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    Urban Bliss Life ยป Wine Tips ยป Wine Tips & Wine Pairings ยป How to Host the Ultimate Game Night

    Published: March 13, 2019 / Updated: September 23, 2023 by Marlynn Jayme Schotland ยท This post may contain affiliate links.

    How to Host the Ultimate Game Night

    2947 shares
    Ultimate Game Night Game Plan

    Plan a fun game night IN with good friends! Here's your perfect game night game plan full of party planning and easy food and wine pairing tips!

    four women leaning in to cheers with glasses of wine over a table with charcuterie boards and holding game cards.

    How often do you get together with a group of friends?

    If you follow my Instagram stories, you know how important it is for me to spend time with my girlfriends. Between mom friends, blogger friends, gym friends, college friends, and Bunco friends, I treasure all of my groups of girlfriends and value our time together.

    And, recent research actually shows that having a great time with good friends twice a week is good for your health. Cheers to that!

    red wine and game night

    And hosting a fun game night is a great way to get everyone together.

    So gather your besties and get ready to host a fun game night. I've gathered lots of easy tips from my years of party hosting and condensed them into this Ultimate Game Night Game Plan!

    Jump to:
    • Main elements for a successful game night
    • Location
    • Guest list
    • Food game plan
    • Wines to serve for game night
    • What can I bring?
    • Hosting game night frequently asked questions
    • More party planning guides

    Main elements for a successful game night

    As a good host, here are the five main elements to keep in mind the next time you host game night:

    • Logistics
    • Guest list
    • Food
    • Wine
    • Best games

    Location

    red wine, charcuterie board, game night with girlfriends

    First, plan the basics of your party: location, date, time.

    You'll want to hold the game night someplace where there is lots of comfortable seating. If you're having card games, you'll need space enough to set up a coffee table and chairs for each person. If you're hosting outdoor games, you'll need lots of space for the games as well as seating around the perimeter.

    As far as timing goes, four hours is generally a good time frame to plan for your next game night. That gives you enough time for people to wander in, chat, get food, settle in, and play a card game or two.

    Guest list

    girls' night game night with red wine and food

    Then, plan your guest list.

    Smaller groups allow you to enjoy quality conversations. Yet you want to be sure to have enough people to play the variety of games.

    The exact people you invite will also depend on the games you play. Consider which friends would most enjoy playing old board games, team games, murder mystery games, or other types of great game night ideas.

    Food game plan

    Boen pinot noir and charcuterie board

    Next, create the ultimate game night menu.

    Focus on easy finger foods that are small and simple for guests to nibble on while playing the games.

    Stay away from sticky finger foods since nobody wants sticky sauce all over game cards.

    I'm a big fan of keeping girls' night menus simple.

    Main dish ideas:

    • Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Nachos
    • Honey Bourbon Meatballs
    • Thai Chicken Pizza (dairy-free, vegan)

    Appetizer ideas:

    shrimp cocktail
    • Shrimp Cocktail. I like to serve this in small party cups or spoons with a dollop of cocktail sauce, topped with large shrimp, and dill.
    • Charcuterie Cones - I always have/bring a charcuterie, cheese, and fruit board to girls' nights. But lately my Go-To charcuterie board is in the form of a cone. Charcuterie Cones are a delicious way to serve a variety of food in hand-held cones, making it easy to eat and play party games at the same time!
    • "Cheezy" Vegan Tomato Pesto Bites
    • Ham, Melon, and Mozzarella Bites
    • Caprese Crostini

    Dessert ideas:

    • Pinot Noir Brownies. To add to the Game Night theme, spread frosting over the tops of the brownies and use chocolate chips to create brownie dice!
    • Double Chocolate Coffee Cookies
    • Soft Citrus Sugar Cookies
    • Fireball Cupcakes are also great for a large group of 21+ friends!

    Wines to serve for game night

    pouring red wine

    When hosting a game night party, I like to serve a variety of wines. No matter what games you decide to play, this way there's something for everyone.

    For red wines, serve a light bodied Pinot Noir and a bold big red such as a Cabernet Sauvignon.

    For white wines, serve a crisp Sauvignon Blanc with appetizers. Then serve an off-dry Riesling with dessert.

    It's also a good idea to have non-alcoholic beverages available. Have a small selection of sparkling waters, soft drinks, and juices. Or come up with a cute and fun zero proof non-alcoholic mocktail for the evening to pair with your favorite games.

    What can I bring?

    Boen Pinot Noir red wine at girls night

    If you're the host of game night, you will undoubtedly have guests who ask what they can bring to your next game night.

    A bottle of wine is always a good idea. But so is food to supplement and complement your game night menu. Think chips and guacamole/salsa, pita crisps and hummus, cookies or other finger food desserts.

