Game nights have proven a popular venture for friends to take part in over recent years, with more board game cafes and bars opening up across the country. But for friends who live fairly far apart, the rise of online game nights has helped keep the friendships sailing on. From pub quiz nostalgia to classic board games and even casino-style entertainment, if you think your friends would want to get involved then read on.
Find a Platform to Use
First things first – the hosting platform. Many of us use Teams, Google Meet or similar for our day-to-day jobs, but they work just as well for calls with friends too. There’s also Discord which is more billed as a gaming companion, but is also free – so why not try it out?
It’s worth considering how many friends you’ll be inviting, as free platforms can have a cap on participants, and how easy it is to screenshare if you’ll be using that feature.
Choosing the Games
Next, it’s worth thinking about what games would appeal to your crowd. This can make or break your evening, as something too simple might not hold interest – while more complex games may lead to confusion.
Think of what your mates usually take an interest in and plan around that. Quizzes can be fun, especially if you build your own around inside jokes. If you’re thinking of going down an online casino-esque route, then taking part in something like online slingo games could be just the ticket or even a game of poker with everyone having a seat at the table.
Sometimes the key can be variety too, having a shorter game to get people warmed up and the conversation flowing before moving onto something bigger. A few rounds of Rocket League or Rematch are quick enough to fit in before diving into something like an intense MMORPG.
Opt for a Theme
If you really want to dial up your game night’s vibes, setting a theme for people to dress up for can bring some of the in-person fun to the virtual stage. This can even span into picking personas for the name and changing display names for the games you’re about to play.
Whether that’s channelling Las Vegas glamour, sporting their favourite football kit, or embracing a tropical beach vibe, it creates a sense of occasion and can bring you all closer together after some time apart. If fancy dress feels too much, simply changing your video call background can create the right atmosphere without the effort.
Choose the Date
Now for the trickiest part – coordinating diaries to find a date everyone can do. While Friday and Saturday evenings might feel the easiest, given they’re firmly in weekend territory, these can book up fast in advance. Plus, not everyone works Monday to Friday.
Creating a quick poll through WhatsApp groups or free tools can let everyone choose from a number of possible dates, with the one the majority of people can do being the winner. It might be inevitable that one or two people can’t make that date, so it’s worth suggesting another in the future and still including them in some way if you can.
Once you’ve got all these things sorted, the only thing left is to get to the night itself, have fun, and see who comes out on top.