Top Tips on Making Your Gaming Night Truly Memorable
If you love gaming, then you’ll know all too well how great a gaming night can be. You pair up with your buddies and play your favorite games. While gaming nights can be hosted virtually, there’s something really special about bundling up together with all of your consoles or PCs and playing in the same room. Whether you’re a seasoned game night host or you’re just planning your very first one, it’s understandable that you want to make it special. So, let’s take a look at some ways to make sure that your gaming night is really special.
Preparation and Planning
While a game night can be as simple as calling your friends and inviting them over for a gaming sesh, there might be complications like the date, time, or location. So, that’s why you should take the time to make sure that all of your guests can attend. You can use online polls to find out when a good time and date is for everyone to meet.
Once you’ve settled on a date, it’s time to put together some invitations. Whether you choose to add some flair with physical invitations that reflect the game you’ll be playing or simply choose to create a group chat is up to you. Make sure you include all of the details like the date, time, location, and anything else like fancy dress or bringing their own snacks.
And, make sure to get some RSVPs so that you don’t end up planning an evening and letting your hard work go to waste.
Finding the Right Games
While you and your gang may have connected through one particular game, it’s always a good idea to have a myriad of games ready to play. This could be through consoles you already own, or you might consider board games as a break from your usual game.
Try and choose party games that are easy to learn yet still provide a challenge to you and your friends. Things like sudoku are a great way of having some downtime from your regular games while still keeping your mind sharp.
Plan your gaming time based on who’s attending your gaming night. If you’re all around the same age, you might all enjoy some 80’s and 90’s nostalgia games on the SNES, or you might delve into a multiplayer game of Super Smash Bros on the GameCube. Either way, the last thing you want is your guests becoming bored, so make sure you think about who you’re entertaining for.
Setting up the Space
Your space needs to be accommodating to your guests, so it’s important to make sure that you’ve got enough comfortable seating for everyone and most importantly – table space for any consoles or laptops. The living room is often a good choice for this because it naturally gives off a more relaxed and communal feel. If you’re playing from a game board, make sure that you rearrange the furniture so that everyone can sit comfortably and see the board.
If you do plan on switching games throughout the night, make sure that consoles and boards are easy to set up so that you don’t lose the flow of excitement. If you like, you could encourage your guests to bring something a little different to break up the evening a little.
Creating the right atmosphere
Now that your space is ready for you and your guests, you need to think about setting the right atmosphere. The right lighting can make a world of difference. Soft and warm lighting creates a cozy and inviting space, but you don’t want to take it too far. If you’ve set a theme for the night, think about how your lighting and background music can complement the evening and create a perfect ambiance.
If you are choosing to follow a theme, you could consider putting up some themed decorations. For example, if you’re playing Minecraft, getting some decor such as lighting, cups, plates, and the famous torch will add an extra layer of fun to the evening.
Food and drinks
Next, you’ll need to think about refreshments for you and your guests to enjoy. It’s a good idea to choose snacks that can be eaten without too much distraction from the games or any sticky keyboards. Things like chips, vegetable trays, and finger sandwiches are always a good idea. If you’re playing a game that includes recipes within the game, why not try and whip up something from the game to add yet another layer of fun to your night?
When it comes to drinks, make sure that you’ve got a wide variety of things available. This can be soft drinks, energy drinks, water, cordials, or even alcohol. Putting out a wide range of drinks means there will be something for everyone. Also, don’t forget to put out some coasters to protect your sides and any game boards you’ll be using!
Managing the flow of the evening
While your evening may not go exactly to plan, it’s a good idea to have a basic itinerary in the back of your mind. Make sure you familiarise yourself with all of the rules of each game you’ll be playing beforehand. You could even practice a few rounds before your guests arrive to make sure things go smoothly.
Keeping an eye on the time is essential. You know yourself how easy it is to become immersed in one single game, and if you’ve planned to play different games together, you’ll need to be ready to gently steer everyone to the next game to keep things exciting.
Being a Good Host
Being a good host is more than simply planning the evening – it’s about making sure that everyone feels comfortable in your home. Once you’ve welcomed your guests, you should think about introducing anyone that hasn’t met before to make sure everyone feels at home. Then, allow some time for mingling before jumping straight into a game. This will allow everyone some time to familiarise themselves with their surroundings and also relax around one another.
Once it’s time to start gaming, consider breaking the ice with a quick and light game. This can help people get to know each other a little better if they haven’t met before. Remember to try to be flexible with your games. If you notice that everyone is enjoying a particular game, then it’s okay to stick with it longer than originally planned.
Another role you’ll need to play as the host is making sure that everyone is engaged. If this particular group of people met online through a game, you might find that some guests are quieter than you’d imagined. Encourage them to take part and get involved with the fun.
While friendly competition should always be a part of game night, it’s important to keep everything light and friendly. It’s easy for things to get heated up, especially if there is alcohol involved. If you notice this happening, remind everyone that it’s all about the fun, and then gently suggest you try a different activity together. Doing this avoids any confrontations and prevents any bad vibes at your gathering.
Wrapping Things Up
Whether you’re planning on gaming until dawn or you can only dedicate a few hours, it’s important to make sure that your evening is wrapped up in the best way possible. Try to choose a game that lifts everyone’s spirits and leaves them laughing. Not only is it a great way to end the evening, but it will also give you a chance to end your evening memorably.
As people are leaving, take the time to thank them for attending and wish them a safe journey back. Little gestures like these go a long way and will make your guests feel like they will be welcome back to your next gaming night.
Reflect and Recharge for the Next Time
After your gaming night, it’s a good idea to reach out to guests to see what they thought of the whole evening. Which bits did they enjoy? Is there any part of the night that didn’t feel right? Take these comments as constructive criticism rather than someone putting down all of the effort you put in. You can then use this feedback to make your next gaming night even better than the last.
You should also take the time to think about your feelings on the whole experience. Did you notice a lull in conversation at any point? Would you have used softer lighting? Could the snacks have been a little better? All of these questions and more allow you to create a memorable experience; each better than the last.
While gaming night doesn’t have to be serious, putting a bit of effort in can go a long way. Not only do you get the chance to spend some quality time with your gaming buddies, but you get to enjoy all of the fun aspects that come with it like funky decor and dressing up.
