Parties: 5 Tips to a Couples’ Game Night *Plus 1 Bonus Tip*

Organize a Playdate with other Couples

It sounds racier than it actually is…we’re talking about a good ol’ fashioned game night.  You remember when you were kids you would break out the board games, the snacks, the soda and spend a cloudy/rainy/snowy day inside laughing and playing silly board games with your friends.  We may be bigger now, but their is still much fun to be had playing board games. 

Whether it’s financial, kids or you just plain don’t want to get dressed up to go out, game night is your at-home answer for staying social without breaking the bank.

Here are some tips from us to you on throwing a successful and fun game night without going overboard:

1.  The Gamers.  Keep the get-together small.  Invite only a few other couples otherwise it will be more difficult getting everyone to pay attention to the board game rules.  If you just can’t keep it to a few, organize the game night in groups so there are 3-4 people per group each playing a different game.

2.  Feast.  Serve easy to grab, bite-sized appetizers such as our caprese skewers, olive & sundried tomato hummus tapenade on pita chips, and pizza bites.  You can order a whole pizza, ask them to not slice it, then you cut it into the size of pieces you want, and add a little extra topping of perhaps spicy chutney to give it that little extra something.  Also, ask everyone to bring an appetizer so you only have to make a few items yourself.

3.  Sip.  Provide a small variety to drink.  We don’t want you to break the bank, but we do want you to be a good host.  Provide a bottle of red wine, a bottle of white wine and a pitcher of a signature cocktail (we like the Voodoo Tattoo recipe in our signature drink section.  While you don’t have to go all out providing every type of soft drink or non-alcoholic beverage, we like to offer both sparkling and flat water along with lemons, limes and an ice bucket.

4.  Decor.  This really depends on how fancy you want to get.  We think the very idea of game night is a nice casual night spent with friends.  However, that doesn’t mean you don’t want to have a little ambiance.  Obviously, you’re going to want to go with the game theme.  Perhaps, instead of using a plain piece of paper to keep score, create cute score cards with everyone’s name that match the game(s) you will be playing and let everyone have a chance to keep score.  If you’re playing a game like pictionary, you could pre-draw some funny pictures that relate to your guests and hang them around the house. 

5.  The Games.  Find games that aren’t too complicated and be sure to let your guests know in advance what games they might be playing.  It’s okay to have a few options and let the majority choose the night of the game.  Most people don’t want to spend too much time learning rules, so the simpler the rules the better.  Some games even have a ‘get to the game’ section of rules that are a shortened/modified version of the game.  Old standards like Monopoly, Pictionary and even Cranium are good choices for these very reasons.  Also, games that get people involved and talking or just being silly really are what make game night fun.  If the gamers have to be quiet and think for too long, things can get stale.

*Bonus Tip:  Music.  Most games do have moments of silence.  During those times, it’s best to have some music to keep your gamers upbeat and in the gaming mood.  We’re not talking Metallica here (not that there’s anything wrong with that), but music that makes your toes tap or your head bob while trying to think up a definition for “Cachinnator” while you play Balderdash.  Yes, that is a real word.