If you’re thinking of getting your friends together for some light fun, chances are you’ve considered a games night. It’s the perfect opportunity to get comfortable and mildly competitive with your nearest and dearest and doesn’t require extensive planning.
Not sure where to start? We’ve offered our advice to help you plan the best games night with your friends, from the choice of games to the selection of food.
Inviting your guests
Everyone has things going on in their lives, meaning it can be hard to select a date when everyone is free. Give your guests as much time as possible to put it in their diary, which will also provide more time for you to plan the evening.
Go all out and create personalised invitations and send them to each of your friends. Alternatively, you could go down the easier route of creating a group chat with all the relevant details. This will allow your attendees to get to know one another and offer suggestions as to what games they may wish to play.
Choose the right games
The most important part of any games night is the games that you’ll be playing. What you choose will depend on the number of guests you invite over. Scrabble, Monopoly, and bingo are great for large groups, whereas charades and online arcade games are suitable for smaller gatherings.
Make sure that you already have the games set up and ready to go or ask your guests to bring them over. You could even create your own game pieces that you can reuse at a later date.
Prepare some snacks
No games night is complete without some delicious snacks. You don’t need to make anything too complex as you would a dinner night; instead, keep things simple with some finger foods. This will make it easier to grab a quick bite between games.
Crisps and dips, pizzas, and sandwiches are always safe options – you could even buy these from a supermarket to save you preparing them yourself. Be sure to check whether there are any dietary requirements beforehand to ensure everyone can enjoy the food safely.
Set the scene
Setting the scene is key to a successful evening. Whether this takes place in a living room, dining room, or somewhere completely different, you need to provide enough seating for all your guests.
If you don’t have enough chairs, cover the floor with cushions or blankets. You want everyone to be as comfortable and cosy as possible. Also, put on a playlist of all your favourite songs and dim the lights and you’re ready to get going.