The World of Jubensha — Understanding the Language of China’s “Script Murder” Craze

“Script players don’t sleep.”
“Jubensha — the new favorite social pastime for young people.”
“Jubensha — the latest consumption trend among China’s youth.”
— Who’s the Murderer (Chinese variety show)

If you enjoy detective or mystery shows, these phrases might sound familiar. Jubensha (剧本杀), literally “script murder,” was popularized by the hit online variety show Who’s the Murderer and has swept across China in recent years.

Unlike earlier social deduction games such as Werewolf, Jubensha combines storytelling, acting, social interaction, and logical reasoning into one immersive experience. Its richly written scripts are the heart of the game.

What Is “Jubensha”?

Jubensha, or 剧本杀 in Chinese, originated as a party game in Europe and the U.S. Thus, Jubensha is an “exotic import” reinvented through Chinese storytelling and culture.

Each player receives a “script” describing their character’s background, relationships, and secrets. Through discussion, deduction, and clue-gathering, players try to uncover the truth and the culprit.

You might overhear college students chatting like this:

“Today’s script was such a tearjerker—I cried so hard at the end.”
“Yeah, even though my character turned out to be the killer, I really resonated with them. Such a well-written story!”

Here, the term “本子” (běnzi), literally “script,” refers to the storyline that drives a Jubensha session — the written narrative that connects all characters and clues.

What Does “盘” (pán) Mean in Jubensha?

In everyday Chinese, “盘” means “to handle” or “to play with,” but in Jubensha, it’s gamer slang for analyzing and reasoning through the case — a mix of deduction, discussion, and theory crafting.

Possible English equivalents include:

• analyze – to analyze clues and the situation

• sleuth – to act as a detective

• investigate – to probe what others have said

• reason/deduce – to logically infer conclusions

Yet none of these fully capture “盘,” which blends all of them with a sense of mental immersion and back-and-forth logic play.

Common phrases among players include:

• “我盘了一下，我觉得…” → “I’ve thought it through, and I think…”

• “我是这么盘的。” → “Here’s my reasoning.”

• “这局太乱了，我没法盘。” → “This round’s too messy; I can’t figure it out.”

In short, “盘” is the mental act of unraveling the puzzle — a cornerstone of Jubensha gameplay.

How to Translate “剧本杀” in English

Depending on context, there are two main interpretations to translate Jubensha:

1. Live Action Role Playing (LARP) – emphasizing the role-playing and real-life interaction aspects.

2. Script Murder – a direct translation now widely used by Chinese media and in English-language coverage.

Definition:

A role-playing murder mystery activity in which players act out scripted roles and solve a case together.

How to Play:
Choose a script, select a character, read your backstory carefully, get into character emotionally, and then begin the mental showdown — collecting evidence, chatting privately and publicly, voting, and reasoning. A game master (called the GM, or host) guides the flow. The only real requirement? Immersion.

Jubensha as a Social Game

As a social game, Jubensha brings people together quickly. Players sit in a circle, each with a different script, and piece together the overall story through discussion and deduction.

For a few hours, you’re no longer yourself — you become your character, with new motives and relationships. Everyone else does too. It’s a shared theater of imagination.

“All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players.”
— William Shakespeare

That’s the charm of Jubensha: every script is unique, every game an irreplaceable experience. The best players treat each story and each script with care and respect. After all, a good script is a nonrenewable resource, and the best way to play it is with people you trust.