How To Have A Fun Classic Gaming Night?

Hosting a classic gaming night is a popular pastime. If you love card games or classic board games, getting a bunch of friends over for a couple of hours can be the highlight of the week. The games are fun, the company is even better, and there’s hours of endless entertainment on offer!

You can run games one at a time with people taking turns, run a bunch of games at once and have the winners play off against each other, or you could run something a bit more casual and just have a laugh.

All you need to do is buy the cards, get some snacks and drinks, and rotate games like Spider Solitaire, Mahjong, and Checkers until you’re all game-d out! But if you’ve never hosted a classic gaming night before, and you’re not sure how to run one, we’ve got a few ideas for you.

From deciding on the right games to play to choosing the right snacks to ensuring your guests have a good time all night long, the tips below have got you covered.

Choose Your Games

The first decision you need to make, and of course, the biggest! You need to have a good spread of games available for the night ahead. They need to be easy to pick, even if they’re difficult to master, and allow for creativity between players with different approaches to the game.

Does that sound like a hard objective to hit? Don’t worry, we’ve all panicked about guests not enjoying the games we love before! However, seeing as these classic games have existed for centuries already, you can be sure they’re going to be enjoyable during your gaming night.

In order to choose the right games, you need to think about the kind of night you want to host. You should also keep in mind who you’re planning on inviting and what kind of games they enjoy. Of course, anyone can get to grips with a classic round of cards, but will it be fun for everyone?

If that’s the main thing you’re worried about, we’ve got some ideas about the best games to try out. Here are our top picks to include:

Spider Solitaire

Solitaire with a twist! Spider Solitaire is one of the most beloved classics in the card game category. It’s super easy to play but very addictive once you’ve had a taste! Decide on your number of suits, set up each column, and then get rid of the piles as quickly as you can. Just like normal solitaire, only face up cards can be moved.

You’ll need at least two packs of standard cards for this.

Backgammon

Backgammon might be a little hard to understand at first, but once you’re playing, you’ll soon pick it up. That makes it great for a small skill curve for more advanced card players. You’ll need to have a backgammon set and some dice handy but that’s it! The first player to get all their pieces onto the home board and then bear them off wins.

This game also makes for a great competitive choice if you’d like to run a tournament.

Poker

Quite possibly the most classic card game, Poker is great for any kind of gaming night. You can bet chips, or whatever else you like, and play multiple hands for as long as you like. There are a few types of Poker to try out, but the basic rules remain the same in most kinds.

Decide on what you want to play beforehand, based on your players’ familiarity with the game.

Chess

Chess can be a lot of fun when played straight, or when you add a few ‘crazy rules’. Indeed, as one of the oldest games in the world, you have license to play it however you like!

Chess can be hard for some people to get to grips with, but it also makes for a good spectator sport if someone decides they don’t want to play.

Blackjack

Blackjack is a lot of fun, despite how simple the rules are. Bet if you like, but you can also try playing it without any stakes as it remains enjoyable either way. You just need to make 21, and you can decide on the 5 card rule yourself.

As a very simple card game, this is a good one to start with. Act as the dealer and play a good few rounds to see who picks up the most points.

Make Sure There’s Enough Players

Now you’ve got your games list sorted out, it’s time to decide on the guest list. So, who’s coming along to your gaming night? You want there to be a good group of people for the amount of games you’re planning on hosting, as well as to allow for multiple partners throughout the night.

4 is a good number to aim for here. However, you want to be sure there aren’t too many players. After all, if you’ve got games that are good for 2 to 4 players, it’s going to be awkward to slip a 5th one in for extra rounds. You’re going to need another player on top to allow for smooth gaming!

Keep this in mind; even numbers are always best, and if someone is coming along to make up an odd number, ask if they can bring along a plus one. At a classic gaming night, the more the merrier - just make sure you don’t have a crazy amount of guests that your house (or number of chairs!) can’t cope with. While some games are fine for one person to play, that’s not going to be a lot of fun if everyone else is playing together!

Once your player number is sorted out, you can start planning the rest of your entertainment.

Don’t Start Until Everyone is There

It can be quite difficult for someone to get involved with the games if they turn up late. As such, try not to start your night until everyone has arrived! It’s only natural for your friends to want to spend some time just talking and drinking - give them this time to get the night flowing.

This also allows for late arrivals to get there without missing anything. They won’t miss the start of the first game or even the first round entirely; they could be around 10 to 15 minutes late and it won’t be a problem at all. Encourage people to be on time, and to let you know as soon as possible if they’re going to be late, but remember that accidents and emergencies can always occur.

As such, aim for around half an hour of time before the games even start. Use this time to be social, set up the mood for the evening, and give yourself even more time to get the games ready if need be. It’s the safest way to plan the evening all round!

Incorporate an Online Tournament

Yes, you can sprinkle a taste of the online gaming world into your gaming night as well. At 247 Games, you can find enjoyable classics like Spider Solitaire, Freecell, and Checkers or Backgammon, and you won’t need to pay a thing to play!

