MYSTERY · BIG GAME / MARATHON

Under the Big Top

Murder behind the curtain. The circus must go on

90 min (Big Game) or 25-45 min play time across 1-5 days (Marathon) · 5-10,000 players (5-8 per team)

No payment upfront · Confirmed in 2 hours

Under the Big Top

GETTING IN

Easy to join, no setup needed

Three things to know before your team plays.

Web-based

Runs entirely in browser. No installs, no plugins, no admin permissions.

Any device

Laptop, desktop, tablet, or phone — same experience across screens.

Recommended browsers

Chrome or Safari for stable performance. Disable VPN if you experience connectivity issues.

THE STORY

What awaits your team

Circus Mirabelli rolled into town this week and wrapped its first show last night. By morning, one of the headliners was dead under the big top, the troupe is locked down for questioning, and the authorities pulled in your team because everyone in town has an alibi and somebody is lying. The show must go on tomorrow night — that's the contract — so you have one shift to crack it.

Three stages, three rooms, the same cast of suspects. The performers don't trust each other and they trust outsiders even less. Your team works the crime scene, sweeps the dressing rooms, and follows the case down into the parts of the circus the public never sees.

Find the killer before the curtain goes up. Or watch the wrong person take the bow.

GAME STAGES

Inside the experience — 3 stages

Stage 1

Scene Under the Big Top

Enter the tent, work the crime scene, talk to whoever's still around. Four eyewitnesses, three suspects with motive, one body in the center ring. Sort what's circus theater from what's actually evidence.

Stage 2

Behind the Curtain

Dressing rooms, prop trunks, and the personal belongings of the performers. Every suspect's space tells a different story than the suspect did. Match the room to the alibi and the gaps start to show.

Stage 3

The Dangerous Trick

A locked door behind the prop storage, a corridor the public never sees, and a hidden stash that someone wanted to stay hidden. Your team picks the lock, finds the connection, and names the killer.

Two ways to play Under the Big Top

Pick how your team experiences the activity. Each format has its own flow.

LIVE FORMAT

Big Game

Pick this if your team has a single moment to gather.

Length
70–90 minutes
Players
Up to 10,000 in one live session
Setup
Single Zoom + live host + in-game chat
Best for
Quarterly all-hands · Holiday parties · Kickoffs

How it unfolds

  1. Connection

    Schedule + custom landing page with join button.

  2. Intro & teams

    Host welcomes, divides into teams. ~5 min.

  3. Gameplay

    Players solve puzzles in the 2D world via in-game chat.

  4. Wrap-up & analytics

    Top teams celebrated. HR receives detailed analytics on team performance.

ASYNC FORMAT

Game Marathon

Pick this if your team is distributed across time zones.

Length
1–5 days window
Players
Up to 10,000 — team or solo play
Setup
Self-onboarded via platform + in-game chat
Best for
Distributed teams · Onboarding cohorts · Multi-region offices

How it unfolds

  1. Setup

    Schedule window + custom landing page with join link.

  2. Self-onboarding

    Pick avatar, play solo or create a team room.

  3. Async play

    Progress at own pace. 20-40 min play time per player.

  4. Final scoreboard & analytics

    Scoreboard publishes rankings. HR receives detailed analytics.

MAKE IT YOURS

Customize Under the Big Top for your team

Three layers of customization. Make the game distinctly yours.

  • TYPE 1

    Your team as the on-call detectives

    Each squad gets a real detective ID — actual name, photo, badge number. The case file is briefed to your team specifically, with notes that reference your real working styles.

  • TYPE 2

    Your office as case HQ

    The investigation map back at HQ is your real conference room or war room. Whiteboards, evidence pinboards, and the office coffee machine all show up in the briefing scenes.

  • TYPE 3

    Your team legends as suspect backstories

    Internal team stories — that famous all-nighter, the project nobody talks about, the legendary off-site — get woven into suspect alibis. Whoever made the decision behind one of those moments now has a motive.

Most popular for: company anniversaries · Christmas corporate · major team celebrations

FREQUENTLY ASKED

Questions about this game

What HR leads usually ask before booking Under the Big Top.

Book Under the Big Top

Pick format, team size, and date — price updates instantly.

FORMAT
players

Min 15 · Max 10,000 · Priced by next tier up

Customization (optional · $500 each)

ESTIMATED PRICE

$1,100

For 50 players · Big Game · 50-tier base $1,100 · base price · customization adds 25-50%

Earliest: 3 days from today

No payment required upfront · Confirmation within 2 business hours

Ready to book Under the Big Top?

Pick your date, we'll handle the rest.

No payment required upfront · Confirmation within 2 business hours

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