My friends LOVE a good games night, and I’m not talking about beer pong and riding the bus, although they wouldn’t say no to those games either ?????. I’m talking board games that require 20+ minutes of setup. We don’t go more than a couple of weeks without meeting up on Saturday night for drinks, snacks and INTENSE board games. It’s such a great way to let loose with friends without spending a ton of money.
Here are some tips for hosting the ULTIMATE games night!
(All of the game images are shoppable links as well!)
Yummy Snacks
A good games night is not possible without great snacks. Lucky for me, my friends are all great cooks and we typically do a potluck style event. We obviously have the usual suspects like veggies and dip, bruschetta, nachos, but my friends like to kick it up a notch with homemade pizzas, stuffed pasta shells, epic charcuterie boards and fondue!
I want to try these little pizza knots for my next games night.
The Games
Now for the main event! The right games will make or break your ultimate games night. Here are a few of my favourites:
Catan
If you have a few hours to get deep into a game of strategy, Catan is a great option. In this game you aim to spread your settlement across the board and earn a certain number of points before anyone else. You have to watch the moves of the other players to understand their strategy and thwart their plans. There are plenty of expansions available as well to mix things up after you’ve played the original game of Catan to death.
Codenames
Could you give me a one-word clue that connects the words Battery, Pirate and Spot? In Codenames, a clue giver is tasked with offering one-word clues that will help their team to connect together specific words laid out on the table. The trick is that some of the words are for your team to guess, and some are for the other team, so you don’t want your team guessing on the wrong words!
Betrayal at House on the Hill
In this game, you get to build your very own haunted house! Betrayal at House on the Hill begins with everyone working together, but once the Haunt phase begins, one player betrays the group and the game becomes divided. It is then a battle to the end between the group and the traitor.
Uno, Skip Bo, Phase 10, Monopoly Deal
These card games are some of my go-to games. When Kirby and I want to get away from our screens and just do something fun together, we pull out one of these card decks, but these games are WAY more fun with more than two people. We often find ways to turn them into drinking games as well ?????.
Finally, and this is the most important tip on how to host the ultimate games night: Make sure there is extra TP in the bathroom! If your friends are anything like mine, the drinks will be flowing and you’ll be grateful for this tip ?.
What are your favourite games and snacks for the ultimate games night?
Check out my post on 6 Fun Things to Do in the Okanagan This Fall for more ideas like games night!
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