If you love video games, there’s a good chance you’re planning a video game night soon. If playing video games is your perfect way to relax and have fun, then hosting a video game night is a great way to get together with your friends. But, you might be wondering how to make that night a huge success. So, let’s take a look at some tips to make sure you’re the host with the most at your next video game night.
Write your guest list
You might choose to mention to some friends that you’re having a gaming night and that they can come by and join if they want to. But, you might want to plan how many people you want to host for so that you can plan properly. Having too many people may mean you run out of seating or controllers for people to use. Sit down and write down who you’d like to invite so that you can avoid being overcrowded and also tend to their specific needs.
Choose your games carefully
Everyone is different, and even though you might have games in common with the people you want to invite, they may also have other preferences. Having lots of different options when it comes to video games is always a good idea. That way, you can have people using different set ups and playing different games simultaneously. This might mean setting up a few laptops, borrowing screens from elsewhere in the home to set up multiple consoles, and even having some tablets or ipads available for those that enjoy mobile games.
You may also consider setting up board games for those that want some time away from a screen. Traditional games like monopoly or scrabble are always a winner, but you could also opt for other games like Cards Against Humanity for a really good laugh.
Plan some entertainment
While gaming will be the main focus of your night, it’s also a good idea to think of some entertainment for those that might want to take a break from their games. This might be having a TV set up with Netflix or other streaming services, or you could set up a karaoke machine for people to belt out their favourite songs between races. Doing this takes the pressure off gaming constantly and gives people something to do while they’re socialising and eating.
Prepare some delicious food
Speaking of food, no gaming night is truly complete without some delicious food. While cooking a meal for everyone could be a great excuse to take a much needed break from screens, you might want to consider foods that are easy to eat while gaming. A great choice would be to create a small grazing platter for each person, allowing everyone to game with one hand and enjoy some much needed delicious food.
Finally, it’s very likely that everyone will have different music tastes, so invite people to bring along their headphones not only for communicating with people online, but for playing music while downing those monsters online!
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Founder of Redbear Films, the company behind Retro Replay. He is the author of the popular Softwire series and Executive Producer of the TV show, Con Man starring Alan Tudyk and Nathan Fillion. When he’s not making content with Drew, he’s building brands for Fortune 500 companies (again with Drew).
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