The problem with the meal
A Christmas meal seats people next to whoever they already talk to for three hours. That is a nice evening, but it is not why you booked a party.
An hour of something before the food fixes it. People arrive with something to talk about, the seating plan stops mattering, and the quiet ones have already spoken.
How it fits the evening
Play at five or six, eat at half seven. We are five minutes from Snow Hill Station and walking distance from most of the city centre restaurants, so nobody is getting a taxi between the two.
Four rooms run at once, so up to 24 people play in the same slot. Bigger teams go in waves, with the first wave at the bar while the second plays.
Mixed groups and the ones who are not sure
You will have people who are certain they will be terrible at this. They will not be, and it is worth saying so in the invite. Nothing is physical, nothing requires knowledge, and no one is ever left out at the back.
If the group is genuinely mixed, avoid The Hellevator and put everyone in The Legend of Miyalock or Captain Riddle’s Forgotten Fortune.
Book earlier than feels necessary
December evening slots go in October. If you are reading this in November, weekday evenings are your best chance, and early January works better than people expect for a party nobody could make in December.