Don’t want to throw another cliched hen party? Great! We’ve got just the thing for you—a hen party murder mystery! Treat the ladies to a totally unique night filled with great food, fun costumes, and a thrilling murder mystery game.
Hosting a night like this is easy—simply follow our three-part guide:
- Choose from our list of the best hen party murder mystery games. We’ve preselected some great ones for you.
- Plan a scrumptious meal to fit the game. See our list of menu & drinks ideas.
- Decorate the venue! See our easy DIY decoration ideas.
- Bonus! A long list of extra stuff to spark your creativity.
Keep reading for our top game choices.
Curated List of Hen Party Murder Mystery Games
When there’s a wedding just around the corner, you’ll surely have your hands full with all sorts of arrangements, outfits, plans, changes of plans, and cold feet to keep warm!
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.
So let us lift the stress of finding a good hen party murder mystery game off your shoulders! Here’s our list of curated games. Simply pick one of the following games (arranged in no particular order).
Girls Just Wanna Have Guns (by Murder Mystery Flexi Party)
Heidi and Paul are engaged—and they’re hosting both the stag and hen parties at Pamper Island, an exclusive spa and adventure resort. Already tipsy, the bride-to-be and her girls go hunting the stag—with paintball guns! They have no problem tracking down the groom (and peppering him with paintball shots!) but the best man has disappeared. Well…not exactly…he’s been murdered!
Players: 6-14
Price: From $24.50
Link:
murdermysterystore.co.uk/product.asp?item=347
Once Upon a Murder (by My Mystery Party)
Once upon a time in a land far, far away there was an enchanted country living in peace beneath the Silver Tree. But when the Black Queen gained control of Silver Tree Forest, things started to change…for the worse! Villains roamed free, and nightmares replaced happily-ever-afters. But perhaps the Black Queen has had a change of heart? She’s invited representatives from all the lands to sign a peace treaty in her Dark Castle. And this is where your tale begins!
Players: 7-12 (can be expanded to 40 players)
Price: From $42.95
Link:
mymysteryparty.com/once-upon-a-murder-mystery-party/
The Dark Sin (by Mysterando)
Friends and relatives gather around the dinner table inside Petit Péché, a small town chocolaterie. 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 $18.90
Link:
mysterando.com/product/the-dark-sin/
Garden Party Murder Mystery (by Shot in the Dark Mysteries)
The Belladonna Manor House is a mystery to the residents of the quaint town of Christie’s Leigh. It’s been abandoned for as long as anyone can remember, and the overgrown garden walls keep curious eyes from seeing inside. Then, certain townsfolk receive mysterious invitations to a garden party in the manor grounds—and nobody can resist! But when the town vicar dies during the party, the other guests must solve this twisted game of murder and uncover the identity of their strange host.
Players: 6-18
Price: From $41.99
Link:
shotinthedarkmysteries.com/garden-party-murder-mystery-party-game/
Bogan Bride and the Billionaire (by Gozone Murder Mysteries)
Join us for the event of the year! Billionaire Bill Yonaire and his bogan bride-to-be Mel Anoma (who’ll soon be Mel Yonaire) are having a wedding to top all weddings. But at this extravagant occasion, till death do us part might come sooner than bargained for!
Players: 4-8 (can expand to 120 players)
Price: From $55.00
Link:
murdermystery.com.au/murder-mystery-games/bogan-bride-and-the-billionaire
Gatsby’s Last Secret (by Mysterando)
New York City, 1925—smack bang in the middle of the Roaring Twenties! In the smoky interior of the legendary Flying Flapper speakeasy, it’s another Jazz Age wild weekend. Glittering guests dance to the riveting house band and business at the bar is booming—thanks to mafia connections and the chief of police turning a blind eye! Midnight comes and goes. But then a piercing scream freezes the dancers. Frank Fitz, the infamous owner, has just been found dead!
Note: Not all the characters in this murder mystery are for females, but it can be great fun to assign male roles to some of the hen party girls!
Players: 5-9
Price: From $19.90
Link:
mysterando.com/product/gatsbys-last-secret/
Now that you’ve chosen your game, keep reading for our food and drinks ideas.
Menu & Drinks Ideas for a Hen Party Murder Mystery
Every murder mystery game is designed around a meal. There are two main formats:
- Mix ‘n mingle: Guests are constantly on their feet, moving between smaller groups to discuss clues and make accusations, or breaking off to stop by the buffet table and nibble on finger foods.
