Tips for hosting a board game night for adults
European style board games are a form of entertainment that is getting more and more popular. With these tips, you can plan the perfect board game night for adults. Enjoy a night in with your closest friends!
Board Game Night: Think Outside the Box
There are many classic board games that remind us of childhood. A few years ago, if you asked someone to pick their favorite board game, only a handful may have come to mind. Titles like Risk, Life, and Clue bring to mind long afternoons of colorful pieces and familiar rules.
The highly competitive play of Monopoly is a lot of fun for ending friendships, but board games are a growing genre of entertainment with many variations on fun for all ages. European tabletop games have been changing the market. With new titles being released by dozens of companies every year, there is always a new one to try!
Since its rise in popularity, gaming has inspired a new generation of vlogs, review sites, and niche stores all over the world. Thanks to all of the new media, there are more ways than ever to explore this entertainment. This means it is easier than ever to find out information about games before you play them.
The popularity also means people are always looking for great new plays on classic formats. From collaborative to competitive, these games can be a team sport or an all out war to see who is the most cunning. No matter the style of play you are interested in, board games are the perfect thing to plan a night around with your adult friends.
Keep Game Length in Mind
When planning to host a board game night for adults, don’t forget how many players each game can include. Also keep everyone’s busy schedules in mind. Check the box of the game you are interested in playing for an estimate of how long it will take. Think about how many times you may be able to play a game in a single night and plan accordingly. It may take a couple of games, or play throughs, to pull the night off, and that’s okay!
If in doubt, check reviews online for the games you are interested in. Even better, head to your local game shop to play test them. Think about what kind of event you are planning to have. There are many hilarious games that are ideal for a party setting, and others that are intended for six or more hours of grueling competition.
At the end of the night, mastering one game should not be the goal. Instead, interacting with and having fun with your friends should take central focus. Keep your game options open. Not every game is right for every group, and if your first choice is chafing, move to the next.
Set Aside the Tabletop Space
A fold out table in a corner of the basement may have appeased the needs of you and your friends as teenagers, but times change. A good tip for hosting a board game night for adults is to approach it like a dinner party. The space you need to set aside is about the same.
Ideally, play will take place around a table with seats for each player. Elbow room is a must! Though not a large amount of tabletop space needs to be allotted for each person, keep in mind the necessary pieces for each game. There should be enough room for everyone to comfortably house their pools of cards, coinage, or game pieces, as each rules system requires.
The Board Game Night Setting
Any good party has snacks. A dinner party with several courses to match your historical-fantasy adventure can be cute, but move toward things that are easy to grab and will not require a lot of plate room on the table. Board games are meant to be played at a table and will take up most of the space. This means grazing options for between round munchies are a must. Think about matching the snacks and drinks to the theme of the game.
A play list can help set the mood for the night, but most importantly, turn screens off! It can be tempting to check in with the sports game or Instagram your latest victory in Carcasonne, but board game night is about spending time with a group of your favorite people. So once play has started, stay in the moment and put your ringer on silent.
Always have a Warm Up Game
In order to get everyone in the mood and mindset for a night of gaming, make sure you have a short and sweet game to start out. This does not have to even be the same type of game as the main event, but it should get people ready to interact and play by set rules. It also means that latecomers are not excluded from learning the rules of longer games.
Starters can be short puzzle games, like the competitive Tsuro, or word association games, like the spy network teambuilding gem Codewords. Whatever game or games your choose, the keywords are easy-to-learn and quick-to-play.
The Main Event
It is possible to have an excellent night in with a series of shorter games to sample. After all, there are so many games out there to play. But sometimes we want to throw a party just to show off our newest acquisition. Longer games with individual victories make for great centerpieces to a board game night’s festivities.
Great games to plan a night around feature longer play and innovative rules. Classic german style game Settlers of Catan and european style game Ticket to Ride are great choices for those new to board games, or old hands. Once you and your friends get used to board games, take a chance on newer titles.
If the night goes well, it could turn into a regular social event. Many people are discovering the joy of monthly, or even weekly board game nights for adults. With these tips, you can start planning your own!
Further Resources
The Tabletop Youtube series by Geek and Sundry is a great way to learn about board games. The video below is an early playthrough of Settlers of Catan as an introduction of friends to board gaming. Check it out!