Murder Mystery Timer
A round timer for murder mystery and deduction game hosts (GMs).
- Save and load round setups as scenarios
- Set repeating rounds, like individual interrogations, in one go with "Repeat N times"
- Adjust ±30 seconds mid-game and jump to the previous or next round
- Big numbers that turn green → yellow → red as time runs out
- Round-end alarm and vibration, plus notifications even when you're outside the app
- Landscape and presentation modes to show just the time, big, to players
- Works completely offline and keeps the screen on during the game
Coming soon to the stores
About the app
A murder mystery game runs through several rounds — introduction, open discussion, individual interrogations, closing arguments, voting — each with its own time limit. With your phone’s built-in timer, you have to re-enter the time every round, and players can’t easily see how much time is left.
Murder Mystery Timer lets the game master (GM) save the round setup as a scenario ahead of time and run the whole game with a single button.
Get started in 5 minutes
- When you first open the app, tap Start with the default 6 rounds.
- Rename the scenario to your game’s title and adjust the round times to fit your game.
- Tap Start game, and when the players are ready, tap ▶.
Repeating rounds
If 5 players are each interrogated for 3 minutes, there’s no need to create 5 rounds — just set “Individual interrogation, 3:00, repeat 5 times.” During the game, it’s automatically split into “Individual interrogation (1/5)”, “Individual interrogation (2/5)”, and so on.
Showing players the time
The screen color changes with the time left: green (plenty of time) → yellow (1 minute left by default) → red (10 seconds left by default). Turn the device sideways to show the numbers big, and presentation mode hides the buttons and shows only the time. The screen won’t turn off automatically on the game screen.
We don’t collect personal information
No sign-up, no internet connection. All scenarios and settings are stored only on your device.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an internet connection?
No. Every feature works without the internet — even in airplane mode.
Does the timer stop if I switch to another app?
No. Time keeps running accurately, and if a round ends while you're outside the app, you'll get a notification. Note that the 1-minute warning sound and ticking sound don't play while you're outside the app.
I'm not getting round-end notifications.
Check that notifications are allowed for the app in your phone's settings. On Android, you may also need the "Alarms & reminders" permission and a battery optimization exception (Unrestricted). The most reliable option is to keep the app on screen during the game.
Will the alarm ring when my iPhone is on silent?
While the app is on screen, the alarm rings even in silent mode. To mute it, turn off sound in the app's settings. Notifications you receive while outside the app follow your phone's silent setting.
Do rounds advance automatically?
By default, no. When time runs out, the alarm sounds and overtime is shown, and the host moves on to the next round. You can switch to auto-advance (the next round starts 3 seconds after the alarm) in the scenario editor.
The app closed in the middle of a game.
When you reopen the app, you'll see "Resume where you left off?" Tap Resume and the game continues, accounting for the time that passed while the app was closed.
If I change the time during a game, does the saved scenario change too?
No. ±30-second adjustments apply only to the current game. To change the scenario itself, edit it in the scenario editor.
Can I restore a deleted scenario?
For 5 seconds right after deleting, tap "Undo" at the bottom of the screen to restore it. After that, it can't be recovered.
Can I move scenarios to another device or view the same timer on multiple devices?
Not in the current version. Instead, we recommend standing one device facing the players in landscape or presentation mode.
What happens if I delete the app?
All scenarios and settings are deleted from your device along with it. Nothing is stored on a server, so they can't be recovered.