Red Herring Games
Red Herring Games is a UK-based private company that creates and sells downloadable and boxed murder mystery game kits, virtual escape rooms, and hosted live events for consumer parties, corporate team building, and licensed venues worldwide.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2006
- HeadquartersGrimsby, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Red Herring Games does
Red Herring Games (legal entity RHG Events Ltd) is a UK-based, privately-held company founded in 2006 and headquartered in Grimsby, operating with 1-10 employees. It designs, produces, and distributes murder mystery and escape-room entertainment products and live events. Its core products are downloadable PDF game kits and physical boxed sets for 4-500+ players, case file detective games, browser-based virtual escape rooms, physical puzzle boxes, and a portfolio of 50+ murder mystery games and 100+ corporate event themes, all created in-house by a team of professional crime writers and game designers. Delivery formats span self-hosted DIY kits (instant digital download or shipped boxed set), hosted virtual events with professional actors (from £370), and live ticketed or bespoke events at UK and international venues (bespoke from £600 up to £5,000+).
The company serves a diversified customer base across individual consumers (birthdays, hen/stag, weddings, dinner parties, family gatherings), corporate clients (team building, brand activation, conferences — with named enterprise logos including Amazon, Sopra Steria, EE, Ancestry, Eight Roads, and DFDS), commercial venues (script licensing for hotels and theatres), franchisees (via murdermysteryfranchise.com), registered not-for-profits (eligible for a 65% discount), and families with children aged 7-12 (detective party games). Revenue mechanics combine one-time product sales, hardware sales of boxed games and accessories, professional services for hosted events, and licensing/royalty streams from commercial venue scripts and franchise operations. The go-to-market motion is primarily direct-to-consumer e-commerce with global digital delivery and physical shipping, supplemented by an enterprise field sales approach for bespoke corporate work, and amplified through content marketing, SEO, social media, email mini-mysteries, affiliate and reseller programs, free trial games, and crowdfunding (Kickstarter).
Red Herring Games firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Red Herring Games
- Legal name
- RHG Events Ltd
- Website
- https://red-herring-games.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2006
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Red Herring Games is a UK-based private company that creates and sells downloadable and boxed murder mystery game kits, virtual escape rooms, and hosted live events for consumer parties, corporate team building, and licensed venues worldwide.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Red Herring Games industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Interactive Mystery Entertainment
- NAICS
- Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (45912), Doll, Toy, and Game Manufacturing (339930), Amusement Parks and Arcades (7131)
- SIC
- Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945), Games, Toys & Children's Vehicles (No Dolls & Bicycles) (3944), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Board Game & Puzzle Specialty Retailers (CRALALAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Escape Room Games & Mystery Puzzle Boxes Retail (CRALALAM), Family/Party Board Games Retail (CRALALAB)
Keywords
Where Red Herring Games is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Grimsby
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Red Herring Games business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Digital Download Game Kits: PDF-based murder mystery game kits available for instant download after purchase. Customers receive complete party-in-a-box including character booklets, host guide, invitations, evidence, and access to MP3/audio files. Revenue from one-time purchase per game.
- Physical Boxed Products: Premium physical game kits shipped directly to customer doors. Includes high-quality materials, envelopes for invitations, and sealed inspector booklet to prevent solution spoilers. Boxed sets include free digital download for immediate planning access.
- Hosted Events: Professional actors and hosts running live in-person or virtual murder mystery events. Pricing varies by format from virtual hosted events (from £370) to bespoke live events with full cast (from £2,500+).
- Bespoke/Custom Games: Fully customized murder mystery games written to customer specifications including character names, settings, plots, and company-specific content. Starting from £600 for custom written games, with pricing up to £5,000 for complex bespoke events.
- Virtual Escape Rooms: Online escape room experiences playable solo or in groups. Prices from £6 for self-guided digital experiences, with hosted versions available at premium pricing.
- Puzzle Boxes and Accessories: Physical puzzle mystery boxes and accessories including Sherlock Holmes puzzle boxes, mission-themed boxes, and crime scene kits. Board games like Burglar also available.
- Gift Cards: Digital gift cards available in denominations from £5 to £100, allowing customers to purchase games or event tickets as gifts.
