The Halloween Mystery at Elmwood High – A Cluedo-style ESL Game (B2–C1)
💀 There’s been a crime at Elmwood High… and your students are the detectives!
The Monday after the Halloween party, Ms. Blackwood — the English teacher — was found lifeless in the main corridor.
No one knows what happened… but the clues are hidden all over the school.
Your students must piece them together, think strategically, and uncover the truth before it’s too late 👀
🕵️♀️ How to play
1️⃣ Divide your class into small detective teams.
2️⃣ Give each team a set of Evidence Cards (some true, some false).
3️⃣ Every 5 minutes, each team must exchange one card with another group — but they can’t talk! They’ll need to decide strategically which evidence to share and which to keep 🤫
4️⃣ Using their cards and the Suspect Profiles, they fill out their Detective Sheet to guess:
- Who did it
- Where it happened
- How it happened
- And why
5️⃣ When all exchanges are done, teams present their theories — and you reveal the truth 🔎
It’s a mix of mystery, logic, and strategy, perfect for encouraging critical thinking and communication in English.
✨ What’s included
- 🎭 Story context (Halloween-themed and mysterious)
- 🕵️♀️ Suspect profiles
- 🃏 Evidence cards
- 🗒️ Detective sheet (to organize deductions)
- 📘 Teacher’s guide (clear setup + solution)
🎯 Why you will love it
- Ready to use — just print & play!
- Great for B2–C1 students (I use it with Bachillerato)
- Encourages strategic thinking, teamwork, and English interaction
- Creates an immersive Halloween lesson students will never forget 🎃
🕯️ Make this Halloween one to remember.
Let your students become detectives, exchange clues, and uncover The Halloween Mystery at Elmwood High 🔍