Series creator Charles Rogers explained that the title was chosen because 'search' evokes the mystery genre while 'party' captures the fun, casual attitude of the amateur heroes who stumble into detective work.

The first season's promotional art, designed by Sam Hadley, nods to classic detective stories such as the Nancy Drew Mystery Stories, reflecting the season's mystery genre.

The second season's promotional art was inspired by Alfred Hitchcock, and star Alia Shawkat said the season's main theme is essentially 'Hitchcock's paranoia'.

The third season's courtroom drama plot was influenced by the works of John Grisham, and creator Charles Rogers stated the legal storyline was directly inspired by the real-life trial of Amanda Knox, who was convicted of murder in 2007.

The satire in season three drawing on fame and media was influenced by the crime film The Bling Ring and the cult dark comedy To Die For, with the season adopting a postmodern style through fictional true-crime shows and character interviews.

Co-creator Sarah-Violet Bliss described the fourth season as being in the 'captive' genre, with critics drawing comparisons to Misery.

The fifth and final season shifted tone dramatically, with critics describing it as surreal science fiction combined with zombie horror.

Filming of the first season began in summer 2015 across several Brooklyn neighborhoods, including Greenpoint, Williamsburg, Gowanus, Windsor Terrace, and Park Slope.

The series moved from TBS, which aired the first two seasons, to HBO Max starting with season three, which premiered as part of the streaming service's Spring 2020 launch.