Hosting a game night is one of the best ways to spend quality time with your friends and loved ones. It is an inexpensive yet memorable way to spend an evening.
Whether you are a gamer or not, a game night is a crowd pleaser. There will be something for everyone if you know how to host it right.
In this article, we will give you some tips to help you organize the best game nights of the year. Feel free to experiment with them and personalize them so they suit your personal needs and preferences.
How to host a great game night
Here is a step-by-step guide to help you throw the best game nights of the year.
1. Internet connection or no internet connection
Do you want your game night to include online games? Or will you rely on offline and table games for your event?
This decision is up to you and your guests. That being said, we recommend having both online and offline games.
Some of your guests might be tempted by an online game on the night of your event. To please everyone and make sure all of your guests are happy, have both options available.
For a great online gaming experience, you want to check that your internet connection is working properly. Your guests will be disappointed if your online games keep on buffering and stopping due to a poor internet connection.
One of the easiest ways to check your internet connection is to use Google’s Internet Speed Test. It is free to use and helps you check the strength and stability of your internet connection.
If it is really poor, you might need to change internet providers or play from a different spot.
2. Think about gaming devices and new technologies available
To plan your game night, you will need to think about gaming devices. What will your guests play on?
Do you have several consoles or gaming devices? Will they need to bring their own devices (e.g. smartphones, consoles)?
If they do need to bring their devices, make sure you tell them at least several days before the event so they can plan accordingly.
If you are planning on using an old gaming device that you have lying around, make sure you test it beforehand. It might not work anymore or might not be compatible with some of your latest gear.
For an unforgettable 2024 game night, why not play using the latest gaming gear available? For example, you could play on the latest consoles or with an AR or VR headset.
You could ask your friends if they want to buy some of the gear with you. For example, you could all split the cost of a new VR headset and then share that headset.
3. Do some research by exploring a variety of games and themes
Once you know which gaming devices and gaming gear you will be using, you can look at some of the games you could play.
You will know exactly what games are compatible with your gaming devices. It will make your search easier.
To find the perfect games for your event why not:
- look at reviews and ratings of new 2024 games
- ask your friends what games they would like to play
- test out some of these games by using free trials or demo versions
- watch some gameplays that players share online
- include some of your personal favorites
- explore games outside of your comfort zone
Explore some game themes that you have never thought of or considered before. Try them out and see if you enjoy them.
Make sure you try a variety of games, especially those outside of your comfort zone. Your game night will be more memorable if you all end up discovering something new.
4. Pick a game theme for your game night
One of the best ways to host a great game night is to pick a theme. You could pick a specific theme for your game night after exploring a variety of games.
For example, you might have tried the Eye of Horus slot game. It is a pretty original, exciting and unexpected game for a game night.
Its Ancient Egypt theme is also a great game night theme. You could then pick a variety of games around the Ancient Egypt theme.
On top of Eye of Horus, your Ancient Egypt game night might include:
- Assassin’s Creed Origins
- Total War: Pharaoh
- Age of Mythology
- Cleopatra: Riddle of the Tomb
- Kemet (board game)
- Civilization (board game)
You can make a list of online, offline and board games around a specific theme. You can also plan some food and snacks around that theme.
Why not take it a step further and ask your friends to wear an outfit around that theme? For the Ancient Egypt theme, they could dress up as Julius Caesar, Cleopatra or a mummy.
Final thoughts
These are some of the best ways to host an incredible game night in 2024. Feel free to use our tips and adapt them to your needs.
Have fun gaming!