How to Play

Pick a game, gather your people, and play. Here is how a night with Mission Masters goes, from the first tap to the memory video.

Ways to play
Discovery Missions, Murder Mystery, Party Mode
You bring
A phone and your people
Best with
Friends, family, and teams

Mission Masters turns real places and real people into the game. Some Missions play out across a city, some around a living room TV, and some around a dinner table with a culprit in the room. The steps below work for all three.

Pick your play style

Every game belongs to one of three play styles. Not sure which one fits your group? Each style has a short intro video you can watch first.

From first tap to final scoreboard

  1. Step 1: Pick a game

    Browse the Missions on the Games page and filter by play style. Every game has its own page, so you can see what it is about before you play.

    Browse all games

  2. Step 2: Get your code or your invitation

    The host sets up the game and shares how to get in. Depending on the game, that is a team link or QR code, a short code, or an emailed invitation.

    Party Mode
    Scan the QR code or open your team link, type a name, and you are in. No app, no account, no login.
    Murder Mystery
    Open your emailed invitation, tap Accept your invitation, and claim your character. In a Custom Whodunit, you answer a few questions to build an alter ego of yourself instead.
    Discovery Missions
    Your team gets a team code by email. Enter it in the Mission Masters app and your team is in.

  3. Step 3: Get set up for the night

    A minute of setup makes the whole night smoother.

    Party Mode
    The host puts the game board on a TV or computer. Put every phone on the same Wi-Fi so buzzing stays fair.
    Murder Mystery
    Gather in the lobby. The host can put the clue board on a big screen, or you can play with just phones.
    Discovery Missions
    Meet at the starting point your host shared, and watch the short intro from the lobby.

  4. Step 4: Play

    Once the host starts the game, the app keeps everyone moving.

    Party Mode
    Pick a square, buzz in, answer, and watch for the surprise challenges. The host can pause the game or fix a call at any time.
    Murder Mystery
    Work through the rounds: share clues, question each other, and keep notes. The host opens each round and your screen follows along.
    Discovery Missions
    Head to each stop and take on the challenges on your phone. One phone plays for the whole team.

  5. Step 5: Finish

    Every game ends with a proper finale.

    Party Mode
    Medals for the top teams, a trophy for the top three, and a champion moment on the board.
    Murder Mystery
    Everyone names a suspect, then the reveal names the culprit and the people who solved the case.
    Discovery Missions
    Finishing a Mission stamps your Passport with the city and your result. A top three finish in Competitive Mode earns a trophy you can share.

  6. Step 6: Relive it

    If your team captured photos or clips and the host saves them when the game ends, you get a memory video: one highlight film cut from your night. Find it under Mission Memories in your account and in the app, where you can watch, share, or download it.

Joining with a code

Got a code from your host? Here is where it goes.

  1. Step 1: Find your code

    Your host can share a team link, a QR code, or a short code. A text, an email, or a printed card all work.

  2. Step 2: Enter it on Join/View Game

    Open Join/View Game from the menu at the top of this site, then type or paste the code. We send you to the right place: your team page, the game on the big screen, or the Mission Masters app. Judges use the same box with their judge code.

    Open Join/View Game

  3. Step 3: Party Mode players can type a game key

    Go to missionmasters.io/party/welcome, enter the game key shown on the TV board, then create your team or join one that is already there.

    Open the Party Mode join page

  4. Step 4: Discovery team codes open the app

    Enter your team code in the Mission Masters app. Download it first if you do not have it yet.

    Get the app

Quick answers

  • Do I need an account? Party Mode players do not. Murder Mystery guests sign in with the email the host invited. The person who buys a game signs in so the game lives in their account.
  • Do I need the app? Discovery Missions are played in the Mission Masters app. Party Mode and Murder Mystery players can join from a phone browser, and the app works too.
  • Do we need a TV? No. Party Mode and Murder Mystery shine on a big screen, but phones alone work.
  • What is a Roadblock? Some Discovery Missions have a stop that opens with one mysterious line, like "Who has the steadiest hands?" Your team picks one player, and once you pick, nobody switches. That player takes on the job alone while everyone else watches, films, and cheers, and the photo or video shows who did it. Nobody goes twice until every teammate has had a turn, and a skipped Roadblock still counts as that player's turn. If the player cannot do the physical part, the instructions give an equally fun way to take part. A team of one just plays it as an ordinary task. There is no time limit and no penalty beyond the normal skip.
  • What is a Detour? On a Race, some "you choose" stops offer two ways to earn the same points: one is usually shorter but exacting, the other takes longer but is surer. Each choice says in its own words which kind it is, so talk it over and pick together. Nothing is penalized either way.
  • How do we get between stops? Most Discovery Missions are a walk. When a Mission has stops that are too far to walk, its game page has a Getting around box that says so, with a plain line for each way you will get around (on foot, by car, on transit, by rideshare or taxi, or on a ride inside one venue) and about how many minutes of travel to plan for. If there is no box, plan on walking. Stay safe in transit: no filming or phone tasks while a vehicle moves, and every task at a stop starts after you arrive.
  • Hosting for the first time? Our host guides walk you through every step.

Keep going

Ready to pick your game?

Browse the Missions, choose a play style, and get your crew together.

Browse gamesDownload the app