*This is a collaborative post on hosting the ultimate games night with friends
Do you want to make sure that you have the best time when you are socialising with friends? Maybe you just want to make sure that you do everything you can to not only keep everyone entertained, but to have a bit of friendly competition too. Either way, if you’re hosting a games night, this is the guide for you.
Try and invite a large amount of people, so that you can base the game accordingly. If you have an even number, then it’s a good idea for you to do team games. Team games are a great way for you to build tension, and this helps to add to the fun. You don’t want any buzzkills or naysayers though, so try and make sure that you look at the games you have so that you can ensure that they are perfect for the size of the group that you have.
It’s a very good idea for you to choose the game beforehand so that you can make sure that everyone is on the same page. If your friends need help finding a good game to play, then provide them with a list of options. You can also have a group discussion where everyone can partake, so keep that in mind if you can. If you want some more fun, why not host a music quiz? You can even set specific topics, such as bingo music if you want to really challenge your friends.
If you can, try and spend a bit of time talking to everyone before you go ahead and start the game. As the host, it’s your job to make sure that everyone shuts up and that the game starts at a certain point, so try and make sure that everyone has chance to socialise at the start. You need to try and give at least half an hour here. When you have finished the game, make sure that you leave half an hour in your schedule as this will help people to unwind and resume chatting about the night.
It’s a good idea for you to play at a coffee table as opposed to a dining table. It’s a way more relaxed experience and you may even find that there is always somewhere to put the drinks. You just need to make sure that you get some coasters if you can because this will give your guests a defined area to put their drinks should they want to put it down for a bit.
You don’t have to serve dinner when you host a games night. In fact, sometimes it’s better if you don’t. Try and put out some finger food if you can. If you have plates lying around then this will make it much harder for your guests to play and you may even find that the dishes end up piling too. If you give everyone napkins and some paper plates then these can be grown away and it also means that you have way less mess on your hands too, so keep that in mind.