What Party Games Can Add to Your Next Social Gathering
As life goes on, it becomes harder and harder to gather all of your friend group (or family) in one place together, and so there becomes an increasing amount of pressure to make the occasion momentous. You won’t always feel compelled to do so, as often the company is enough to get the most out of the event without forcing activities on anyone. However, other times, these activities can be a breath of fresh air from your usual antics and might help new events to stand apart from the older times. Some might be at risk of trying too hard to recreate. If you’re struggling to think of where to begin, what better activities to turn your attention to than party games?
Ball Games
This is an incredibly broad genre, and for the sake of the crowd, you might want to narrow it down. Some people might be more sport-inclined than others, feeling enthusiastic about playing football or soccer, while that might seem like a chore to others. Therefore, it might make sense to keep things light and casual so that a competitive air never threatens to overtake the mood of fun. Instead of sticking to games that people are familiar with, though, you might identify this as a good chance to even the playing field and have everyone participate in something that’s fresh. Something like a cornhole board might be familiar in theory to a lot of people, but in practice, it could be the first time that they’ve ever used one, and the resulting experience could prove to be a memorable one. Furthermore, cornhole boards are easy to tailor to any given holiday or situation through decoration, and you can easily shop American flag cornhole boards if you’re looking to celebrate a particularly patriotic holiday.
This is also a good direction due to the general flexibility of its use – a cornhole board can be used at multiple events. Something similarly simple, such as a ball and a glove, can form the foundational basis of a fun time with friends without needing to be something that everyone needs to learn the rules of before they play.
Board Games
Some people do enjoy that more, though, and this is where a line in the sand needs to be drawn to help you understand what kind of crowd you’re dealing with. If the social event is one that involves a large number of people, each with different tastes and interests that only ever meet up casually, you might be better off sticking with activities that can act as a groundwork for more casual conversation. After all, you don’t want to risk alienating some people through an activity that gets the in-jokes going with some people, leaving them on the outside as they wait for it to be over.
On the flip side of this, you have groups that are going to have a history of sharing an interest in more complex games. It might be that the group is one that you used to play Dungeons and Dragons with, so reuniting with a game of that or trying something new but similarly laid out might make a lot more sense. It could also be that you have a group coming together that has always been interested in trying something like this but has never had the opportunity, which could end up working quite well.
It’s not just about shared interests, though; it’s also about temperament. Anyone can tell you how violent a seemingly innocent game of Monopoly can turn, but these kinds of games can also be a lot of fun if you have the right group. As interested as you or others in attendance might be about the games, it’s important to remember that this is all about people having fun and enjoying themselves; the company is the focus of the occasion. Therefore, if a game looks like it’s just going to result in arguments and foul moods, it might be better for the party as a whole if you simply abandon it and move onto something more casual that people find actually relaxing, even if that’s just throwing a ball around while catching up with old friends.
Digital Games
Again, judging your audience before suggesting that everyone gathers around the TV for a few rounds of your favorite game is important. If you feel some people will have an advantage here, then you’re naturally going to alienate others who have never played it before. Just like with board games, rules that take too long to learn simply won’t be worth it for a lot of people. You might also have people with varying degrees of familiarity with the medium in general. Issues like a lack of familiarity with a gaming controller can lead to differences in enjoyment between two people who have never played the same game, for example.
However, there are games that are universal and perhaps designed with this kind of setting in mind. Party games, like Jackbox or Mario Party, can take a recognizable format and provide a variety show of different mini-games that keep the mood light and breezy. It’s never about being the best at the game as a whole; it’s about navigating the chaos and having some laughs along the way, meaning that winning isn’t as important either, which can again keep the mood light.
If the group that you’re dealing with is large enough, it might be worth taking all of these options into account. That way, you can have people outside playing ball games; maybe some sat inside gathered around a game of Monopoly, and some could find a spare moment to play Mario Kart. It’s about the choice and having a variety of activities that can fill evenings with a lot of promise and potential instead of forcing people to play the games that you prepared. After all, games are always more fun when they feel like a spontaneous decision rather than an obligation. Therefore, if you are planning a get-together any time soon, use the above suggestions.
