Game nights are fun social events where you and your friends can relax and enjoy some fun games. They are a light-hearted activity that can be both a one-time thing and even a long-term engagement. A fair bit of planning is involved to select the right games and pick the right theme for an event.
You will still need to play host and ensure there are snacks and everyone is comfortable and having a good time. That is easily done, but you may need help finding the theme of your game night. You can go for a bingo night, or play a party video game like Jackbox Party games. If you’re short on ideas, here are some of the best theme ideas for your next game night.
Board Game Night
Board games are an easy and evergreen game night idea that people of all ages can enjoy. They have been a staple for game nights for decades and continue to persevere even in the digital age. Monopoly, Clue, Settlers of Catan, and others are excellent options that are fun and can be completed within a couple of hours.
Backgammon and even chess are also good options for smaller groups. But they may not be for everyone. So think about your group and what they like and then go from there.
Trivia Night
A popular game night theme is trivia night where players can flex their general knowledge regarding various topics. Usually, these events have a sort of prize at the end as essentially it’s a small-scale, casual game of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, but with a much smaller prize. You can do this where players are competing solo or in pairs with other players. Think about the topic, prepare your questions, the prize, and viola! You got yourself a trivia night.
This delves into more organized forms of game nights and as such you may need posters and invites. You can make them easily with PosterMyWall’s game night poster templates. Either pick a pre-made template or start one from scratch to make a poster for your trivia game night. It’s quite easy to use and you’ll create your poster in no time.
This is a good example of a trivia game night poster that you can use for this purpose. The template shows a regular trivia night event that happens every Friday, but you can easily modify this or another template according to your needs.
Video Games Night
Nowadays there are multiple options in terms of video games that you can play for your game night. You can opt for fighting games such as Tekken, Street Fighter, or Smash Bros Ultimate. They are a popular choice for many game nights. If your group is more into sports, then you can try FIFA, NBA2K titles, Madden, etc.
You may want to consider Jackbox Party games for larger groups. These are cheap video game packs made of various mini games which everyone can play along on using their smartphones. They also have different trivia games inside, so if you want to play Trivia but don’t want to put in the effort of organizing a game, this is a good alternative.
Dungeons And Dragons
Dungeons and Dragons, or DnD for short, is the oldest pen and paper tabletop game where a group plays a fantasy role playing game powered by their imagination. A game master conducts the game and takes their players on a fantastical journey. Although a bit complex, it has endless possibilities and you’re only limited by your imagination.
This is excellent for a long-term consistent thing but one-shots adventures also exist which can be wrapped up in a few hours.
Concluding Thoughts
Game nights are excellent socializing and fun events where a group of friends and acquaintances get together and have fun over some games. There are several options in terms of themes and games you can play but we have given some of the best ones out there in our article. If you’re short on ideas, these will get you sorted right away. Have fun!