TYPES OF MURDER MYSTERY PARTY CHARACTERS

EXAMPLE LOOKS OF CREATIVE ROLE COSTUMES.

You're likely to have been assigned one of the following character roles to play:

• Biker Gang Member – Leather, patches, chain-smoker energy. Loud laugh, louder bike.

• Tattoo Artist – Ink-streaked sleeves, surgical gloves, and a worn sketchbook filled with skulls and serpents.

• Piercing Specialist – Precision tools, many holes, very chill until they’re not.

• Tattoo Apprentice – Covered in regrettable early work, eager to prove themselves, maybe hiding something...

• Motorcycle Mechanic – Grease-stained and suspiciously quiet. Fixes bikes, but breaks secrets.

• Alt Model or Influencer – Head-to-toe aesthetic perfection: fishnets, colored contacts, and curated chaos.

• Custom Bike Builder – Obsessed with details, tools, and control. Might murder over a scratch in chrome.

Classic Aesthetic

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THE COSTUME: Closet Staples You Might Already Have

• Leather. Denim. Black everything. Start with the base of a band tee, ripped jeans, or a tank top, and build up from there. Add a studded belt, combat boots, or biker boots. An oversized flannel or worn leather jacket adds authority. 

• Bonus: If you don’t own leather, fake it with matte black jackets and dark denim. Torn leggings, fishnets, and a tight crop top or mesh shirt can evoke the alt vibe.

HAIR & MAKEUP:

This group never apologizes for making a statement.

• Hair might be dyed, spiked, undercut, or slicked back. Or all four.

• You can fake dyed hair with colored temporary spray or wigs—think neon green, white-blonde, jet black, or firetruck red.

• Makeup: go heavy. Thick liner, dark lipstick, smudged shadow. Face piercings? Use stick-on gems or safe faux rings.

• For guys: dark under-eye liner, messy facial hair, and the “just got off the bike” look is perfect. Grease up a bit. Literally.

• Black or dark blue fingernail polish. 

ACCESSORIES: 

• Temporary tattoos (sleeves, neck pieces, or hand ink).  If you have tats - you're adequately assigned - should be easy for ya - but take it a step further than your current look (if you can)! 

• Fingerless gloves

• Fake piercings (ear cuffs, septum clips, magnetic studs)

• Chain necklaces, wallet chains, or actual chains for drama

• Goggles or riding glasses perched on a hat or forehead

• A sketchbook filled with tattoo flash (real or fake)

• A piercing clamp or tattoo machine prop

• Bandanas—on the head, neck, or even tied to the belt

• Motorcycle helmet (but like… don’t wear it all night unless you’re committing that hard)

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CHARACTER & ROLEPLAYING TIPS

Voice & Speech

• Deep, rough, or casual tones. Swear creatively (but maybe not excessively, depending on the party/group - but you can also make up swear words). Use nicknames for everyone—“Kid,” “Angel,” “Boss,” “Doc.” Refer to people by appearance, not name: “Yeah, Tall Red Lipstick lied about the alibi.”

• Throw in phrases like: “I’ve seen uglier things walk out of my shop alive.”  “Chrome doesn’t lie. People do.”  “You ever try scrubbing blood off of denim? Just sayin’.”

Behavioral Quirks

• Fiddle with a toothpick, lighter, or ring.

• Constantly assess other people’s tattoos—or judge them for having none.

• Recount violent-sounding stories that end innocently (“…and that’s how I rescued the parrot.”)

• Be weirdly tender about your tools (helmet for a biker). Refer to your tattoo gun (or helmet) as “she” and refuse to let anyone touch it.

• Squint suspiciously at everyone. Even friends.

Bonus Touches​

• Smear a little fake grease or ink on your hands and forearms.

• Offer to give someone a piercing with alarming confidence (don’t follow through).

• Make up wild tattoo backstories:  “This one’s for the goat I met once.”  “This one? Commemorates the time I lost a finger. Grew back. Long story.”

• Have a fake business card for your parlor: “Sacred Iron: Custom Ink & Dangerous Art” or “Needles & Knuckles Studio."  Or, if your character has a tattoo shop name - use it.