There’s nothing quite like spending time with your best friends and family members. After all, it’s the great people in our lives that truly help us make special magical memories. No matter what your age or how big your friendship group is, getting together with friends is one of the best ways of spending your time.
If you fancy doing something a little different or a little bit special for yourself and your mates, why not plan a game night? Game nights offer some friendly competition, lots of laughs, and a great way to spend some quality time together. Now that most Covid-19 restrictions are easing, you can start to think about making these sorts of plans! If you think a game night could suit your friends, read on for some top tips and fun ideas.
Preparing for Game Night
Yes, game nights are about playing games, but there’s more to it than that. You want to lay on a great night for all your pals, so you want to get prepared. Think about sorting some lovely drinks for when your friends arrive. If you’re over 21, maybe some themed drinks, cocktails, or special craft beers will warm your friends up for a bit of gaming. Don’t worry though, under 21s could do a great mix of non-alcoholic cocktails or even punch. Get some great new music playing in the background as well; you want game night to have a fun vibe!
You’ll probably want snacks and food too. You might choose different types of food for different games. For example, classic American snacks are often ordered or cooked for parties, with mozzarella sticks, mac, and cheese, or pizza being the top options. However, if you’re playing with cards or paper, these greasy foods might not be ideal! Choose your food wisely, whilst making sure you’ve laid on enough snacks to keep everyone full and happy throughout the evening.
Warm Up With Words
Once the scene is set, you’ll want to start organizing which games you want to play. One of the most simple and easiest types of games to start playing are word games. Classic games like Scrabble and Boggle can get the competitive juices flowing and make for a great start to any game night.
No good with words? Don’t worry! As the word-finding professionals over at wordgiraffe.com explain, “With a word finder, your vocabulary growth is on steroids.” You can use tools like this before, during, or after games to help expand your vocabulary and find super high-scoring words to impress – and beat – your friends with.
Get Physical
Word games fizzled out? No fear, as the evening progresses it can be fun to make games a little more interactive or physical. You can purchase simple sets of mini golf, mini bowling, or other similar games if you want to have some fun. Or, there are always the classics.
Games like Twister can get everyone moving, bending, twisting, and sometimes falling over each other. These are excellent ways to get everyone in the mood for a bit of fun, as they all try to balance and twist into hilarious positions. Don’t wanna get mixed up? Go for a game of Giant Jenga or similar!
Play Video Games
No matter your age, there are so many video games suited for a competitive and fun game night. For example, classic Nintendo games like Mario Kart are perfect for some two or four-way video game madness. Alternatively, any sports games like tennis, football, or even golf can create a nice family fun environment. Beware, though, as some people get super competitive on sports games!
Alternatively, play cooperatively online in games like Call of Duty, teaming up as a unit to fight the enemy. This is extra fun as you can work together and communicate your ideas in person. Hopefully, this leads to plenty of wins and lots of fun.
Go Mystical
Feeling creative and don’t want to stare at a screen? Great – use your imagination instead. Whether you’ve played it before or not, playing Dungeons and Dragons can be an incredible way to spend an evening. This game requires some thought, imagination, and plenty of dedication. You will be taken on a quest of your dungeon master’s choosing, rolling dice to decide how you interact with challenges along the way. With plenty of the game being played in the mind, you’ll all be painting pictures in your minds about how your characters look, act, and feel. D&D can take hours to complete, so this will likely be a game you play for the whole night!
Cards and Bets
Cards are one of the most classic game pieces invented. There are so many different games you can play with cards from the most simple Snap to the more complicated Texas Hold’Em. Whichever kind of card game you like, you can spice things up a little by making some bets.
Of course, it’s always important to be responsible when gambling. Never play around with money you can’t afford to lose – it’s only meant to be a bit of fun. Putting $10 into a pot for a game of poker is fine, no matter how old you are. Going too high with money when playing with friends can cause drama and totally ruin a game night. If you want, play with Monopoly money!
Quizmaster Fun
Finally, there are multiple ways of throwing some quiz games into an evening. Classic board games like Trivial Pursuit are always great. Or, if you want to go all out, why don’t you create your own pub quiz? Find questions for different categories and become the quizmaster. Your friends can separate into teams and battle against each other for top points, fun prizes, or forfeit challenges. It just takes a small amount of preparation and you can have an awesome quiz night sorted for everyone’s enjoyment.
These are just some of the best ways you can keep everyone entertained on your game night. As the host, you want to have fun yourself, but you also want all your guests to have a night they will remember. So plan wisely, organize properly, and get ready for a night full of games, laughter, and friendly fun.
