How to Throw an Adult Board Game Party

I have a large close-knit family and one of our favorite things to do to get together is to play games, specifically board games. Or maybe you want to have a few friends over for a good time. How do you plan an adult board game party? What games are fun to play? What about refreshments?

Happily, this is one of the easiest kinds of parties to throw. A board game party can be comparatively informal and relaxed. It does not require as much from the host and everyone has the freedom to kind of make their own fun and conversation more so than at other sorts of parties. So don't sweat it. Here are a few suggestions to get you started.

Inviting people is easy. Just pick up the phone and find a time that is good for all. Or be spontaneous and set it up for later in the afternoon after, say, shopping together or some such activity. You're already together and with free time, so why not?

Refreshments need not be difficult or in large quantity either. Finger foods are best. Sandwiches cut into quarters for easy handling are nice. You could also have a veggie tray with dip. Potato chips are usually a favorite for informal gatherings. A cheese ball with crackers is ideal, as well as little hors d'oeurves made of hot sausages cut into small pieces and put on toothpicks with cheese and green olives. Small brownies and/or cookies are wonderful for dessert.

Drinks can include a variety of juices and/or soda pops.You can also serve alcohol if you wish. With alcohol, however, a word of caution: the goal is for everyone to have a good time without anyone encroaching on or interfering with the good time of another. So you will need to take steps that none of your guests become overly intoxicated. In view of this, it might be best not to place the alcohol out in such a way as to make access to it unsupervised. Plan on having enough so that your guests can have two drinks each, if they wish, but no more. If, for whatever reason, one or more of your guests chooses not to drink, he or she should not feel pressured to do so. If you invite someone you do not yet know very well, it may be best to avoid offering alcohol altogether. In this way, all present can enjoy the relaxed atmosphere that moderate intake of drink can produce without the unpleasantries that can result when someone over-indulges. As the host, ensuring this balance is your responsibility.

Good games to play in a party setting generally are those that can be played with teams. This way, everyone can play together at one game and enjoy the fellowship of all instead of being split off into groups in tournament-like fashion. Such games include Encore (a singing board game played in teams), Catch-phrase (kind of like a fast-paced password game), Guesstures (a timed charades game), and Mind Trap (for the brainiacs). It is not necessary to have prizes for the winners unless you want to. Prizes foster competition over what would otherwise be a perfectly friendly game and, in some cases, are the difference between an informal, relaxed party and a formal one.

Depending on the schedules of those present and how late you chose to begin the party, three hours is a good length. Anything longer tends to become stale and anything shorter feels rushed. Pay attention to the body language of your guests and they'll let you know when it's time to wrap it up.

The most important thing is to have fun and relax. You may find that this becomes your favorite way to entertain!