- Commercial Script Licensing: Licensing of scripts for commercial events including hotels, guest houses, and amateur dramatic groups. Single-use, single-venue commercial license for venues hosting ticketed murder mystery evenings.
- Franchise Revenue: Licensed franchise operations under murdermysteryfranchise.com allowing entrepreneurs to operate Red Herring murder mystery businesses in licensed regions.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Dinner Party Game Kits - Download |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Children's Mystery Party Games |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Virtual Escape Rooms - Self-Guided |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Puzzle Mystery Boxes |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Hosted Virtual Murder Mystery |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Commercial Script License |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Custom/Bespoke Written Games |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Gift Cards |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Not-for-Profit Discount |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Corporate Event Packages |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels8 records
Marketing channels10 records
Red Herring Games product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Red Herring Games designs, sells, and hosts murder mystery and dinner party games through downloadable PDF kits, physical boxed sets, and live or virtual hosted events. The company also offers virtual escape rooms, puzzle box games, children's mystery parties, corporate team-building experiences, and bespoke custom-written games for private celebrations, weddings, and brand activations. All game content is created in-house by professional crime writers and game designers.
Product overview
Red Herring Games is a UK-based company offering over 50 award-winning murder mystery games and interactive entertainment products. The core portfolio spans downloadable/physical murder mystery kits for 4-500+ players, case file detective games, virtual escape rooms, and puzzle box experiences. The company operates three main delivery formats: self-hosted DIY game kits (print-at-home or boxed sets), hosted virtual events with professional actors, and live ticketed events at UK venues. Additional offerings include corporate team building, weddings, hen/stag parties, brand activation events, and franchise opportunities. The product line includes themed games (parody/tribute formats like Great British Bake Off, Death in Paradise, Friends), children's mystery parties for ages 7-10, and a library of virtual escape room scenarios. The company also sells accessories including board games, children's activity packs, crime scene kits, and gift cards.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Red Herring Events: The events and bespoke services division of the company for booking hosted murder mystery events
Products and services
- Murder Mystery Dinner Party Games Interactive murder mystery game kits for 4-20 players, available as instant digital PDF downloads or printed boxed sets. Each kit includes character booklets, host guide, invitations, evidence, and MP3/video inspector narration. Designed for adults hosting dinner parties, birthdays, hen/stag parties, and social gatherings without prior acting experience.
- Case File Games Solo or small-group detective mystery games where players solve deductive puzzles without taking on character roles. Includes digital case file formats intended for individual sleuths who want to play the detective rather than act in a story.
- Virtual Escape Rooms Online escape room experiences playable in browsers without downloads. Includes themed scenarios such as Hollywood, Hotel, Jungle, Alps, Library, and Space. Optional game master hosting available. Targeted at solo players or small teams.
- Puzzle Box Games Physical puzzle mystery boxes containing hands-on puzzles and clues, including Sherlock Holmes, Mission Rogue Protocol, Space System Error, and Homefront Heroes titles. Delivered to door and solved individually or with friends.
- Children's Mystery Parties Detective-themed party games designed for children aged 7-10, featuring puzzles and mystery-solving without violent content. Includes spy, pirate, Halloween, superhero, and adventure themes for kids' birthday parties, family gatherings, and school events.
- Board Games Physical tabletop games including Burglar and Homefront Heroes puzzle mystery box. Played with family or friends.
- Large Group Murder Mystery Scripts Murder mystery formats for 12-500+ guests including Dinner Party Style, Skit and Clue Based, Dinner Theatre, Multi-Room, and Interactive Mystery styles. Includes flexi-pack options and a library of 100+ themes for corporate events and large private parties.
- Children's Activity Pack Printable activity sheets for children including dot-to-dot, coded messages, bingo, word searches, and fingerprint kits. Available as digital download or printed pack with crayons.
- Murder Mystery Cruise 2027 Multi-day murder mystery experience aboard a cruise ship, with the story unfolding across multiple spaces and days. Ticketed event.
- Gift Cards Prepaid digital gift cards available in denominations from £5 to £100 for purchasing murder mystery games and event tickets. Earns loyalty points on purchase.
- Hosted Virtual Murder Mystery Professionally hosted online murder mystery events where actors lead groups through interactive investigation in 90-minute sessions with real-time interrogation and reveals. From £370 per session with premium themes from £685.
