Hosting a game night remains one of the best ways to bring your friends together for a fun time. It can also provide opportunities to meet and get to know new people. To ensure its, success you need to plan it in advance. Doing so ensures there is no confusion on the day and that everyone feels comfortable when they arrive. To make sure everything goes smoothly and everyone has fun, here are some tips to help you plan the perfect gaming night.
Create a Guest List
Creating a guest list is the first thing you should do when planning a gaming night. Your guest list will dictate things like which games to play, whether to divide people into groups, and how much food to make available. Your guest list will largely be determined by how much room you have.
You will have a lot more liberty if you have a larger space and a lot of seating. If you have a smaller space, it would be best to slim the guest list down. When creating a guest list, consider inviting people who already know each other, even tangentially. Doing so will help keep the conversation going and reduce the awkwardness.
Talk to Invitees About Potential Dates
Once you have the guest list down, consider asking the invitees which days or dates work for them. Depending on who you invite, certain days and dates might not work, and you want everyone to be available for the gaming night.
It is best to ensure everyone agrees on a day that is about one or two weeks from the day of the invite. If you plan on having an informal gaming night, it is not inconceivable to call your friends for an impromptu gaming night, especially in the era of online and multiplayer gaming.
Plan on Playing Different Games
A gaming night can get boring quickly if there is no variety in the games you play on those nights. Some people may be better in some games than others, which can make some people feel like they are poorly matched because they keep getting dominated by other players. To eliminate both of these, consider getting your friends to play some new games.
Choosing new games inject new excitement into your gaming nights as everyone gets introduced to the new game(s). Additionally, everyone will be starting at the same skill level since this is a new game. This eliminates the advantage otherwise better players or people who would have played a game for a long time have.
Mobile games have become popular over the past decade or so, mainly due to the capabilities and advancements in smartphone technology. There is now a healthy selection of mobile games that allow multiplayer play.
You can substitute the usual board games with some mobile games like first-person shooters or casinos games with a live dealer option. With a little research, you can find mobile games that have a multiplayer option, but you need to be careful to find the right casinos with the games everyone will love to play. There are review sites that review and recommend the best online gambling sites, and you can use them to find casino games that everyone will enjoy.
Plan on Serving Food and Drinks
Gaming nights usually last a few hours, so it is important to arrange for some food and drinks. You do not have to concern yourself about making a huge meal because many gamers love snacks while gaming. They are easier to get in the mouth quickly and do not make a mess as full meals would.
A good option is to set up a buffet with different snacks and cups pre-filled with drinks. You can always purchase some premade party platters to set on a table instead of going with a full buffet.
Arrange Some Conversation Topics
Conversation is very important as it will make things flow better. If you invite a group of friends who already know each other, conversations will not be too hard to start. However, you will need to create some conversation pieces, starters, and icebreakers if you invite people who might not know each other too well.
Planning a gaming night is about making your guests as comfortable as possible and ensuring everyone has fun. Getting the right games, providing a conducive gaming environment, and ensuring things keep flowing are what you should be aiming for when planning one.
