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Having a good time with friends can be awesome if you can play games. Let us say you all plan to have a game night, what are some of the games you would play? For many, there are endless options available for them to consider. In this guide, we will look at some of the best games for friends game night and how you can host the best game night.
How to Host the Best Game Night
When it comes to hosting a game night, you do not need to be a professional party planner to get it right. You simply need to be good at organizing, coming up with lists, and being creative on ways your friends can have some fun.
Who you should invite
As part of planning for game night, you need to consider who you should invite to the event. The number of people that you invite depends on the room available. If you have enough space, then consider inviting more people and set up several game stations.
Even if you have a small space to space, do not be afraid of hosting the best games for friends game night. You just have to be creative with the games you will play. Having an additional one or two couples can be good enough for hosting game night.
When should you have the game night?
Another thing to keep in mind is when to have the game night event. For most people, they can host a game night during any time of the year. However, there are a few things that can affect the game night event. Such include the weather, the schedule of the other players, and so much more.
It would be best to host a game night during the holidays. This is because most people have free time and it would be easier to get a lot more attending your party. Also, it will only be good if you host during the warmer months. No one wants to get out of their homes during the winter.
The Food
It goes without saying that food and drinks are an essential part of the best games for friends game night. Even when having a good time playing, food and drinks can keep the conversation going. Most would advise that you consider a buffet. This will provide your guests with a wide range of food to try out while playing the games.
Sometimes it is best to ask your friends for food ideas so that you get it right. Also, some guests might be willing to bring their favorite foods to the party. That should be allowed so that you can have a lot more variety in terms of food available for the guests.
The Entertainment Part
Since it is all about having fun, you also have to consider what are the best games for friends game night. Having some board games can go a long way to help achieve the best game night. This is because many people are familiar with board games. Also, it is best to have other games as backups. Not all people love board games, so it would be great to have something different for them. If you are unsure which games to consider, keep reading this guide to learn more.
Make sure to set the mood
Another thing you have to consider doing is to set the mood for the event. Since it is a casual event, no need to have elaborate decorations. Some of the ways to set the mood would be using music. Come up with a playlist that is likely to appeal to the people you have invited. The last thing you want is to keep changing the playlist because you have no idea what your guests like.
Having bouquets of flowers at strategic places can go a long way to create a nice mood too. Have throw pillows around the room for people to use them whenever they want.
Have Fun
At this point, you have the games to play in mind, the food and drinks are served all that is left is to have fun. Each time you see your guests having a good time, you would know that you did a good job. Below, we look at the best games for friends game night that you should consider for a nice indoor experience with friends.
Ideas for the Best Games for Friends Game Night
Charades
For this game, all you need is a pen, hat or bowl, and paper to play a game of charades. With the introduction of apps that can make this game better, nothing beats the feeling of choosing the celebrity name or funny names from a bowl or hat. During game nights, people need to detach themselves from technology as much as possible and just have fun.
Your friends can split into teams and set up a timer to see who can get the most answers correct while the other team members are acting out the silly phrases, celebrity names, and words.
Scrabble
No list of the best games for friends game night would be complete without having the scrabble board game. For some, it might sound boring, however it can be a nice game for those who have good command of English words. It can be competitive to see who can come up with the most correct English words while at the same time joining it to the other already set words.
The game is seen as perfect for the small groups or you can split into several teams if there are more people attending the party.
Poker
At this point, you would be sticking to the classics. Poker is something that many people would enjoy and know how to play. The best is when you play for money. It does not have to be a lot of money; this is just to make it more fun and engaging. You should then consider planning a card game the next time you are hosting such an event.
The best part about poker is that the poker sets are cheap and easily available. From any convenience store, it should be easy to get yourself a pack of cards for the game.
Jenga
For those who might be new to game nights, Jenga is a nice option too. It is now popular thanks to the intriguing challenges that come with playing the game. For this game, you have to build a tower out of the blocks supplied in the set. The idea is that you will start pulling blocks from the bottom and place them at the top without toppling the tower. Yes, it might sound easy on paper, but wait until you are playing. It is a game that needs patience when pulling out the blocks. The last thing you want is to be too fast and knock down all the other blocks.
The best part about Jenga is that it is good for all ages. Even if you do not have many friends for a game night, you can always play with your family and have a great night.
The Game of Things
Game nights are supposed to be fun and fun it will be with this game. It is an adult friendly game meant for larger groups. You can divide yourselves into teams and see which one will come out as the best. Many find the game to be a nice icebreaker to keep the night going if people start getting bored. Also, it is a versatile game that should appeal to many people who are looking for something different other than the common board games.
The game has simple rules to follow to keep it going. You simply pick a card and read what it says on the card. It can be “things you should never do in an elevator.” Let everyone write down whatever comes to their mind first. It should be interesting to guess who said what as the written cards are anonymous.
Bananagrams
You could say this is a silly speedy version of Scrabble. The Scrabble board game can be fun, but this one gives you a different perspective. You and your friends will have to create a mini crossword by using tiles from a shared pile. Each time you use up all your pieces, you need to yell split and everyone grabs tiles until none are left.
The game is among the cheapest options on this list. As such, you should be willing to get it as it is a lot cheaper than Scrabble.
Monopoly
Whenever anyone mentions the best games for friends game night, then expect Monopoly to be part of the list. It is one of the best games you will ever have to play. With Monopoly, it is all about strategy. You have to be good at creative thinking to get the game right. The game is meant for a small group of friends who are looking to pass the night.
Monopoly is also liked for being a relaxed game. You would still be able to chat and socialize with your friends the whole time you are playing the game.
Balderdash
Balderdash is often considered a nice game of wits and bluffs you can play during game night. Comparing it to the other board games, you will find it being a lot quirkier and more interesting. This board game will have multiple challenges that you and your friends will have a great time trying to solve. The idea is to trick your opponents to think that you are telling the truth.
It is a nice game with a few twists that will make game night entertaining. It is also affordable, so it can be a nice addition to your existing board games in the house.
Cards Against Humanity
For just $25, you would get access to some of the best games for friends game night. This game is cheap and is packed with a lot of fun moments for you and your friends. The game will have cards where a friend picks a card and calls upon you to fill in the blanks with funny responses. There is no doubt that the room will be filled with laughter as each member will try to fill the blanks with the funniest responses.
For those who might not have had a good laugh in a while, this can be a nice option for them to consider. You will be bending over laughing so hard in just the first round.
A Game of Thrones: The Board Game
If you are die-hard fan of the TV show Game of Thrones or the books, then you will find this game to be quite interesting. The game even has the Iron Throne that would be trying so hard to get it yourself. The rules can be complicated, but after the first round you would start to understand them. For such a game, we all know it is all about strategy. You need to come up with cunning ways to go through the battles and a bit of backstabbing to get close to the throne.
Twister
This is a nice game to consider among the best games for friends game night. The game is common so many people would know how to play it. For those who might not know, the game has been around since the early 60s. You might think that fitting as many people as possible on the mat is simple until you try it out. It will test your flexibility and physical fitness while trying to fit on the mat. Go ahead and try it out with your friends and expect to enjoy some good laughter while at it.
Final Thoughts
From the list of best games for friends game night above, it should now be easy for you to host such an amazing game night. We also covered tips to get you started above so that your game night does not have to be boring. For those who might be new to hosting a game night, now you know what you are supposed to do to get it done right. Always consult with your friends to see what would excite them when playing the games.
