Game nights aren’t just for kids. Adults can have just as much fun – even more so – with the right setup, games and food. I have some easy and fun game party night ideas to inspire your gathering and help you plan an unforgettable evening.
The Setup – Easy Ideas to Inspire You
Start by planning your setup. How do you want your guests to sit and play? What do you want your space to feel like?
Here are some easy game party night ideas to help you create a killer setup.
Arrange Games on a Coffee Table
Set up a few different games on your coffee table and add some bowls of snacks, like popcorn. Let your guests choose which one to play next.
Everyone can take a turn choosing a game to play.
Keep the layout simple and casual so that everyone feels at ease.
Related: Fun Indoor Birthday Party Ideas for Rainy Days
Keep Game Pieces in Glass Jars
Planning to play games like Scrabble, Jenga or poker? Why not make the game pieces part of your setup and decor? Place them in glass jars that you can display for everyone to see.
You can do this with Scrabble pieces, poker chips, Jenga blocks or even cards.
This is one of the best game party night ideas if you’re short on space but want to have your games set up and ready to play.
Set Up One Game at the Table with Snacks
Welcome guests and encourage them to play by having a game already set up when they arrive.
In this Pin, the Monopoly board is already open and ready for everyone to start playing. Bowls of popcorn and drinks encourage people to sit down and enjoy themselves.
You can do this with any game you want to play.
Just make sure that you set up space for every player so that no one feels left out.
Set Up a Cards Game with a Charcuterie Board at the Center
If you’re having a smaller gathering, create a simple setup like this. A nice charcuterie board at the center of the table will give your guests something to snack on while they play.
Just make sure there’s enough space to comfortably play, especially if you’re playing cards.
The Games – What to Play to Keep Everyone Engaged
Games will be the heart of your party, so choose them wisely. First, make sure that you know your crowd. Do they prefer cards? Board games? Something else?
If you need some inspiration, here are fun game party night ideas everyone will love.
The Bowl Game
Here’s a game that will fetch some laughs and a few gasps. The concept is simple:
- Each player receives two strips of paper.
- The goal is to have each player write down one wild, true fact about themselves on each strip of paper.
- Everyone folds up and tosses their papers into the bowl.
- The papers are mixed up.
- The first player picks a piece of paper, and everyone (except the person who picked the paper) will guess who they think the fact belongs to.
- After everyone has had a guess, the person who wrote the fact will stand up and reveal themselves.
If someone guesses correctly, they get a point. If no one guesses it right, the person who wrote the fact will get five points.
Keep repeating the guessing game until you run out of paper strips.
Charades
Charades is a classic party game, and the best part is that there are endless ideas to keep things interesting.
Here’s how it works:
- Players act out words on paper without saying a word. They have to stand up in front of everyone and “act” things out in hopes of other people guessing the word.
- Words are written or printed on paper, placed in a bowl and mixed around.
- A one-minute timer is set for each round.
- If no one guesses, then the paper is put back into the bowl.
- The first person to guess correctly gets a point (a.k.a., the paper).
- The person with the most papers at the end of the game wins.
Fishbowl Party Game
The fishbowl party game combines the games Charades, Taboo and Password into one. Players work together in teams to guess prompts (words or phrases) over three different rounds.
Here’s how it works:
- Give each player three strips of paper and have them write down a random word or phrase on each one.
- Everyone puts their pieces of paper in the bowl, and they get mixed around.
- First, someone picks a word or phrase from the fishbowl and starts round one.
- Round 1: Describe it (like Taboo). The player has one minute to describe the phrase using as many clues as possible without using gestures or saying the word. Team members guess. If they guess correctly, another paper is drawn and the guessing continues. Keep going until the timer runs out.
- Round 2: This time, the designated player can only say one word to describe the word or phrase without saying any part of it. If the team guesses correctly, another paper is drawn, and it continues until the timer runs out.
- Round 3: Now, the designated player must act out the words or phrases without using any words (just like charades). Guessing continues until time is up.
Related: Top 21+ Charcuterie Skewer Ideas for Irresistible Party Appetizers
Minute to Win It Games
Fast, quick and interesting, minute to win it games are over in 60 seconds yet provide a lifetime of memories. You have a ton of options to choose from:
- Balance a cookie on your forehead and attempt to move it into your mouth using only your facial muscles.
- Build a penny tower as high as possible in your hands.
- Place a popsicle stick in your mouth and balance dice on the end of it for as long as you can.
You’ll find over 50+ games listed in the Pin above that fit within the “minute to win it” rules.
The Food – Snacks and Apps Guests Will Love
Appetizers and snacks are a reason for people to celebrate your big party. You’ll have guests ready to bring their signature dishes and some will view it as one of the main perks of attending.
What goodies will you feed your guests?
Grazing Table
Let your guests graze upon the delightful plates of food that you left out for them. Serving platters are to be filled with potato chips, pretzels, gummies, brownies, cookies, dip and any other foods that you would like to serve.
Snack Board
Snack boards are good options for every game night party. You’ll need snack boards and the following ingredients: avocado dip, cheese and meat, dried fruit and nuts, radishes, fresh strawberries, olive and asparagus prosciutto toast.
On a separate board, you’ll place the sweet treats that everyone looks forward to, such as fudge brownies, cookies and candies.
The Original Dish does a great job of supplying you with a complete grocery list of items that you’ll need to recreate this snack board.
Appetizers
Plan on having board games for people to play? Add these appetizers to your game party night ideas to keep a smile on everyone’s face:
- Chili dog tater tots
- Pepperoni pizza rolls
- Philly cheesesteak eggrolls
- Meatball and dough skewers
- Cheesy taco pinwheels
- Sweet potato wedges
Goat Cheese Balls
Are you a fan of goat cheese? Simple to make and delicious, these goat cheese balls offer a crunchy, golden exterior that you can drizzle honey on top. Hosting a dinner party? These are sure to be a guest favorite.
The recipe calls for:
- Breadcrumbs
- Eggs
- Flour
- Goat cheese
- Herbs
- Honey
- Sea salt
Start by rolling your goat cheese into balls and set up three bowls that you fill with eggs, breadcrumbs and flour. Coat the balls in the flour, eggs and then breadcrumbs. Place them on a baking sheet with parchment paper and place in the freezer for 20 minutes. Bake until golden and crispy at 350°F.
Add a bowl of honey on the side and serve with a honey mixing stirrer to complete this dish.
Bring a Board
Charcuterie boards are one of the most popular options at every party event. You can bring out a board of meats and cheeses, desserts or other snacks. But let’s put some of the prep work in the hands of your guests.
You can do this in one of two ways:
- Assign certain boards to each guest.
- Ask people to bring a board and go with the flow.
Bringing a board is a great way to get everyone excited and invested in your game party.
You can have cookie boards, meat and cheeses, fruit boards or even sliders, such as mini sandwiches or hamburgers.
Related: Fancy Wine & Charcuterie Party Ideas for Hosting Friends
The Classic Popcorn, Chips and Pretzels
Game party night ideas without this option seem like a travesty to me. You must have finger food snacks to give to your guests, and there’s something for everyone on the list:
- Popcorn
- Chips
- Pretzels
You can mix and match varieties as you choose, such as caramel or plain popcorn, BBQ or salt and vinegar chips and pretzels.
Fill bowls with all of these snacks and arrange them around the room to encourage guests to walk around and mingle.