- Bespoke Murder Mystery Events Custom-written murder mystery events tailored to specific venues, companies, or celebrations with custom plots, characters, and settings. Pricing ranges from £25 commercial scripts up to £5,000 for complex bespoke events.
- Event Tickets Ticketed live murder mystery events including dinner theatre, overnight stays, and murder mystery weekends held at UK venues including Tolethorpe Hall, Cheltenham, Ascot, and Harrogate.
- Corporate Events Team building and corporate entertainment murder mystery experiences including workshops, galas, awards events, and bespoke corporate scenarios. Prices start from £558.33 plus VAT. Includes professional actors and full event management.
- Team Building Events Strategic thinking and team development events using murder mystery formats including forensic workshops, role play, and full immersion experiences aimed at corporate groups.
- Brand Activation Events Custom murder mystery and crime scenarios designed for product launches, PR events, and consumer brand activations, including digital marketing campaign mystery elements.
- Wedding Murder Mystery Murder mystery entertainment for weddings including ice-breaker events, hen/stag parties, and custom scenarios incorporating the bridal party into the storyline.
- Hen and Stag Party Games Murder mystery and escape game entertainment for bachelor and bachelorette parties, available as DIY kits or fully managed events.
- Wuthering Flights: The Missing Manuscript Puzzle adventure and escape-room-in-a-box product featuring hidden clues, puzzling notes, and password-based puzzles with a romance theme, launched via Kickstarter.
Quantifiable outcome
- Games designed for groups of 3-500+ players with flexi-pack options
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Red Herring Games
Customer profileNamed customers13 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles6 records
Red Herring Games technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Red Herring Games partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered notable and minor.
- Stella ArtoisnotableBrand partnership for product activation. Red Herring Games linked up with Stella Artois to create a branded game experience for marketing purposes. This represents a brand activation collaboration where Red Herring's game development capabilities were leveraged for Stella Artois marketing campaigns.
- UK Grand SalesminorPartnership with UK Grand Sales for murder mystery weekend events in Cheltenham, Ascot, and Harrogate. UK Grand Sales provides venue access and customer reach while Red Herring Games provides event content and execution.
- PoptopminorCorporate event bookings come through Poptop platform, a venue and event marketplace. Allied London booked their Christmas Cruel event through Poptop.
- Various UK Venues (Stallingborough Grange, Tolethorpe Hall, etc.)minorPartnership with UK venues for hosted murder mystery dinner events. Venues include Stallingborough Grange, Tolethorpe Hall, Cheltenham hotels, Ascot venues, Harrogate hotels, and Suffolk locations. Events combine venue hospitality with Red Herring entertainment.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Red Herring Games competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Strengths4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Red Herring Games social profiles
Digital presenceRed Herring Games financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Red Herring Games leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Red Herring Games funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Red Herring Games M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Red Herring Games
What does Red Herring Games do?
Red Herring Games designs, sells, and hosts murder mystery and dinner party games through downloadable PDF kits, physical boxed sets, and live or virtual hosted events. The company also offers virtual escape rooms, puzzle box games, children's mystery parties, corporate team-building experiences, and bespoke custom-written games for private celebrations, weddings, and brand activations. All game content is created in-house by professional crime writers and game designers.
Is Red Herring Games a public or private company?
Red Herring Games is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Red Herring Games founded?
Red Herring Games was founded in 2006. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Red Herring Games based?
Red Herring Games is headquartered in Grimsby, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Red Herring Games make money?
Nine revenue lines are on record. Digital Download Game Kits are the primary driver. The others are physical Boxed Products, hosted Events, bespoke/Custom Games, virtual Escape Rooms, puzzle Boxes and Accessories, gift Cards, commercial Script Licensing and franchise Revenue.
Does Red Herring Games have an API?
No public API is recorded for Red Herring Games.
What industry is Red Herring Games in?
Red Herring Games's product category is Interactive Mystery Entertainment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRALALAA, Board Game & Puzzle Specialty Retailers, with a secondary code of CRALALAM, Escape Room Games & Mystery Puzzle Boxes Retail. Its NAICS code is 45912 and its SIC code is 5945.