Hi everyone! So last week I chatted about tips for throwing the ultimate game night, but I realised that that post was missing a pretty significant chunk. What games are actually good to play at game night? I was tempted to add it to last week’s post but then thought it would just end up being too long, so I decided to split it up. As I said in that post, the games are really the core of your evening, so picking the right ones can make or break your social event. So, in light of this, I did a little research and had a long think about which games are actually good ideas to play when you are having a game night. If you and your friends don’t already have an idea of what games you’d like to play, here is a list of games that should keep the fun and laughter (as well as competitiveness going) for the whole evening.
Monopoly
Monopoly is a classic board game and considered to be one of the most popular board games ever. Almost everyone knows the basics and its popularity has meant that there are dozens of different versions of Monopoly out there. There is Disney Monopoly, Friends Monopoly, Pokemon, Game of Thrones, Jurassic Park, The Simpsons and even a Nintendo Monopoly, and the list goes on. This is a fun game to play for a couples game night because you can partner up with your partner, making it more fun for more people to play. Just a warning, though … Monopoly can become vicious, and it is not uncommon to spark all sorts of fights and even ruin friendships and relationships, so just beware. Maybe set some ground rules before the game starts? Just to prevent the evening turning into world war three.
Pictionary
A hilarious, and fun game to play in almost any game night situation. Pictionary puts your drawing skills to the test, almost like an artistic game of charades and so it makes for both a hysterical and competitive game to play if people are willing to try. What makes it extra fun is that you don’t have to be a talented artist to be good and in fact, the more random and basic the drawings are, the better and more fun the game is. This is another good game for a couple’s evening, but can also just be a fun game for a girl’s night or even family game night. A tip though is to maybe invest in a few little whiteboards, so you don’t have to waste tons of paper. Even though it’s game night, we can still think about the environment, right?
Charades
Another hilarious game and one that never gets old is charades. There are many different versions of charades, and so many topics or categories that you can choose from so that everyone should be able to find a category they enjoy. If you don’t feel like searching for topics or making your own charades card, there is even a Charades app you can get that does all the hard work for you. All in all, it’s a great game that is suitable for all crowds and is bound to get everyone laughing so hard they fall over.
Uno
Uno is a fun, classic card game that most people have probably played at some point in their lives. What makes it so great is that it is fun and straightforward, so it is easy to pick up and get the hang of it. Be warned, though. Uno may seem like a child-friendly stack of colourful cards that could never end in anger or carnage, but anyone who has played Uno will remember that feeling. The feeling when you were so close to winning and then were forced to pick up more cards or someone snatched that victory away from you. It can be passive, or bloodthirsty and competitive, but at the end of the day, it is still a great and fun game to play.
Crazy 8s
If you’re not sure what this game is exactly, then think about it as Uno but being played with a regular deck of cards. Crazy 8s is a bit different from Uno though because there are many different versions and rules, so everyone could play it slightly differently. It can also become a more intense game because you can add in rules for time-wasting, for example. My family prefers this game to Uno because it is a bit more complicated and ‘adult’ like, but the game is still primarily a race to see who can get rid of their cards first. You should see how competitive my family gets when we play – I think the longest we’ve gone for is four hours because people refused to admit defeat. It’s a fun game that can get very competitive, and all you need to play is a deck of cards.
Cards Against Humanity
Make a note – this game is not appropriate for a family game night! I’d save this type of game for adult game nights where you either have an evening with your couples friends or just adult friends in general because this is not the right kind of game for children. This is also a very particular game, so if your guests aren’t wired this way, then you might want to think about giving this game a pass. If, however, your friends are the sort who would enjoy Cards Against Humanity, then it is a good choice. This game is great for parties, it can be a lot of fun, but it is also, by nature, quite rude and inappropriate, so the biggest challenge with this game is making the right choice of who to play with.
Trivial Pursuit
This is an excellent option for all those who like to show off their superior knowledge about a particular subject and for friends who just love good, old-fashioned trivia games. Trivial Pursuit is essentially who can answer the most questions correctly, collect all the pies and make it back to the middle first. What’s great about this board game though, is that like Monopoly it has expanded to having many different versions so you can play it with all your different kinds of friends. My dad loves the classic version, which is almost pure general knowledge. When it comes to my younger brother and me, we much prefer the Disney and Harry Potter versions, and I am proud to say that I have never once been defeated at Disney trivia. (It’s kind of sad to think that that is a massive accomplishment for me as a 19-year-old, but I’m going with it). So, if your friends love trivia, you can try to find the version of Trivial Pursuit that best suits that particular friend group, which makes it more fun for everyone when they can more actively take part.
P.S. Is there anyone else out there who loves Disney Trivia? Up for a game sometime?
Scrabble
Surprisingly enough, my boyfriend actually suggested this game. No complaints from the grammar nazi and bookworm over here, but the best part about Scrabble is you can make it what you want it. It can be a fun, leisurely game where you show off all of the fun and complicated words you know, or it can be intensely competitive. In my family, we refrain from playing Scrabble purely because, in a family of stubborn, competitive readers, we are too scared to see what it could evolve into. Don’t be fooled though to thinking it is just a boring spelling game though because, with any game, it is only as fun as you make it. And the fact that Scrabble is one of the biggest selling and most popular board games of all time means it can’t be that boring right?
Cluedo
Why mention Cluedo when it is quite an old game that isn’t as fast or intense as another classic like Monopoly? Well, I mention Cluedo because it is quite an engaging game with the right crowd. It may not start out very interesting, but once the mystery bug hits, then you’re completely wrapped up in it. There is just something about a mystery game like this that has that classic attraction of solving a mystery, and that curiosity is what keeps Cluedo alive. So, if you and your friends are the types who enjoy solving a good mystery, then this is the game for your game night.
30 Seconds
Last but not least, how could I miss out a game like 30 seconds? 30 seconds is another classic that may seem a bit like Trivial Pursuit but has a nasty time limit to it. The great thing about this game is that it is a more gentle test of your general knowledge, but it can also be played with only four people to over twelve. You can either play in teams of two or split the room into groups and race to the finish. But, for a game where you simply need to describe things or people to your team, it can get surprisingly heated. So, make sure that you give yourself 30 seconds to cool down as well.
And so there you have it! A list of 10 different games you could play if you are stumped for ideas the next time you’re hosting a game night. I hope that you all enjoyed today’s blog post, and if you weren’t using it as inspiration, I hope that it at least brought back some good nostalgic feelings or has now given you the urge to play one of these games. For my question:
- What is your favourite game? Boardgame or card game
As always, thank you guys so much for reading today’s blog post. If you haven’t read last week’s post about hosting the ultimate game night, which inspired this post, then I suggest you maybe take a squiz of that post as well. Also, please don’t forget to hit that little like button if you really enjoyed the post and subscribe so that you don’t miss out on any future blog posts. Happy gaming, everyone!
Lots of Love
Blondey on a Mission xxx
Tall Blonde Tales 