Presented by 4words Community
INTERACTIVE MURDER MYSTERY
THE FAMILY BUSINESS
A SPY ESPIONAGE STORY
- Saturday, November 7th
- 7:00 PM (ET)
- Zoom
In support of
- The Innocence Project
The Family Business — An Interactive Murder Mystery
Saturday, November 7th, 2026 · 7:00 PM EDT · Zoom
THE FAMILY BUSINESS
An Interactive Virtual Espionage Murder Mystery
Every family has secrets. This family has state secrets.
The Vale family has built a legacy on power, influence, wealth — and secrets. Diplomats. Artists. Attorneys. Hoteliers. Journalists. Operatives. At the center of it all was Arthur Vale: beloved patriarch, celebrated philanthropist, and keeper of secrets powerful enough to ruin lives, careers, and governments.
Three days ago, Arthur Vale died. The official cause was a heart attack. Tonight, his family and closest confidants have been summoned to a private, encrypted Zoom meeting for the reading of his final instructions.
Then Arthur appears on screen. He recorded the message before his death.
Someone on the call murdered him. Someone betrayed the family. And someone isn't who they claim to be.
Welcome to THE FAMILY BUSINESS, a 90–120 minute interactive espionage murder mystery filled with family drama, secret identities, affairs, betrayals, gossip, hidden agendas, encrypted evidence, private messages, and enough generational mess to compromise an intelligence agency.
You'll receive a confidential character dossier before the event containing your identity, relationships, secrets, objectives, and information that may — or may not — be worth sharing. Come ready to investigate, interrogate, gossip, scheme, lie when authorized, and decide exactly how much you trust the people on your screen.
Because solving Arthur's murder is only part of the problem.
Trust no one. Especially family.
Schedule of Events
- 1
0:00–0:08
Waiting Room & Arrivals
Music, arrivals, and public in-character introductions.
- 2
0:08–0:15
Family Wake
Warm-up objectives and first gossip trades.
- 3
0:15–0:20
The Dead Hijacks Our Feed
Transmission A: find out the murder, the mole, the impostor, and what is and who has NIGHTINGALE.
- 4
0:20–0:32
Act I Interrogation
Evidence 1–3 and the first private directives.
- 5
0:32–0:45
Breakout Rooms Round 1
Study, Archive, and Embassy rooms receive different files.
- 6
0:45–0:55
Reassembly
You're allowed one fact & one accusation each and something big is revealed
- 7
1:02–1:15
Breakout Rooms Round 2
Clinic, Server Room, and Wine Cellar: affairs and succession heat up.
- 8
1:15–1:28
Red Envelope Act
Surprise private objectives plus new evidence.
- 9
1:28–1:38
Open Floor: Family Implosion
Host drops 2–3 wild scene prompts.
- 10
1:38–1:45
Final Interrogation
No new gossip — only evidence, motive, and mechanism.
- 11
1:45–1:50
Accusation Form
Private submission.
- 12
1:50–1:58
Reveal
Who did what, with what, and why?
- 13
1:58–2:00
NIGHTINGALE Vote
What will you do with Nightingale? It's time to plead.
- 14
2:00+
Awards
Awards are distributed for the Best of the Best.
Featured Organizations
For this event, we are highlighting The Innocence Project. While the event is free, donations are much appreciated and encouraged to be made directly to the organization by clicking the icon below. Let's #PayIt4words!
The Innocence Project
The Innocence Project works to free the innocent, prevent wrongful convictions, and create fair, compassionate, and equitable systems of justice for everyone. Founded in 1992 by attorneys Peter Neufeld and Barry Scheck, it uses DNA and other scientific advancements to prove innocence and is committed to helping each person rebuild their life after release. To date, IP clients have collectively spent 4012 years wrongfully incaracerated, there have been 257 IP victories, and 205 IP clients were exonerated by DNA evidence. 81 estimated exonerees have not received compensation for their wrongful convictions. 58% of wrongfully convicted folks are Black, highlighting the disproportionate impact of wrongful convictions on Black Americans.
Your ticket
Pay What You Can.
Your seat is free. If you're able, you can add anything above $0 — this amount supports 4words Community and does not go to the spotlighted organization. To give to the organization, use their own Donate link and then record it — that's how you #PayIt4words.
Two separate ways to give
1. Your Pay What You Can ticket
Goes to 4words Community — not to the spotlighted organization. It covers our running costs: maintaining this website, small stipends for the team when we can manage it, and a pot of honorariums so featured artists get paid. Paying $0 is always welcome.
2. #PayIt4words to the organization
Give directly on the spotlighted organization's own website using their Donate link, then record it in My Impact so it counts toward our collective total. 4words Community never handles that money.
Paying your ticket here does not donate to the organization. Both steps matter — do the one you can and we'll appreciate you all the same!
Transmission Ended
TRUST NO ONE. ESPECIALLY FAMILY.