A word from the man of the hour

Hollis Crane invites you himself.

Tap for sound. Subtitled either way.

The setup

A hundred years of Crane Land & Cattle end at sunrise. Someone ends them sooner.

Hollis Crane gathered family, neighbors, and buyers to celebrate his ranch's centennial, and to announce he is signing it all away in the morning. The lights go out for the fireworks finale. He never sees them come back on.

Real-looking evidence lands on the table: a coroner's report, the purchase agreement, an old prenup, a handwritten key log, a fireworks photograph with something wrong in it. Every clue is really in the documents, and your table cracks it as a team.

Dress code: jeans, flannel, boots, a hat. Every guest already owns the costume, and the ones who go all in fight over the Best Dressed award.

Why this one is different

Built so the night actually works.

8 to 20, no filler

Every character is a real suspect.

Count your guests, deal characters from the top of the cast list, and stop. The mystery holds at every size from 8 to 20, and guests 9 through 20 get full stories, secrets, and motives. Nobody can tell who was added last, including them.

Cast whoever shows up

Six characters play male or female.

The lawyer, the buyer, the vet, the escrow officer, the auctioneer, and the new ranch hand all play either way, exactly as written, with two portraits each. Your group is your group; the kit fits it.

The host can play

Even you won't know the killer.

The Solution arrives sealed as its own separate download, and a big red STOP page guards the character secrets while you print. Run the whole night, then gasp with everyone else.

Evidence that looks real

You solve it by noticing.

No cartoon clues. A key log in four different hands, a prenup with a paragraph worth reading twice, a photo enlargement with a figure at the barn door. A sharp table assembles the whole case, piece by piece.

Meet the suspects
The suspects of A Ranch to Die For: every character is a full suspect with a secret worth hiding
Included free with every kit
The free online Host Hub: type your party details once, then text each guest a private link to their own character page
What you get

Ninety-plus pages. Six tidy files.

The digital kit is 6 numbered, print-ready files plus a small photo pack, sized for standard Letter paper. Plain paper is fine, black and white is fine, and a red STOP page tells you exactly where to stop reading so even the host stays unspoiled. Print it as many times as you like and host it again and again.

You'll need: a home printer, a box of envelopes (two per guest plus one), and a barbecue's worth of food and drink. Run time about 2 to 2½ hours, plus around 20 minutes to set up.

Spoiler-safe by design: the Solution arrives as its own separate download, so nothing in the kit you print can reveal the killer.

  • 1 · Read This First (print without spoilers)
  • 2 · The Host Pack: guide, cast list, narrator scripts, party extras
  • 3 · Character Sheets: 21 booklets, secrets behind the STOP page
  • 4 · The Evidence: coroner's report, agreement, prenup, key log, photo sheet
  • 5 · Party Printables: invites, name tags, place cards, ballots, awards, labels
  • 6 · Color Pieces: cover poster + photo Who's Who
  • + Photo pack (table decor + one that's evidence)
  • + The sealed Solution, a separate download
Everything inside the kit: 20 character booklets, 6 evidence documents, and the party printables
No cartoon clues
The evidence documents of A Ranch to Die For
Six roles play male or female, with two portraits each
A Ranch to Die For

Light the grill. Print the kit. Find the killer.

$19 reg $29 CAD · instant download

Secure checkout · both downloads on your confirmation page and in your email

Questions

Before you host.

How many people do I need?

8 to 20 suspects, plus Hollis, the victim, who is best played by the host. Count your guests, deal characters from the top of the cast list, and stop; the mystery holds at every size. It plays brilliantly anywhere in that range.

Is this an instant download?

Yes. Pay and both downloads (the kit and the separate sealed Solution) are on your confirmation page and emailed to you. Nothing ships.

How do the invites work?

Two ways. Fill-in paper invitation cards are in the kit, or open your free online Host Hub, enter your date and place once, and text each guest a private link to their own character page, portrait and costume included. No app, no sign-up.

Do I need a color printer?

No. Black and white is a suggestion and a money-saver, not a rule; the evidence actually looks more authentic that way. Color is only worth it for the cover poster and the photo Who's Who, and both are optional.

Can the host play too?

Yes, that's the whole point. The Solution is a separate download and the character secrets sit behind a STOP page, so you can print, seal, and host the entire night without ever learning the answer.

What about mixed groups?

Six characters (the lawyer, the buyer, the vet, the escrow officer, the auctioneer, and the new hand) play male or female exactly as written, with two portraits each. Pick whichever fits your guest when you assign roles.

Is it reusable?

Yes. Print it as many times as you want for your own parties. Please don't resell or redistribute the files.