WHO TO INVITE TO YOUR NEXT GAME NIGHT
Who Should I Invite to My Game Night?
Choosing the right guests for your game night is one of the first steps you should take. People are different and have different ideas of fun. It is no fair to force your friend to a game night that you know they won't enjoy. If you are like me, you probably also have certain friends that just don't seem to get along. Here are our top considerations when choosing your game night guests:
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IMPORTANT: We encourage you to fight the urge to invite everyone you know to your first game night. Instead, start small. Select a close group of friends that all get along and have similar likes/dislikes and interests. This will make the evening much easier to manage and the types of games you choose much more straightforward. As you get more and more comfortable hosting game nights, you will find it a unique challenge to invite many different types of guests and pick out games that are enjoyed by all!
10Â TYPES OF GAME NIGHT GUESTS AND HOW TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE HAS FUN
All of your game night guests have their own likes, dislikes, and ideas of fun. In our opinion, the thrill of hosting a game night comes from bringing people of all walks of life together and selecting games that help everyone have a great time.
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Below are some examples of various types of people you might find yourself considering as a guest at your next game night. These examples are not meant to be stereotypical but rather to help you think about your potential guests in terms of their occupation, personality, likes, and dislikes - and how to match those to games that they are likely to enjoy.
Eric the Engineer
Eric is an chemical engineer. In his spare time, he enjoys writing complex compound chains and reading chemical thesis statements. He avoids people whenever possible and prefers to keep to himself. He is not happy that his wife is forcing him to attend a game night at her best friends house. He isn't a child, he doesn't want to spend his Saturday night playing charades or monopoly.
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Game night ideas:
Abstract games are great for analytical minded individuals who much prefer a solitare puzzle to interacting with a large group in a co-op or social deduction setting. Engineers, mathematicians, and scientists are likely to enjoy efficiently solving these types of abstract puzzle games.
Engine building games are also great for analytical minds. The min-maxing and chaining opportunities will make for the type of decisions someone like Eric will ask for again and again.
Sami the Social Media Sleuth
If Sami could spend all day scrolling through Instagram, that would be "totes fab". She likes her receptionist job well enough but she lives for the weekend. She is dying for Friday to come so she can spend some quality time with her girls. She is a little worried though, because this weekend her bestie's husband wants them all to play...gulp...board games?! Ugggghh #boringaf
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Game night ideas:
Party games are a perfect choice for social animals that crave interaction.
Cooperative games also create geniune opportunities to interact and work together to solve a puzzle. This will be the much fun Sami has had since her work group did that escape room challenge.
Fred the Factory Worker
Fred is the kind of guy who likes to get his hands dirty. When he is not working in the factory stamping car parts, he is doing DIY projects around the house or tinkering on his old car. When one of his friends asks if he wants to go to a game night, he laughs uncontrollably....that is, until he realizes he is serious.
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Game night idea:
Trick taking: Everyone is familiar with some type of trick taking game. Fred probably played Euchre in high school. So, a game like The Crew would be a perfect, low risk choice for game night with Fred.
Mark the Manager
Mark is a mid-level manager at a financial company. He has 15 direct reports and enough stress for 10 lifetimes. When the weekend finally rolls around, all he wants to do is relax his mind and body. So going to a game night with his girlfriend? Not exactly his idea of relaxing.....
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Game night idea:
Worker Placement: It might sound cliche, but Mark's job is basically allocating the right people to the right task to get the job done. And he is pretty good at it. He will be surprised to find this in a board game and is likely to find it quite rewarding.
Beth the Bookworm
Beth lives to read. Something about disappearing into a different world, immersing herself in someone else's life.....it is fascinating and relaxing. It is her way of dealing with all the stress of everyday life. Some people see her as a nerd, and that's ok. Deep down she knows she's not nearly as big a nerd as those people playing in the board game cafe she works next to.....grown adults playing games, I mean come on!
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Game night idea:
Thematic games: A good thematic game with tons of narrative would be an obvious, yet great choice for Beth. It will amaze her that she can find the same satisfaction of reading a book in a board game. Bonus points for a sophisticated theme (we're thinking Obsession!)
