Who Ate the Paella?
A team mystery game. The camp paella has vanished and there are six suspects. Interviews, clues and deduction to unmask the culprit.
- Age
- 9–15 yrs
- Players
- 12–60
- Duration
- 60–90 min
- Setting
- Indoors · Outdoors
- Equipment
- Equipment needed
- Prep
- 45 min
- Energy
- Medium
A detective game with a camp flavour. It works because the "crime" is familiar and absurd, and because the suspects are the counselors themselves playing over-the-top characters. From age 9 up, teams take it very seriously.
Step by step
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Write the solution and prepare the clues in advance. Example - culprit: Cook Mary; place: the pantry; object: the giant ladle.
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Present the case in the dining hall - Sunday's paella has disappeared from the kitchen and only the empty pan remains. The director offers a prize to whoever solves the mystery.
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Introduce the six suspects (Cook Mary, Lifeguard Pete, Counselor Lola, Gardener Andy, the Bus Driver and the Village Grandma). Each goes to a different corner of the camp.
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Teams visit the suspects in any order. At each visit they may ask 3 questions and receive one clue card. Suspects may lie once per team, but only the culprit lies about where they were.
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Using their case sheet, teams cross off suspects, places and objects.
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When a team thinks it has the answer, it whispers it to the director. If wrong, it gets an extra clue and keeps investigating.
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At the end, gather everyone, let each team present its theory and reveal the culprit with a short skit.
Variations & adaptations
Rainy-day version
Suspects sit at different tables in the dining hall and teams rotate every 8 minutes on a signal.
Ages 7–8
Cut to 3 suspects and use picture clues (flip-flop footprints, rice grains in a pocket).
Night version
Clues are hidden around camp and found by flashlight. Suspects wait beside lanterns.
