Host a game night

A board game night is the easiest thing to host. You need a table, some snacks and friends, and the games are probably already in someone’s cupboard. It costs nothing if you use what you have, and it gets people off their phones for a whole evening.

Before people arrive

• Choose two games. One everyone knows and one nobody has played. The familiar game gets people laughing, and the new one gives you something to talk about.
• Read the rules ahead. If you’re teaching a new game, read the instructions the day before. Ten minutes means you can explain it in one.
• Think about the group. Two competitive friends and a shy one need a different game from six people who just want to chat. Cooperative games, where everyone plays against the game, suit mixed groups well.
• Set a start time and an end time. Three hours is plenty. People can leave when they like.

Set up the room

1. Clear a table big enough for the board, the pieces and the snacks, and keep drinks off to one side so nobody spills on the cards.
2. Make sure everyone can see the board and reach the pieces. Good lighting matters more than you’d expect.
3. Put out a basket for phones, and set the rule that they stay in it unless someone’s expecting a call.
4. Have pens, paper and a timer to hand for games that need them.
5. Set up the first game before the first guest arrives, so you can start as soon as people have a drink.

Snacks that work

Choose food you can eat with one hand and that won’t leave greasy marks on cards or boards: popcorn in bowls, crackers and cheese, grapes, pretzels, cut vegetables with dip, or cookies. Put napkins out, and a few sets of bowls so people don’t reach across the board.

How to run the night

1. Start with the easy game while everyone settles in.
2. Teach the new game in one sentence (“the goal is to…”) and then play a practice round, with rules explained as they come up.
3. Keep the pace up. If a game drags, agree to finish after the current round.
4. Change the seating between games so conversations mix.
5. End with something short, so the night finishes on a laugh and not a slog.

What goes wrong

• Someone takes it too seriously. Agree at the start that it’s for fun, and let the winner be gracious.
• The rules take forever. Skip the rarely used ones, play a quick practice round and look up the odd case when it comes up.
• One person dominates. Pick team games or games with simultaneous turns, which keep everyone involved.
• Someone is left out. If a game plays only four, split into teams of two or have a spare person run the scoring or keep time.
• It ends in an argument. Look up the rule in the instructions, agree on it and move on.

After the night

Write down the games people liked and the ones that didn’t land. Choose the next host, or agree a regular night each month. Once people know what to expect, a game night is easy to repeat.

Games that work for most groups

• Easy openers: Uno, Scrabble or a simple card game that everyone knows.
• Team games: charades and trivia games work for bigger groups, because everyone plays at once.
• Cooperative games: everyone plays against the game, which suits groups that don’t want a loser.
• Short finishers: a quick card game that ends the evening on a high.

Keep a deck of cards and a notepad nearby, and you can always invent a game if the main one flops.

A simple rule for guests

Tell people they can bring a game, a snack or just themselves. Nobody has to be good at games, and nobody has to stay until the end. If you have a small apartment, ask people to arrive within the same half hour so you can start together, and keep a few spare chairs or cushions ready.

Make it a winter evening

Winter nights come early, and a table of friends, a few games and a pot of something warm is a good use of one. If you want to make it a bigger occasion, start with a fondue night and play afterwards.