Nerdy Natalie
Natalie is a nerd's nerd. She's read every comic, she knows every line in every Star Trek movie. There isn't much she doesn't know about being a nerd. Board games? Sure. She has Monopoly and Scattergories but they don't interest her. She would much rather play DnD or go to an Improv class......
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Game night ideas:
Dungeon Crawl - Trust us, Nerdy Natalie will enjoy a dungeon crawl!
Deck Building - There is something about a good deck builder that brings out the nerd in us all!
Steve the Sales Guy
Steve is in sales and enjoys talking....I mean, "connecting with people". He is a strong personality but a ton of fun to be around. When he is not working, he is constantly around other people, telling stories about the "good old days". Game night should be interesting...
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Game night ideas:
Auction/Bidding: Steve will love the tension and competition that an auction/bidding game brings out. And yes, he is probably going to win.
Social deduction: Steve is great a reading people. He will put this skill to good use at the gaming table when you pull out a good social deduction game.
Alice the Artist
Alice is a successful artist and a well traveled blogger. She enjoys the finer things in life and attends a social club every weekend. You were nervous when you heard your friend was bringing her to your next game night.
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Game night ideas:
Dexterity: Fine art builds fine motor skills. Put them to good use with a fun dexterity game (read reviews though, there are a lot of bad ones out there!)
Travel-theme: A game like Trekking the World will allow Alice ample opportunities to share stories of her exotic travels.
Tough Guy Tom
Tom is a welder who doesn't put up with any nonsense. Rarely do you ever see him smile, and he is the kind of guy who seems to always be angry. Especially on Sundays when he watches the Bengals play football. It's hard to imagine him having any joy at game night.
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Game night ideas:
Sports: A sports themed game with good mechanics and a strong tie in might just get Tom to look away from the TV for more than a minute.
Bidding/gambling: Tom has a great poker face and isn't phased by pressure. A good casino-themed game might just get Tom to crack a smile after all.
Chill Jill
Jill is a creative soul. She is a self-proclaimed "free spirit" and always goes with the flow. She sells a few paintings a year, enough to help her avoid being tied to a typical 9-5 job. When asked if she would come to game night, she response was "totally dude"......
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Game night ideas:
Abstract: The beautiful design and simplicity of abstract games will mesh great with Alice's care-free personality.
Choose your own adventure: Alice will love being able to chart her own path and explore an adventure completely controlled by her imagination.
HOW TO CHOOSE THE PERFECTÂ GAME NIGHT GROUP SIZE
How big of a party do you want? You need to decide whether you want a low key night with a few of your closest friends, an all out gaming spectacular with three or four different groups playing at the same time, or something in between.
1 GUEST
Simple casual game night with a significant other, a close friend, or a new acquaintance. While many people will prefer a larger crowd, sometimes a party for 2 is just what the doctor ordered. There is no shortage of great 2 player games, and when you only have one guest to please, you can really cater to them by picking out the perfect board game you know they will love, and pair it with their favorite food and drinks to create a night they won't soon forget.
2-3 GUESTS
When you crave social interaction but don't want the hassle of a large get together, inviting 2-3 guests for a low key game night is a great option. And your small guest list means almost every game imaginable could on the table!
4-6Â GUESTS
To us, this is the Goldilocks of game nights - not too large but not too small. A guest list of 4-6 means plenty of interaction and energy. Plus, this is a perfect group size for many of the popular social deduction games. But beware, you might be surprised just how many games in your collection only support up to 4 players.
7-10 GUESTS
Now it's a party! With 7-10 guests, your game night just got real. Unless you are sticking to high player count party games you will likely need to divide into two separate groups to effectively game. This brings its own unique challenges that you'll need to be ready for.
>10 GUESTS
OK, now you're just showing off. You know you've made it to the pinnacle of game night awesomeness when you have 10 or more people gathered together to enjoy a board game. Whether it is your extended gaming group or your extended family at a holiday gathering, you are going to need some serious planning to pull this off - and make sure everyone has fun in the process.
