Wanderstar Scifi Murder Mystery [Review]

I'm a big fan of science fiction stories and was excited to host Wanderstar, a space western murder mystery party kit set in a lively space cantina where two rival crews have just delivered a notorious outlaw to claim a bounty. Before the payout happens, the outlaw is suddenly murdered and the party erupts into suspicion, secrets, and shifting alliances.

We ran Wanderstar with the optional Smuggler's Expansion, brining the total cast to 21 characters (20 players and 1 murder victim).

Some spoilers ahead! As the investigation unfolds, players discover many secrets in the cantina. The victim had just uncovered a treasure map worth far more than the bounty itself, sparking a scramble for clues and profit. Alongside the main mystery, the game includes several subplots such as:\

Many of our guests were first time murder mystery participants, and a group of 20 people can be overwhelming with no guidance. Happy, Wanderstar does a ton to make the game extremely approachable.

Characters are grouped into clear factions (such as ship crews, shared crimes, or shared targets) which shrinks down the scope of who many people you need to find, and provides clear initial alliances and enemies. Players naturally felt that they could turn to their factions and discuss ideas and investigate together.

Each character has a unique backstory and personal goals (not just to solve the murder). Players are given a clear bullet-point todo list with a few people to talk to. This helps them get right into the game without the pressure to perform and figure things out. However, it's not a full script either, so players can choose to improvise if they want.

The clues were also well placed. Of all the murder mysteries we've hosted, this one struck the best balance between solvable and challenging. Enough people figured it out to feel satisfying, but not so many that it felt obvious.

The "space western" theme also gave players extra costume options. If someone wanted a simple costume, they could get a cowboy hat or bandana. Some of our guests tricked out their costumes with lights and 3D prints.

We appreciated that Wanderstar (and other Foulplay Games) comes with a ton of useful tools.

Clear guides are given to hosts, including a sheet summarizing the plots and a timeline to follow while running the game. There are also templates for invites and awards given to players.

Pinterest boards are provided to give you guidance for decor, and can be sent to players to give guidance for costumes. A Spotify playlist is provided for background music during the game. (I unfortunately did not notice this when running our party, and found my own music instead.)

All characters are gender-neutral, which is a huge help when assigning roles. When we've run games with even a few specific genders for characters, they become difficult to re-assign when someone drops out.

Additionally, the host can choose to play without knowing who the killer is! The host will know there are 8 must-have characters and that the killer is one of them. However, the actual killer is only revealed in the character sheets, which the host doesn't need to read.

Two tradable items are present in the story, but both ended up getting underutilized.

The three pieces of evidence are clear clues, but don't have nice art. The included designs feel like clip art. We love to create our own custom designs, but this can make it feel a bit lacking if you're hosting the party with just what's included in the kit.

There was often confusion on why the outlaw was allowed to walk around the party. (It wouldn't be fun for a player to be tied down in a chair until they get killed.) It would be nice if the kit provided some justification for this, but we ended up claiming that the cantina was on lockdown or that they had invisible handcuffs or ankle bracelets.

Because the setting is in the future, a few invented terms caused confusion. The "Frontier Brigade", a scifi army equivalent, was sometimes called "the Service" and this caused confusion. This is a pitfall with any fictional setting and it would be best to strictly stick to one name.

There are also one pair of characters whose roles revolve around a relationship with the other member of the pair. If one person drops out, the remaining character also needs to be recast or they can feel directionless.

Wanderstar is a story-focused, engaging murder mystery that shines with large groups. Its clear goals, approachable structure, and interconnected character arcs make it especially good for players new to the genre. While some item mechanics and sci-fi terminology could be tighter, the experience overall was memorable, immersive, and easy to run. Wanderstar is one of the strongest murder mystery kits we’ve tried, and the best one we've seen in the scifi genre.