Table of Contents
For those of you who regularly read my articles, you know I am a huge fan of board games. Board games in my opinion are one of the best ways to socialise and get to know people in this day and age.
Game nights are a great informal setting, where the chatter runs freely, the food is free and the games keep things fun and provide the entertainment so you don’t have to!
I have been hosting a weekly (sometimes bi-weekly) game night now for going on 7 years. During this time, I have been able to work out the subtle nuances and planning that is required to make a game night run smoothly without a hitch.
Below are my 5 must know tips that all hosts should follow in order to make your next game night a huge success!
How to Host a Game Night for Adults - 5 Must Know Tips!
- Invite the Right Mix of People
- Choose the Right Games
- Serve the Right Food & Drink
- Keep Guests Comfortable
- Act as Game Moderator
1. Invite the Right Mix of People
It goes without saying that for a game night to run smoothly you need to invite not only the right people, but the right mix of people.
What I mean by this is that is you need to put some thought into who you want to invite to the game night and whether everyone will be able to get along with one another.
Different personalities can clash and if the mix is wrong – there can be some pretty awkward silences or worse – altercations.
It sounds funny – but mix an overly competitive person with someone who likes to brag about winning all the time and it can end up in a rather loud argument (Speaking from experience here!).
The last thing you need is a grudge between two people casting a dark shadow on what is supposed to be a fun and social night.
When hosting game nights with new people – I like to get an even mix of introverted and extroverted people.
Board games are a great activity where both extroverted and introverted people can feel comfortable in each other’s presence – the introverts tend to focus on the games and the extroverts provide the social chatter.
Now I understand your friends are your friends and sometimes you do not get to choose who can come to the game night and who can’t. Or maybe you are inviting people you don’t know so well.
That’s fine – but just remember it is your job as host to keep an eye on things and diffuse situations before they occur. Your job is to make sure everyone is enjoying themselves!
2. Choose the Right Games
This is one of the most important parts of organising a game night. The success of the night hinges on the games you choose. They need to be both engaging and entertaining to all guests.
It’s very important to think of the games to play in advance of the game night!
If you know the people coming to the game night – think about their interests. Have you played board games with them before? What sort of games do they like?
How many players are there going to be? This is a very important question – board games generally have a minimum and maximum number of players. Make sure no one is left out with the games you choose.
Also think about the type of game – some games are better played with large groups of people and others are better with a smaller group. You don’t want huge wait times between turns as this will bore people and they will stop focusing on the game.
Make sure that the games rules are easy to teach and pick up for new players. The last thing you want to be doing is spending 30 minutes teaching someone how to play.
A game like Catan is great, as players can still perform actions when it is not their turn and can learn the game while playing.
I have also recently published an article about the best escape room style board game for adults – these games are brilliant games to play during a game night (especially to break the ice if there are people you are unfamiliar with).
Escape room style games encourage players to work as a team to solve puzzles. They have little to no rules – other than escape within the time limit!
Another important thing to be aware of is to pick games with reasonable play times. Are you going to play through 2 or 3 fast 30 minute games?
Or are you veteran gamers who want to dungeon crawl through a huge campaign for 3 hours.
Make sure the games you choose are appropriate for the people that are attending!
3. Serve the Right Food & Drink
No game night is complete without snacks and drinks!
You don’t have to put on a full three-course dinner. But make sure you have a few finger foods handy – preferably non-greasy and things that aren’t too messy. The last thing you want is to roll a set of dice after a player has used them with Cheeto fingers.
Serving of drinks is important as well – It’s up to you whether you serve alcoholic drinks, but make sure there is always a non-alcoholic option as well.
Generally, you are going to want to use plastic cups – as with board games there are a lot of wild dice throwing hands that occasionally knock things over!
4. Keep Guests Comfortable
During a game night there is generally a lot of sitting around a table or on the ground. Having a few things prepared before hand and keeping guests comfortable, will make the whole night a lot more enjoyable.
Simple things like spare cushions or blankets handy if its going to be a cold night or if you are playing outside are things you can think ahead and prepare in advance.
5. Act as a Game Moderator
When you host a game night it is your responsibility to make sure that things run smoothly, that everyone is having fun and the games are progressing.
During the night there will be points when you have to make sure people take their turns during a game or make a decision regarding a controversial call in a board game (if a dice falls off the table – is it a re-roll?).
With great power comes great responsibility.
As a host, it’s your job to make it clear that you are the moderator during the games. It’s your job to make sure games don’t drag too long and that people stay focused – but also pick up hints if people are getting bored of a certain game and maybe switch things up.
The moderator also gets to facilitate votes as to whether the players can implement any ‘house rules’ – There’s always a player who thinks X game is better by changing Y rule. The moderator’s job is to facilitate a vote as to whether the rules should be changed or not.
Note: I said facilitate – not decide. Remember you are just a moderator not a dictator!
Having a moderator during game nights I have found has made the whole night a lot more enjoyable. It keeps everyone focused and honest, and makes sure the games run well without any hiccups.
Final Thoughts
I have been hosting successful game nights for a long time now. Whether it is a group of people I know or new people I am meeting for the first time, I have found with the above 5 tips – I can host the perfect game night every time.
If you know of any other tips that you would like to share, I would love to hear them in the comments below.
