July 1, 2024
Hosting a games night is a great way to spend time with friends and family. It can also be incredibly stressful if you aren’t prepared well enough, but the good news is that you don’t have to be an expert party planner to pull off an entertaining evening for your guests.
If your aim is to provide a night that is worthy of remembrance, there are plenty of options for pulling off a unique event, such as food-themed games based on guest preferences, for example. For additional insight into becoming the best host, read on to find six tips on hosting a games night you can be proud of.
Which games will you be hosting? Whether it’s board games, drinking games, retro games, or other activities, your main priority is to keep your guests engaged and having fun. That fun can come in several forms, but it’s up to you to decide which games will be most effective.
Regardless of whether or not every game is inclusive, the most important thing is to provide options for entertainment. If you’re playing a knockout-type game, such as poker, for example, the players who bow out early should be given a distraction or two to help pass the time until the next buy-in.
Pulling out all the stops doesn’t come cheap and budget limits are a consideration for any would-be game host. The costs of hosting a game night can rise quickly, and it’s not just food and drinks that you need to be concerned about.
Are you putting up decorations? Will you have only one table or multiple games happening simultaneously? The scale of your ambition should be matched by the limits of your budget, which is a lot easier said than done.
Size is also something to consider. How many people can you host comfortably? If it’s a big group of people, will there be an odd or even number of guests? Do you have enough seating? Will parking be an issue? These are the types of questions you have to ask beforehand.
No one likes an untidy place. If your house looks like a tornado just rolled through, your guests aren’t going to feel comfortable, let alone enjoy themselves. Keep communal areas spotless as a norm and you can save yourself from a lot of unnecessary work closer to the time.
Vacuum, scrub, and do whatever else you need to do to ensure that your home is neat and as welcoming as possible. Rearrange your furniture if you need a bigger area for games, but keep in mind that the bigger the area, the more effort it takes to maintain cleanliness.
Consider the likelihood of accidents such as broken vases or shattered glass. Try to mitigate these dangers by storing breakable objects in a safe location, and replacing glass items with plastic ones to avoid any unwanted breakages.
Decide on which games and entertainment you’ll be having ahead of time. The best method of doing so is to have a group chat or group email. Essentially, you need a form of communication where you can discuss options and take suggestions from the rest of the group.
The flow of your games night is incredibly important. There’s nothing wrong with lulls in activity now and then, but too many gaps in entertainment will eventually be detrimental to the night’s atmosphere and leave your guests in doubt of your ability to provide a worthwhile evening of entertainment.
Whether we’re talking about bites and beverages or prizes and goodie bags, use your budget in such a way as to provide maximum bang for your buck. It’s all well and good to have the most expensive champagne and caviar crackers, but if your guests aren’t the type to enjoy those kinds of luxuries then it’s a waste of your time and money to get them.
If you strive to appeal to your guest’s taste buds, not only will this make your purchases more efficient, but it will also demonstrate to your visitors that you have taken their thoughts and feelings into account. Ultimately, the amount of money you spend isn’t nearly as important as the impressions your guests are left with once the festivities have come to an end.
At the end of the day, the main thing you need to worry about is peace of mind. That applies to both you and your guests. If you can stay organized and focus on planning ahead of time, the odds of your night heading in the wrong direction will be slim to none.
Try to not get carried away with dress code or theme-related requirements. Simple ideas often turn out better than complex plans, and good hosts know that the main objective of any group-based activity is to make visitors feel safe, comfortable, and ready to have fun. If you approach hosting with that fundamental factor in mind, the rest of your night will become far less tedious to manage.
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