Whether you’ve got a birthday coming up, are celebrating a milestone, or simply want to have some fun with friends, a gaming gathering is the perfect option.
Take a look at our tips for organising an epic, enjoyable gaming session with your nearest and dearest.
- Plan the games in advance
If you want your gathering to run smoothly, it’s important to plan which games to play ahead of time. This avoids spending ages deciding what to do on the day. So, when your guests arrive, you can get stuck in straight away!
Think about whether you want to play one long game (like Monopoly, for example) or multiple short games. Also, decide what type of games you would like to organise.
For instance, do you want to set up party games, enjoy an online bingo session with friends, or dive into strategy contests? The key here is to consider who’ll be coming and what will suit you and your guests the best.
- Prepare the space
Firstly, choose which room will be most suitable for your gaming gathering. This could be your kitchen if you have a dining room table, or your living space if there’s more floor space for party games.
Once you’ve picked where to set up, make sure you have plenty of seating for everyone. If you don’t have enough chairs, you could use bean bags or floor cushions to make people more comfortable.
Good lighting is also important, particularly if you’ll be playing cards or board games. Consider whether a large overhead light will work best or whether you want to set up some task lighting around the room.
- Organise snacks and drinks
A gaming gathering wouldn’t be complete without good snacks and drinks. We recommend choosing party foods that aren’t too messy to avoid getting marks on cards, controllers or playing pieces.
Avoid foods in sauces and instead opt for picky bits like crisps, salted nuts, pretzels, biscuits and fruit. Or, do a finger buffet that you can eat before or after your games, with things like quiche, sausage rolls, salads, crudites and dips.
In terms of drinks, you could get a range of different flavoured fizzy and flat options and pop them in bottles with sports lids to avoid any spillages. It’s also worth pre-preparing slices of lemon and lime and having some ice in the freezer.
- Get your games ready
Before your guests arrive, set up your games. If you’re playing on consoles or PCs, make sure your tech is in good working order and have the chargers and extra batteries on hand.
If you’re planning to play games online, check your internet connection is stable and consider having a backup plan in case of connectivity issues.
Or, if you plan to play board games, check inside the boxes beforehand that all the pieces, cards and dice are in there. There’s nothing worse than having your heart set on playing a particular game and realising that essential items are missing.
Hopefully, these tips will help you plan an epic gaming session with your family or friends. Enjoy!