- Sit down dinner: Guests remain seated around a single table and enjoy a three (or more) course meal while discussing the game clues. Typically, each of the three courses corresponds to one of the game’s three rounds.
For more information on the two formats, see our article on crafting the perfect murder mystery menu.
The game and game format you’ve chosen will help you decide on the menu for the night. Below, we’ve listed a range of options to inspire your menu (both a sit-down dinner and a buffet), followed by some unique drinks ideas.
Sit Down Menu Ideas for a Murder Mystery Hen Party
If you’ve chosen a sit-down meal format murder mystery, try one of these three-course meal menus:
Starter: A selection of antipasti and breads. Classic, classy, easy to prepare and serve.
Mains: Fondue or raclette. Fun, communal, and fills the room with delicious aromas!
Dessert: Ice cream with fruit or chocolate sauce and nuts, or if the bride-to-be is watching her waistline, a simple fruit platter or fruit salad will work really nicely. Perhaps even fresh strawberries with cream, if you want to cheat just a little!
Starter: A salad, preferably one with some substance to help absorb the drinks! Some good options are:
- potato salad
- pasta salad
- vegetable salad
Mains: A good, hearty stew—but careful to not make it too heavy. How about:
- creamy chicken and broccoli stew
- Polish sausage and cabbage stew
- Southern okra bean stew
- slow-cooked stuffed pepper stew
Dessert: Cake! Seeing as it’s a murder mystery, the obvious choice is a death by chocolate cake!
Starter: A comforting soup. Try:
- cream of broccoli
- Greek lemon chicken
- spinach and feta
Mains: A pasta dish. Easy to prepare beforehand, and the layers of pasta will help slow down the alcoholic fun that’s being had! Here are some varieties:
- lasagna
- pasta bake
- enchilada pasta casserole
Dessert: After the pasta main, you want to serve a light dessert. Try a classy tiramisu—the coffee will help keep everyone going.
Buffet Menu Ideas for a Murder Mystery Hen Party
If you’ve chosen a buffet format murder mystery, try a combination of some of these buffet ideas:
Savory:
- Chicken wings
- Mini burgers
- Scotch eggs
- Kebabs
- Salads: veggie, pasta, potato, or green salad (consider something substantial to help keep everyone’s alcohol levels below the danger zone…you’ve still got a murder to solve!)
- Tacos with dips
- Cheese and crackers
- Quiche
- Cocktail sausages
- Sausage rolls
- Pizza slices
Sweet:
- Ice cream (perhaps with cones, chocolate sauce, and sprinkles)
- Cotton candy
- Brownies
- Cupcakes
- Cake slices
- Macaroons
- Florentines
- Cookie selection
- Chocolate selection
- Date and coconut balls
- Peanut & chocolate clusters
- Chocolate dipped strawberries
Unusual Alcoholic Beverages & Cocktails
The internet contains a bottomless punch bowl full of drinks and cocktail recipes, but here are some you might not have encountered before!
- Pink Lemonade Vodka Jello Shots in Lemon Cups: A great way to get the party started (and so pretty). Cut 10 lemons in half and scoop out (most) of the insides. Heat 2 cups of pink lemonade in a pot on the stove (use a medium heat). Stir in 4 packets of gelatin. Turn off the stove and stir in 1 cup of vodka until the mixture combines. To keep the scooped lemon halves upright, place them in a muffin tin and pour in the liquid. Leave in the fridge for at least four hours until everything sets. Only slice the lemons into wedges before serving.
- Blood Orange Gin Sour: A romantic, versatile drink—and a practical lesson in both the sweet and the sour of things to come! 25ml blood orange gin, 150ml egg white, 8ml lime juice, and a tiny 2ml drop of muscovado sugar syrup. If it’s too sweet, add a touch of lemon juice. Garnish with an orange peel.
- Rosé Slushies: Rekindle fond memories of lazy summer days, movies, and pink slushies! Pour a bottle of rosé into ice cube trays and freeze. Then grab and blender and fill it with the rosé ice cubes, regular water ice cubes, and lemonade. Blend to your preferred amount and serve with a sprig of lavender (or edible flowers).
- Cotton Candy Champagne Cocktail: A classy, fairytale drink. Wedge a tuft of cotton candy in an appropriate glass. Pour in a touch of St. Germain liqueur and then fill the glass with champagne!
- Apple Pie Ice Cream Float: A yummy dessert cocktail. Drop two big scoops of vanilla ice cream in a wide brim glass, then drizzle apple pie liqueur over the top to taste! Stick biscuit bits into the ice cream as a final touch.