    When they ask, feel free to tell friends what you plan to serve, and what others are already planning to bring as well. This way you'll avoid duplicate dishes.

    Hosting game night frequently asked questions

    How much food should I plan for game night?

    For a group of four to 10 guests, it's a good idea to serve easy food that guests can continue going back to snacking throughout the night. Aim for one main dish, 3-5 appetizers, and 1-2 dessert options.

    Game nights are ALL about the fun, and spending time with a good group of friends. So don't sweat the small stuff. Focus on inviting fun friends, buy or make a few yummy dishes, serve a delicious wine, and have fun!

    More party planning guides

    • How to host the ultimate holiday wine pairing party tips from UrbanBlissLife.com
      How to Host the Ultimate Holiday Wine Pairing Party
    • The ultimate tailgating party on UrbanBlissLife.com
      The Ultimate Tailgating Party
    • summer party tablescape with title text that reads "Perfect Summer Party Guide."
      The Perfect Summer Party: Food, Drink, and Entertaining Ideas
    • How to host the ultimate holiday wine pairing party tips from UrbanBlissLife.com
      Moms Night Out Ideas

    🍷 Have you tried one or more of the wine & food pairings listed here? If so, leave a comment below and let us know how they paired together!

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      Reader Interactions

      Comments

      1. Cassidy says

        March 16, 2019 at 7:38 pm

        Looks like so much fun! Great post!

        Kasey Ma
        TheStyleWright.com

        Reply
        • Marlynn | UrbanBlissLife says

          March 28, 2019 at 10:05 pm

          Thank you! :)

      2. Brooke says

        March 15, 2019 at 12:43 pm

        This looks like such a good time! And such wonderful suggestions! Where did you get your coffee table?? It's so cute!

        xoxo
        Brooke

        Reply
      3. Mariela says

        March 14, 2019 at 11:15 am

        That looks like so much fun! Love this idea!

        Reply
        • Marlynn | UrbanBlissLife says

          March 28, 2019 at 10:05 pm

          Thank you, Mariela!

      4. Carrie | Clean Eating Kitchen says

        March 14, 2019 at 10:31 am

        Some awesome ideas here for planning a fun girls night! Look forward to throwing my own party soon!

        Reply
        • Marlynn | UrbanBlissLife says

          March 28, 2019 at 10:05 pm

          Thanks, Carrie! I love a good girls night!

      5. Diana says

        March 14, 2019 at 8:58 am

        That looks like an amazing time! The food looks great! I wouldn't have thought about sticky fingers, but you're so right! No one wants sticky game pieces or cards.

        Reply
        • Marlynn | UrbanBlissLife says

          March 28, 2019 at 10:04 pm

          Thanks, Diana! :)

      6. herfavfood says

        March 14, 2019 at 7:36 am

        This looks like such fun! I'm going to give it a try next weekend!

        Reply
        • Marlynn | UrbanBlissLife says

          March 28, 2019 at 10:03 pm

          Yay! I hope it's a blast!

      7. Geeky Daddy says

        March 13, 2019 at 9:16 pm

        I need to party with you. Game nights at my place are no where near as fancy. I need to up my game! (all puns intended)

        Reply
        • Marlynn | UrbanBlissLife says

          March 28, 2019 at 10:02 pm

          LOL! I love going all out!

      8. Erin @ Platings and Pairings says

        March 13, 2019 at 7:20 pm

        I love this idea! It's been so long since I've had a game night with friends... But I think you've given me an excuse to host one now with all these amazing recipe ideas!

        Reply
        • Marlynn | UrbanBlissLife says

          March 28, 2019 at 10:01 pm

          You should! They're always so much fun! Thanks, Erin!

      9. Leanne Wong says

        March 13, 2019 at 12:01 pm

        What a lovely post on hosting the ultimate game night! Love your choices on the appetizers :)

        Reply
        • Marlynn | UrbanBlissLife says

          March 28, 2019 at 10:01 pm

          Thanks so much, Leanne! :)

      10. Mz_Ola says

        March 13, 2019 at 11:55 am

        So much thought and effort go into hosting a good game night. Now I know to properly appreciate my hosts for what they do when hosting. This is a good one.

        Reply
        • Marlynn | UrbanBlissLife says

          March 28, 2019 at 10:00 pm

          It's a lot of work, but so worth it! Thanks so much!

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      Hi! If you're looking for easy, fast, delicious family-friendly recipes, wine pairings, and travel tips, you've come to the right place! I'm Marlynn - a cookbook author, writer, photographer, and mom of two teenagers + a lovable lab retriever. I hold a WSET 2 with Distinction in wine, and am a member of Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) and the International Food, Wine, and Travel Writers Association (IFWTWA).

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