Simple Pleasures: Game Night Done Right

It's a little retro, a lot of fun and very easy on the wallet: If you haven't hosted a game night in a while (or ever), let this be your inspiration to have one soon. Whether it's family game night with the kiddos, poker night with your best and oldest friends, or a new spin on the typical cocktail party (Twister, anyone?), you really can't go wrong. Below you'll find tips on everything from choosing games with your guests in mind to planning a party-perfect menu and setting up your space.

What to Play

There are card games, board games, games of chance or skill, team games, interactive games — and the list goes on! The easiest choice is what you know and love ... and what is already in your cupboard. Unless you are committing to a single game that takes up an entire evening (for instance, poker), choose three to five options and allow your guests to help decide what to play. Or ask each guest to bring along a favorite game and add it to the mix.

Know the rules. It sounds so simple, you may be tempted to skip this step ... but please don't! As the host, it is your job to know the rules of the game and clearly explain them to others before beginning. Don't assume others know the rules, even if you've played it hundreds of times — someone might not know and be too embarrassed to ask.


Try a parlor game. Looking for something a little different? Try a really old-school game, like the surrealist favorite Exquisite Corpse — one person begins either a story or a drawing (the game works either way), then folds the paper and hands it to the next person, who continues ... without knowing what came before. Once everyone has had a chance to contribute, someone reads the entire story or unveils the complete picture. There are many other parlor games to try, and most require little in the way of props — Wikipedia has a good list.


Consider your group. If you are including kids, choosing games that are age appropriate is a given, but also consider choosing games with a cooperative bent, rather than the supercompetitive ones, to avoid meltdowns when the game doesn't go their way. If your group will include some new friends, it's polite to avoid games that require participants to share personal information. People can also have surprisingly strong opinions about particular games (both positive and negative), so it's a good idea to have backup choices in case a game doesn't go over well with your crowd.


What to Serve

Make it easy on yourself! For most gatherings, simple appetizers and snacks should suffice. Take an extra moment to remove packaging and put dips and snacks into bowls, and toast up wedges of pita bread or slices of baguette — small details make all the difference.

Make it a potluck or BYOB. Want to do even less work? Enlist your friends to help out with food or drinks. Send around a sign-up email in advance or call on your friends individually with specific requests. If you don't mind providing food, consider at least asking guests to each bring something to drink — then you know all your guests will have something they like.


When you want to cook. Make it ahead and stick with something crowd-pleasing and portable. Think a big pot of homemade chili with a bunch of toppings, or soup, salad and great bread. Set out big mugs along with a few trays to make transporting from kitchen to game room easier.


Setting Up Your Space

Depending on the group size and type of games, you may want to either have all of the game playing in one area or set up several smaller zones. It can be fun and more comfortable to divide larger groups among a few areas instead of trying to squeeze everyone into a single space. Smaller groups and spaces make things more straightforward — just clear off your main surfaces (dining table, coffee table, buffet) and set the food on one, games on another.

Keep the decor simple. If you are feeling ambitious, there are plenty of game-night-theme decorations and crafts you could whip up for your shindig, but really none are needed. A decently clean house, a good music playlist and a lively group of friends are the essentials; anything else is a bonus. If you have a fancy felt-topped card table, by all means bring it out.


Get comfy. Pull out the floor cushions, extra pillows, stools and poufs to create a comfy and casual ambience. Varied seating is so much more relaxed looking than a bunch of dining chairs lined up in the living room. Get creative and bring in several different types of extra seats if possible — a bench, a pouf, an extra chair and a few cushions plunked on the floor beside the coffee table should do the trick.

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Tell us: Do you host a regular game night? Or would you like to? Share your ideas and tips in the Comments!

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