“It was an evening of wine and cheese at the Melee Vineyards in the Nippy Valley…”

Last Saturday, I went to a murder mystery party in celebration of a friend’s birthday. For those of you who don’t know what that is, the name pretty much says it all, it’s a party where the participants get to role-play a murder mystery. The mystery is usually pre-scripted. Depending on acting aptitude and the amount of alcohol consumed, the participants can go anywhere from reading their scripts word-for-word to all out theatrics complete with costumes and props.

The party I went to fell somewhere in the middle. By the time we got things started, half of us were already drunk. In the end, it was revealed that I was the murderess (I swear I’m innocent). But that’s not the reason I brought this up. The reason I’m bringing it up now is that it is a perfect illustration of the spirit behind obbies. So much so that I’m giving Jack Pachuta, creator of the murder mystery game we played, the Obbyist of the Month Award. Here is why.

Writing is a creative outlet that many people enjoy. Writing a murder mystery can be fun, but writing the scripts for a murder mystery party and hosting the event takes it to the next level (you should see the wine labels that came with the game). It turns a largely solitary creative process into a fun and celebratory event that brings people together. That is the essence of obbies.