Hosting a Game Night
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If you know me personally, you know that my husband and I love to have people over. Whether it’s a holiday, the big game or just to share a meal, our door is always open. Our daughter has been raised with this being the norm and she has become quite the hostess herself. She often asks us, “So who is coming over tonight?’ She loves being around people.
One of our favorite things to do when people come over is to play games.
Tips To make the night a success
- Keep it casual. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. Enjoy the evening and your guests will too.
- Clean your house well at least the day before. Don’t worry. There’s always more cleaning to do.
- Grocery shop the day before.
- Prep your food early. I always enjoy the evening more when I am not cooking while the guests are there. All of the recipes below are perfect to have ready to go before the party starts and then you can just have fun.
- Clean as you go. And don’t turn down help. What takes 10 people 2 minutes to do will take you 30 to do afterwards when you’re by yourself and tired from an evening of fun.
Easy game night Food Ideas
- Chips + dip
- Charcuterie Board
- Dessert Bar
- Buffalo Chicken Dip
- Sliders
- Bacon Wrapped Smokies
Five Crowns | Phase 10 | Spot It | Spades (played with a normal deck of cards) | Rook | Uno Flip
| Beat That! | Codenames Disney | Qwixx | Codenames | Taboo | Sequence | Hot Seat | Codenames Pictures | Ticket to Ride | | Blank Slate |
Game Night Games That We've Loved Playing
There are lots of versions out there. Take your pick. They’re all great.
2. Five Crowns
“It’s not over until the kings go wild.” This is a fun card game and anything can happen. But fair warning, there’s lots of mental addition if you fail to complete the round.
3. Uno Flip
Again, so many versions to choose from. We play Uno Blitz which I googled and could not find the rules for. Makes me think that it is a version that my husband made up. It’s super fun and keeps the game moving. Comment below if you need me to explain how to play.
4. Blank Slate
This is a newer game for us but it is an easy game for large crowds and even our non-game family members enjoyed this one.
5. Qwixx
This is a dice game and requires some strategy. It’s pretty easy going though and easy to play.
5. Taboo
This is a classic in our home. I think we may need to buy a new one and update our deck of words.
7. Fish Bowl
All you need for this game is paper, pens, and a bowl. This game can be as easy or as hard as you want to make it. This blog explains the basic game play. You can have themes during holidays. I hosted a baby shower once and pre-wrote all the papers with baby themed words.
8. Hot Seat
This is a mixture of Apples to Apples and Balderdash. It’s a fun, get to know you game.
9. Beat That!
My mom got this for us for Christmas and it is a blast. It is a twist on Minute to Win It and super fun.
This is a favorite from my childhood. If you love card games, you’ll love phase 10 unless you get stuck on a run of 4 and a set of 4. IYKYK
11. Empire
Easy group game that only requires paper and pens. Test your memory and your people skills.
12. Ticket to Ride
This one is another new one for us. It’s a four person max game but super fun and challenging.
I could go on forever listing games but I want to only include games that we’ve truly loved. What games would you add to the list? Let me know if you try one of these out.
Check out, Hosting Outdoor Parties.