Tips for Creating the Perfect Game Night

Planning a stag do with a group of friends is an incredibly exciting prospect for many. Whether gearing up to fly to a city like Budapest or sticking to local haunts, it’s a great excuse to bring the gang together, celebrate the good times, and prepare for the future. But not all productions need to be so elaborate (or expensive).

Planning a game night, for example, is a great reason to gather a group. Traditionally, these events involve sharing drinks and catching up. They might even include a concert later in the evening or some other event. The goal is to save a bit of money and time by meeting up at the same place, and then heading out on an adventure. 

However, the advent of at-home entertainment means that the added trip out later on isn’t always necessary. With gaming technology available at the tips of your fingers, staying in just became a viable option for those who want to enjoy their evening. Still, you might need a few tips and tricks to help you create a memorable game night with the guys that’s worth repeating.

Updating the Poker Game

Texas Hold’em and Omaha poker are two classic games that guys gravitate toward. In fact, the concept of home games is so popular and ubiquitous that some virtual poker platforms even offer private multiplayer games that can be played remotely – something to keep in mind for the future, perhaps. However, if you’re playing at home with the guys, all you’ll need is a handy set of chips, cards, and a table suitable for playing.

Poker should be enough to keep your group competing for a while. But don’t be afraid to liven up the action a bit. For example, you can keep a ‘bad beat jackpot’, which goes to the player with the lowest-ranking hand at the end of the night. Or you might want to take on the role of a super-sleuth. For example, one recently published report covers the most common tells in the UK. You can challenge guests to pick apart other players’ tells (hint: it’s probably fidgeting), adding a new dimension to the game.

Going Retro With Console Games

Playing a game of poker touches on a retro hobby—one that technology has changed over time. The same goes for video games. Though gaming technology has never been more advanced, your friend group might prefer to play an old-school game like GoldenEye 007 to a new hit like Cyberpunk 2077. 

In fact, we suggest going fully retro with your multiplayer games. Depending on your friend group, retro might mean Mario Kart or Street Fighter II. Regardless of your interests, there are now dozens of ways to access these old-school titles without all the 90s-era hardware. The easiest is using a virtual console, such as Nintendo’s Wii, which allows players to access some of their oldest platform games.

Boardgames—for Adults

Though it may surprise you to hear it, boardgames are experiencing a resurgence. Edgy hits like ‘Cards Against Humanity’ helped put non-digital gaming back on the map. Since it was released in 2011, creators of all stripes have started to release their own unique projects. That means there’s something for just about every friend group.

‘Just One’ is a puzzle word game that encourages teams to use inside jokes in order to guess a single word. Others, like ‘Amigo Saboteur Strategy Card Game’ tasks groups to solve a mystery while also pointing out saboteurs—just like Among Us and its predecessor Mafia. ‘Raccoon Tycoon’, on the other hand, combines strategy elements like ‘Settlers of Catan’ and ‘Monopoly’. 

Keep in mind that there are plenty of board games on the market that touch on pop culture—and stay far away from hardboiled strategy. ‘Monikers’, for example, tasks players to name pop culture phenoms using two words, then only one, and then only gestures. ‘Wavelength’, on the other hand, involves one player stepping into the shoes of a psychic and using minimal clues to help guide their team in the right direction.