So, you want to host a European themed murder mystery party? Great idea! Europe is rich with history and culture, cathedrals and castles, astounding art, and fabulous foods!
This article is perfect for you—packed full of ideas and tips to guarantee your party is to DIE for. Topics we’ll cover include:
- A wide range of European menu ideas
- Essential things to think about as a host: the specific group dynamics, how and when to prepare the food, and more!
- A curated list of amazing European themed murder mystery party games, so you don’t have to scour the web! Be sure to check it out—see the end of this article.
If that’s what you’re looking for, simply continue reading!
European Menu Ideas
Before we dive into specific menu ideas, let’s discuss the most important factor that will guide the dishes you serve your guests.
Your party menu should be determined by the game format. Are you going to host a sit-down dinner? Or are you organizing a mix ‘n mingle party? If you don’t know the difference between the two, jump to the Essentials for hosting section below for an explanation.
Either way, we’ve got lots of ideas for a mouthwatering European murder mystery party menu!
We’ll leave it up to you to pick and choose the perfect combinations for your party!
Main course menu ideas
- Chestnut soup (also known as velouté in French). A subtle mix of spices, crumbled chestnuts, chicken broth, and puréed carrots. Yummy!
- Greek fries dipped in tzatziki sauce. Greek fries are cut thicker than their French cousins, and typically spiced with oregano, garlic, and feta.
- Cabbage rolls (kohlrouladen). This popular German comfort food is guaranteed to warm you up on a chilly winter night. Mmm…just smell the scent of seasoned ground beef sizzling in tomato-cooked rice as it bakes inside rolled cabbage leaves!
- Pizza! Popular worldwide, this classic Italian food comes in hundreds of variations. But why not return to its roots? That is: the margherita. Keep it simple: mozzarella cheese, thinly spread tomato paste, and basil leaves. Keep the grease to a minimum by soaking it up with a paper towel.
- Swedish meatballs. To get that authentic Swedish tang, mix allspice and nutmeg into the ground beef.
- Anglesey eggs. This dish is named after Anglesey, an island on the Welsh coast. To make ‘em, you’ll need hard-boiled eggs, mash, and a thick cheese and leek sauce. This is a great vegetarian option to keep in your cookbook.
- Hungarian mushroom soup. This Hungarian hit is another vegetarian option. Dill, paprika, sour cream, and lightly sautéed onions make this a dish you’d be happy to drown in…
- Ovcharaska salad. Hailing for Bulgaria, this salad is fortified with mushrooms, ham, and eggs. Keeping with tradition, serve this salad with several forks all inside one big bowl. Place extra grilled meats on the side to encourage sharing.
Dessert menu ideas
Of course, no meal is complete without a delicious dessert! Try one (or more) of the following:
- Eton Mess. England’s favorite dessert, a cascade of crunchy meringue, whipped cream, and sticky strawberry sauce.
- Papanasi (Romanian cheese donuts). These little delights consist of a soft cheese shaped into little donuts, then fried and topped with heaps of sour cream and fruity jam!
- Apple strudel. Strudel is German for “whirlpool”, and will most certainly whirl your tastebuds with its flaky crust and spiced apple filling topped with a heaped spoon of vanilla ice-cream.
- Scottish tablet. It’s not fudge, and it’s not shortbread, but this medium-hard slab of sugar, condensed milk, and butter (with hints of vanilla and nuts) is surprisingly easy to make yourself. Give it a go!
- Belgian waffles. These delights differ from their American counterparts with their larger squares, deeper pockets, and lighter batter—but still yearn to be topped with ice-cream, syrup, berries, cream, or butter.
- Kaiserschmarrn (Austrian shredded pancake). A favorite of Emperor Franz Joseph I, this light pancake is packed with raisins or cranberries, and served with apple sauce.
We hope your brain is buzzing with great ideas, and that you can already picture the mouthwatering menu you’ll present your guests with.
For more food ideas, see our article on crafting the perfect menu for your murder mystery party.
But a great menu isn’t all you as host have to think about. Keep reading to see our other planning essentials.
Essentials for hosting a European themed murder mystery party
Let’s address three essential things every murder mystery party host must consider in order to perfectly plan and pull off their event.
First, consider the amount of time the event is going to take.
More specifically:
- How long will the game take to play? We recommend going with a shorter game if you’re playing with kids, or if you’re new to murder mystery parties.
- How much prep time do you have? Do you have weeks, days, or just a few hours to plan and prepare for the party? Careful planning can cut down wasted effort and wheel spinning!
Try the following to shorten your prep time:
- Make all the food the day before the party. Before you eat, simply reheat the already cooked dishes. Alternatively, order takeout.
- Do it potluck style: ask your guests to each bring a specific dish.
- Decorate using a “less is more” approach: move the furniture, cover the table in a striking tablecloth, and festoon the room with streamers or balloons. Done and dusted!
- Be sure to put on background music to set the mood!
If you want to save even more time, don’t miss out on our curated list of European themed games at the end of this article!
Next, consider the format of game you should buy: a sit-down dinner, or a mix ‘n mingle format?
This is a very important decision. You need to make it before you buy a game because murder mystery games generally fall into one of these two categories:
- Murder mystery dinner party: All the guests sit down together around a table and discuss the game clues as one big group. The vibe is casual, and ideal for smaller groups of 4-12 adults, and designed around a three-course meal.