- Vodka Espresso Martini: Perk up the faders and boost everyone’s stamina! 5 parts vodka, 3 parts espresso, 2 parts coffee liqueur. Add a pinch of salt, then shake ‘n pour! Garnish with one or two coffee beans.
- Earl Grey Gin Cocktail: For a classy dose of caffeine, give this one a go! Make 4 cups of Earl Grey Tea and allow to cool. Make a honey syrup with 1 cup of honey and 5 cups of boiling water. Let this cool off too. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Pour 6 cups of gin into the shaker and add the cool tea and honey syrup. Shake, shake, shake, baby! Strain and serve over ice.
DIY Cocktail Bar
If you don’t have time to make cocktails, or you want to offer a range of cocktail choices, consider setting up a DIY cocktail or drinks bar. This way, each guest can help themselves, freeing you up to play hostess—and allowing them to enjoy playing bartender.
Here are some tips for setting up the DIY bar area:
- Have a few different types of Italian sodas. They’re fruity, sweet, and full of bubbles! Using Italian sodas means you don’t need to use simple syrups. Lemon and blood orange flavors are a good starting point.
- Have a few versatile spirits. Vodka is a great choice—it has a pure taste that doesn’t clash with the Italian sodas. Unflavored gin and tequila are good choices too.
- Set out a jigger or measuring beaker of some kind—even just a shot glass, something that your guests can use to measure how much alcohol they’re pouring into their cocktails.
- Set out a range of glasses. Different shapes and sizes not only look cool, but different cocktails might call for different glasses. If you don’t have, and your budget is already strained, how about some funky plastic cups?
- Don’t forget to put out some ice, too!
- And why not go the extra step with a selection of garnish options? Edible flowers, or herbs like mint and thyme. Orange slices, lemon slices, and cherries are all great options!
- Finally, if your friends aren’t cocktail aficionados, or you’re worried somebody might get a creative block, print out recipes for a few cocktails that can be made from your ingredients. Use a font and paper that matches the theme of the night.
By now you’ve chosen a great game, matched it with a delicious menu, and thought through the drinks. The final touch is getting the venue to look its best. Ambience is everything!
Venue Decoration Ideas
Decorating your venue adds heaps of ambience to the night. It’s a must! But where do you start? With a theme, of course.
The game you’ve chosen will determine the theme—the guests will dress accordingly, and the venue decorations should follow suit.
That said, we’ve compiled a list of general-purpose decoration ideas you might find useful—things that can complement your theme, or that will work with most themes.
- Flowers! Fresh flowers in themed vases, or bouquets of dried or plastic flowers add an immediate burst of life and color to any venue. You could also sprinkle flower petals on the floor, or on tables and displays.
- Fairy Lights. A touch of twinkling magic, a soft moody lighting—a classy touch for every occasion.
- Balloons. I mean, who doesn’t love balloons?
- Paper Fans. You can use these as decorative items, or as party favors.
- Paper Lanterns. For an exotic touch, or to cover bright lights—really good at creating ambience, and some designs are really beautiful.
- Streamers. For a bit of festive flair.
- Confetti. Get some practice before the wedding day!
With your decoration planning done, you’ve completed your key hen night murder mystery planning tasks.
But here’s a little something extra…
Bonus: Long List of Extra Stuff!
Here’s a list of some extra things to consider. Perhaps they spark a fresh idea or two!
If you’re planning a whole day event, you might run the murder mystery in the afternoon and then want a different activity for the evening. This could include:
- Drinking games
- Truth or Dare games
- Other party games like Twister, etc.
Personalized goodies such as:
- Hen Sashes (perhaps printed with a general Girls Night Out or Hen Night for when you hit the town, or individual Bride To Be, Bridesmaid, and Mother Of The Bride ones too)
- Party bags
- Printed T-shirts
Accessories and other fun items to have handy:
- Tiaras
- Garters
- Hats, horns, ears & boppers
- Wings
- Party masks
- Bubbles
- Handcuffs
- Whistles
- Wands
- Veils
- Inflatables
- Gifts and gift bags
- Party poppers, sparklers & confetti
Drinking essentials:
- Shot glasses
- Straws
- Extra ice
…and that’s it! We hoped you’ve found this article helpful in planning your hen night murder mystery.
You might find some of articles on specific themes handy, too:
- Chocolate & Wine themed murder mysteries
- Masquerade themed murder mysteries
- European themed murder mystery parties
- Summer murder mystery parties
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. We use affiliate links to Amazon, etc. This is how we help fund the site.