6 Tips for Hosting the Best Game Night Ever

My husband and I have become addicted to game nights.  We love relaxing with a few friends to enjoy a night of humor and fun.  Over the past year, we have attended and hosted numerous game nights, and I've found that there are a few key things that make game night a hit. With the biggest game night season quickly approaching, I thought I'd share my six tips for hosting the best game night ever with you.

1.  Invite an appropriate amount of people - There is an ideal amount of people to invite to a game night.  Many games limit the number of players.  If you invited more people than can play the game, some one is getting left out, and no one likes that.  On the other hand, if you don't invite enough people, the energy in the room is low.  I recommend inviting about 6 people to achieve optimum gaming results.

2.  Prepare a variety of snacks - I honestly believe this is the most important part of game night.  Everybody loves to munch on something while they are playing games, and a mix of different snacks is necessary to satisfy all pallets.  There needs to be salty, sweet, and healthy options to please everyone, and all of the options should be finger foods to enable your guests to eat and play at the same time.  For a salty snack, I recommend serving homemade Chex mix or chips with salsa.  Homemade Chex mix is a game night tradition for my family, so I just don't feel right without it.  For a sweet snack, I recommend cookies that are easy to prepare, like Pillsbury easy bake cookies.  Finally, for the healthy snack, I recommend cutting up vegetables or fruit and serving them with a dip.  I love serving vegetables with my classic homemade hummus. 

3.  Pick the first game - Before your game night, have a specific game in mind that you think should be played first.  This prevents your guests from awkwardly making that decision at the beginning of the night.  Trust me, no one wants to be the one to put themselves out there and decide on the game right after they arrive.

4.  Make a variety of games available - It is important for you to pick the first game, but they may enjoy different games than you enjoy.   There is nothing worse than being stuck playing a game you despise five times in a row.   Set out a bunch of other games nearby to allow your guests the opportunity to pick out another game to play when they are a bit more comfortable.

5.  Set the atmosphere - Make your home inviting and friendly to get everybody in the right mood.  I recommend playing background music to fill awkward silences while people are planning out their strategies, and lighting candles to make the area look warm and inviting.

6.  Give a small prize to the winner of the night - Everybody loves to be acknowledged as the winner and everybody loves presents.  Keep a mental tally of how many games each person has won, and at the end of the night, give the winner a small prize.  The prize can be something silly like a mini game night trophy or something more serious like a bottle of wine.

I hope that these tips help you to host an entertaining game night with your friends and family over the holidays and further into the future.  The only issue is, once you host a fantastic game night, you might get addicted to game nights like us!  Happy Holidays!