When you and your buddies are getting together for a night of gaming, it usually means that a fun evening is in store for everyone. Of course, there are ways you can make it more fun, and most of them don’t require a ton of preparation time or effort. The following will explore a few ways you can amp up the fun of game night for you and your friends.
Stock Up On Snacks
No one wants to pause the game for a run to the grocery store. Prepare enough snacks for the group in advance so that the gaming doesn’t need to cease in the middle of a particularly intense moment. Things like chicken wings, potato chips, dip, soda, popcorn, stromboli, or pigs in a blanket work well. Finger foods that don’t take up a ton of space on the table are often best for gaming nights.
Just be sure to include the additional features required to keep things tidy. You might want coasters to protect the perfect poker table you found or ample amounts of paper towels so people can keep their fingers clean before they pick up your cards. Card sleeves are also a good idea if you and your friends game often.
Manage Player Numbers
If you and your friends game a lot, you probably have several favorite games that you all like to play. You might also schedule game days when new games are released so everyone can take their time and get to know the new game together. It’s important to be sure that the games you’re playing accurately reflect the number of players who are interested. Everyone has a friend that will pleasantly sit next to someone else, claiming they’re on a team when there aren’t enough positions in a game, but that’s not maximum fun for everyone. The reverse of this point is also true; if there’s a certain game you want to play, invite the right number of people for that game.
Get Inspired
Some games are made all the better when you take the time to inspire your play. If you’re a fan of Dungeons and Dragons, for instance, you might want to watch the brilliant D&D playthroughs by Critical Role. They’re all professional voice actors, making the games a pleasure to watch in addition to a creative boon. The more complicated a game is, the more room there is for brilliant tactics and creative approaches.
Decide On House Rules Early
Before diving into a game, it’s a good idea to walk through any house rules that people might like to have. In competitive environments having something clear like once your hand is off the piece, you can’t change your mind and do a different move can help keep the game moving along. If you want to include a time limit for making moves to increase the difficulty, do it. Some players find that tweaks to the rules better reflect their skill level and preferences. It’s okay to change the rules as long as everyone agrees on them.
Know Your Audience
Some games are best left for groups of people who know each other extremely well. Things like Cards Against Humanity can be a ton of fun, but they can leave someone feeling put off if they have a different sense of humor than the rest of the group. Likewise, games with longer gameplay like Risk can result in more emotional investment in the outcome; some people can’t handle losing for five hours straight. This is a point to keep in mind when including new members to your game night or new romantic partners from regular members.
Winner Cleans Up
Some games are complicated. Things like Risk can turn into three hours and four or five levels of betrayal. Losing at a game like that is hard on the spirits, and this means that you should include a little house rule to help ease the pain of losing. One popular option is to have a: winners clean-up rule. Whoever wins can put up with the arduous process of putting the dice and cards back into neat little piles inside the appropriate plastic boxes; their sense of victory will make the experience a lot less painful.
The above information should help you take your game night to the next level. No matter how prepared or unprepared you are for a night of gaming, know that if you have some solid friends and a space big enough to lay out the game, you should be good.