- Mix ‘n mingle: This is for larger, dynamic groups. Everyone walks around and talks to everyone else one-on-one or in small groups. Mix ‘n mingle game mechanics involve questioning, conjecturing, accusing, or interrogating individuals. This format works best in a large hall. Players drift between the game and the buffet table.
See our article on choosing the best murder mystery party for your group—it lists companies that sell games in both categories.
Finally, be sure to consider if the theme is appropriate to your group.
Are you playing with kids? If so, avoid a game story with excessive alcohol or drug use. Carefully preview the story so you’re confident it’s “family friendly”. If you’re not sure, contact the game publisher and ask them. Tell them you’re playing with kids (and give the age groups) and ask if the game you’re interested in is appropriate for that age group.
Now that you’ve thought through these essentials for hosting a murder mystery party, have a look at our curated list of games below.
European themed murder mystery games recommendations
Save yourself hours of searching online. Simply choose one of our preselected European themed murder mysteries below.
Please note: We love Murder Mystery Parties. Besides giving advice we also write and sell games. In this article we feature our own games from our company Mysterando. If you want to help fund this site, please check out our games.
The Dark Sin (by Mysterando)
mysterando.com/product/the-dark-sin/
About: Friends and relatives gather around the dinner table inside Petit Péché, a small town chocolaterie in the French countryside. They’re there to celebrate the owner’s book launch. But the sweet smell of melting nougat can’t cover up the fact that murderous thoughts bubble below the surface. Before the celebrations can even begin, the owner is found dead – poisoned by someone in this very room!
Players: 4-9
Price: From $19.00
Death on the Rocks (by Freeform Games)
freeformgames.com/games/death-on-the-rocks.php
About: Gull Island, off the English coast, 1936, on the eve of the winter solstice. The villagers gather in the town hall. The wind howls, trees whip back and forth – and then the power goes out! Stumbling in the dark, lighting candles, they realize someone is missing: Hugo Malady, heir to a great fortune. It doesn’t take long for Hugo’s body to turn up…and the search for the murderer to begin!
Players: 12-16
Price: $29.99
The Murder at Baldrennan Abbey (by Mysterando)
mysterando.com/product/the-murder-at-baldrennan-abbey/
About: A foggy valley deep in the heart of the Scottish Highlands shelters the crumbling masonry of Baldrennan Abbey. The Church has decided to sell the abbey to the highest bidder. The abbess and her nuns are instructed to play host to a string of potential buyers, real estate sharks, and visionary entrepreneurs. But the nuns do not want to give up their life at the abbey. So, when Nick Taylor’s body is found dead in the abbey garden, everyone in the abbey falls under suspicion…
Players: 4-8
Price: From $18.90
Haunted Horrors (by Gozone Murder Mysteries)
murdermystery.com.au/murder-mystery-games/haunted-horrors
About: In this tale of Transylvania, play as a ghost, ghoul, or zombie as you explore Nosferatu’s horribly haunted castle unravelling a twisted plot of blistering blackmail, loathsome lies, illicit affairs, missing persons – and murder most foul!
Players: 4-120
Price: From $55.00
Murder at the Stratford Castle (by My Mystery Party)
mymysteryparty.com/murder-at-the-stratford-castle-murder-mystery/
About: The Kilmore Preservation Society (a diverse group including astronauts, relic dealers, and pharmaceutical researchers) host the exclusive Stratford Castle Ball. But this year’s ball is beset with obstacles, including several scandals between the society members—and a serial killer stalking the streets of Kilmore!
Players: 20-75
Price: $112.95
Murder at the Pizzeria (by Murder Mystery Flexi Party)
murdermysterystore.co.uk/product.asp?item=493
About: Opening night at Bella Morte’s classy Italian restaurant is packed! But amid the hustle and bustle and delicious scents wafting from the kitchen, rival restaurant owner Karl Ickbread is murdered…with a pizza wheel!
Players: 6-14
Price: From $24.00
A Scandal in Bodgerton (by Night of Mystery)
mastersofmystery.com/collections/murder-mystery-games/products/bridgerton-jane-austen-themed-murder-mystery-game-kit
About: Inspired by the Bridgerton series on Netflix and the writing of Jane Austen, this murder mystery is set in 1813 high society where a new scandal sheet sows chaos: couples elope, men duel, and the opera ends in a riot!
Players: 4-20
Price: From $24.00
Murder in Venice (by Shot in the Dark Mysteries)
shotinthedarkmysteries.com/murder-in-venice-murder-mystery-game/
About: An eclectic group of strangers are invited to a black and white themed masquerade at a secret spot in Venice. Someone is found murdered in the catacombs under the old building—and the guests are barred from leaving until they find out who the killer is.
Players: 6-18
Price: From $42.00
Now that you’ve read all about European themed murder mystery games, you might also be interested in some of our other articles:
Disclaimer: We haven’t played every single one of the games discussed. However, after being murder mystery party fans, players, and hosts for many years, we’ve gathered heaps of helpful advice and tips on how to play. In writing this article, we’ve conducted internet research to put together our top choices. To help fund the site, we do use affiliate links to Amazon, etc.