One fantastic part of living in student accommodation is your proximity to your friends and peers – your flatmates are a support network, and hopefully you’ll all get on like a house on fire… but not literally please! A games night can be a really fun way to spend time together and maybe even get to know each other better, and here’s how you can make sure it goes without a hitch.
Source some games
You might have brought some games with you when you moved to university – Uno, a pack of playing cards, Scrabble and so on. If you haven’t, then not to worry. You can pick these up in abundance from local charity shops, or even on ‘free to you’ pages on social media. Definitely check charity shops first, though, as they tend to have stacks and stacks of games for a really affordable price. And it feels good giving back to charity!
Pick a date and time
Being a student comes with a busy schedule a lot of the time, so figure out when everybody is available to join in the fun. Weekends can be more difficult to arrange, as people may go home to see family or simply have other plans already. But weeknight evenings are a great time to get together for some wholesome fun.
Plan the food and drink
Decide whether you’d prefer a sober games night or if you’re happy to involve alcohol – and then it’s time to plan the food too! Make a list of everything you think it would be good to have in (crisps, sausage rolls, mini pizzas, sweet treats and so on) and decide who’s buying what. Make it fair, ensuring everybody contributes in some way.
Decide if you want a theme
Themes can be fun – you might play Disney-related games only, or have a pyjama games night. You might turn some games into ‘drinking games’ (sensibly!) or you might go as far as planning an entire murder mystery night with your flatmates. The possibilities are endless, and it’s so much fun!
Make a playlist
You’ll want some ambience, of course – dim the lights if you can, and put together a playlist that reflects everybody’s music taste. Nobody wants to spend the whole night listening to one genre of music if it’s one they don’t like, so it’s a nice touch to add some songs from everybody’s favourite artists.
Set some ground rules
Nobody likes a sore loser, so be sure to set out rules for each game – make sure everybody understands exactly how to play, and if you have different variations of the rules (particularly for card games) settle on one before playing! This way, everything should run smoothly.
Games nights can be some of the best and easiest ways to have fun and make memories with your flatmates – and they’re generally much more affordable than a night out clubbing! Be sure to tag us on Instagram @CityheartLiving if you host a games night in your flat…
Photo credit: 2H Media
