Go Big or Go Home - Plan the Perfect Game Night

When was the last time you got together with family and friends for a good, old-fashioned game night?

Game nights bring people you care about together. They make memories, deepen relationships, open the door to conversations…

And, if you just need to have a really good laugh… chances are that’ll happen at a game night.

So, why is it so hard to make time for this honored tradition?

Often, it comes down to your space.

You have to clean the house… you don’t really have room for all the people you’d like to invite… you don’t want to ask your friends who do have enough space to host again…

And then there’s the recovery—the clean up the day after.

You may love a good game night, but maybe it just feels like a little too much work.

Fortunately, there’s a way to make game nights easy, fun, and a little extra special.

Key Takeaways

• Renting a small, private party venue for your game night lets you expand your guest list for even more fun.

• Enlist the help of attendees to create a buffet full of easy-to-eat finger foods.

• If guests are bringing children, set up a separate table with coloring and craft supplies and age-appropriate games, so the kiddos can have a fun night, too.

Should I Host My Game Night at a Private Venue?

Hosting your game night at a private party space gives you the room and flexibility you need to make your get together everything you want it to be.

At first glance, booking a private venue might seem lavish. But a small party venue gives you more space than your living room and doesn’t cost an arm and a leg to book—especially if you decide to hold your game night on a weekday evening.

And the advantages are totally worth the small extra expense.

First, you can invite everyone you want and feel confident that there will be room for them all. Book your event at a venue like ours, and you’ll have plenty of seating and tables for everyone to feel comfortable and join in the fun.

Second, you can set up the room however suits you best. You don’t have to drag around heavy couches and move coffee tables out of the way. You can take the tables and chairs provided by the venue and set up exactly how you want.

Playing a tournament style game? Set up four or five round six-tops—one for each “bracket.”

Playing a team vs team game like charades or Pictionary? Forgo the tables completely and set up the chairs in whatever arrangement works best.

Finally, when you’re hosting at a venue, you can ask everyone to pitch in with the set-up and the clean-up, so you’ll make quick work of that part… and then head home to a clean, undisturbed house.

What Foods Make for a Perfect Game Night?

For the perfect game night, serve lots of finger foods that are easy to graze on and that aren’t too messy. Make sure you have a variety—fruits, vegetables, chips, dips, meats—that way everyone will find something to enjoy.

For a game night, you want the vibe to be social. Before games and between rounds, you want people to mingle. And you want your guests to feel like they can hop up and refill their plates whenever they want.

Creating a buffet of bite-sized snack items plus a variety of chips and dips is sure to be a hit.

Tried and True Food Ideas

Some foods show up on every game night list because they’re proven to be crowd pleasers.

• Deviled eggs

• Stuffed button mushrooms

• Pigs in a blanket

• Meatballs—don’t forget the toothpicks

• Veggies and ranch dip

• Chips and salsa

• Grapes and strawberries

Upscale, Easy-To-Prepare Bites

If you want to offer some fancier bites, you have a lot of options that are still easy to prepare and even easier to eat.

• Caprese skewers – Just stab a cherry tomato, a mozzarella pearl, and a basil leaf on a mini skewer and you have a upscale appetizer that’s tasty and so pretty to look at.

• Strawberry and pineapple skewers – This is the same idea, but with your favorite fruits.

• Cheese stuffed dates – Stuff pitted Medjool dates with a chunk of smoked cheddar. These are sticky, so toothpicks are a good idea.

• Charcuterie – Just load up a bread board with your favorite cured meats, hard cheeses and fancy crackers.

• Breadsticks and marinara

And then don’t forget a variety of chips, pretzels, and dips!

To make your game night even easier, turn it into a potluck. Ask each guest to bring their favorite party snack for sharing. Or, if you want to ensure variety, assign some folks chips and dip, other veggies or fruits, and others something that features meat.

Go Extra Fancy and Hire a Bartender

Another way to make your game night just a little more memorable is to hire a bartender to work the event.

Often, at a private venue, a licensed bartender is required to serve alcohol. You pay the bartender an hourly wage plus tips, and you supply the alcohol for a just a few select cocktails—you don’t need to stock a full bar.

It’s an inexpensive way to make your event feel extra special.

Add a Few Extra-Nice Touches

Really, good company and good food are all you need for a successful game night. But you can add a few extra touches for a truly special event.

Plan for Kiddos

If any of your guests have children, you can make the event family friendly by setting up an extra table for kids to do crafts or play their own games.

Give Away Prizes

Up the stakes of whatever game you’re playing by offering small prizes to the winner of each round or to the biggest winner of the night.

Create the Perfect Playlist

Good music playing in the background sets the vibe for the night, so build a playlist of songs you and your friends love.

Before you know it, you’ll have a game night you and your closest friends will never forget and that comes together and cleans up more easily than any game night you’ve hosted before.