Indeed, these online games can even add a hint of jeopardy to the night, which helps to raise the stakes and make it a bit more fun for all involved. After all, all of these games use ‘play money’, to give you the thrill of gambling without ever actually needing to put any money down.

As such, run the online portion later on into the night, when you’ve got through the bulk of gaming already. This will give you more options when you’ve exhausted everything else, and you can have a lot of fun cheering each other on or going head to head around a screen.

Indeed, these online games can bring a hint of modernity to the night which people could be sorely missing, and you wouldn’t want anyone to miss out when you’re trying to host the best classic gaming night known to man!

Keep Hands Free

If you’re going to be playing classic games, you’re going to need your hands! Game board pieces and hands of cards require attention at all times. As such, you’re going to want to plan your foods to be easy to eat.

Finger foods can be hard to put together, especially if you think of them as childish and only meant for kids’ parties. However, adult finger foods can be fun and sophisticated, and all you need are a few quick recipes and around an hour to cook them.

If you’ve only got a couple of ideas, but you want your food spread to be super tasty, here are some our favorites:

• Mini Slider Buns
• Pizza Dip
• Classic Nachos and Cheese
• Chilli Pots
• Chicken Wings
• Mini Cheesecakes
• Cupcakes and Cookies

Even the big casinos in Las Vegas allow small finger foods and drinks to be taken onto the gaming floor. Apply the same rule to your night, especially if you hate having to clean up afterwards. And remember, the better the catering, the better a time you’re going to have!

Set Time Limits on the Games

We all know a good game can go on forever. However, this isn’t all that fun, even if you love shouting at each other and pretending to have a big fight over whose turn it is and whether or not someone cheated.

If you don’t want the games to go on all night, you need to set time limits from the beginning. It’s best to set these turn by turn - say around a minute for each person to decide what they're going to play or how they’re going to use their turn.

This way you keep the game moving, and add an element of jeopardy by enforcing the limit. Some players tend to panic when they know they’re up against the clock, and that can be funny to watch when you’re with friends!

If you don’t like the idea of forcing players to abide by a time limit, you can set a round limit instead. Games like Bridge are better for this, where a full board set tends to be done in about 3 hours. However, for a game like Spider Solitaire, you could give players 2 minutes or or so to try and clear the board while competing against each other.

Will There Be a Prize?

This is a great way to add a stronger sense of competition to your classic gaming night, if you want to run more of a tournament than a casual session. If you’re not sure what prize to offer, vouchers or small food hampers tend to be the most classic selection. However, you can put anything you like up for grabs, as long as you know the invited players are interested in actually winning it.

You could also have a set of prizes for each contender that wins a certain thing, such as quickest time clearing the board, or winning the most hands overall. Once you’ve got your winning categories set out, use a prize wheel you set up earlier to decide who gets what.

Gag and joke gifts are also a lot of fun, and you could even include a ‘forfeit’ space on the wheel, just in case someone is having a bit too much fun! And if all else fails, you can have a surprise prize for the winner of the night, which will give you more time to get something fun in place.

End the Night on a High

This is the main goal to reach for. If your gaming night ends on a low, no one is going to remember it fondly or want to do it again. However, if you end things on a high, they’re going to want to come back for more.

To achieve this, have one last game for people to get involved in. Something easy to play, where everyone can win, is the best choice for this. Cooperative games are another good choice, where you separate people into teams or you have all players working together to reach the end of the board.

Bingo is also a great game for winding things down while still having fun. It’s a classic game that you can customize to your heart’s content, and once again, there could be one last prize available for winning it.

A high note for the end of the night also makes sure you don’t run out of energy as time goes on. It’s hard to maintain the same fun and excitement for hours on end, but if you plan for that dip as people get tired, you won’t suffer from sleepy guests or anyone who just wants to go home.

Make it a Regular Thing

Had fun tonight? Good! Now turn your night into a regular thing. Maybe not once a week, but around once or twice a month should be good. This way you keep up the habit, have fun playing the games you really love, and have an excuse to get all your friends into one room together.

A classic gaming night can be tweaked in any which way you like, as long as those classic games remain at the heart of the evening you’ve got planned. So if you all had fun, promise another great night sometime soon and think about making it even bigger and better. More games, more tournaments, more players and more prizes for the rounds they win.

Talk to your players and see what they think about the idea; if they want more from the gaming night, if they want to try different games, or if they even want to try hosting themselves. At 247, we believe gaming should be a fun activity, and the more social it is, the more you’re going to enjoy yourself.

Classic Card Games are Timeless

And beloved classic board games too! You don’t need a big budget for brand new video games, or to put piles of money on the line to try and win at gambling - you just need a pack of cards and/or a simple gaming set. Invite your friends over, make sure there’s enough players for each game (and not too many either), and you’ll be all ready to go.

But if you’re concerned about how fun the night will end up being, just remember the tips above. First lay on a good spread that keeps player hands free, then get the chairs out and make sure there’s enough table space. Congratulations, you’ve got yourself the foundation of a good classic gaming night!

Plus, when you’ve got some equally passionate friends around, you’re always going to have a good time. You can also head online to 247 Spider Solitaire and play this classic as part of your gaming night, as well as various other card and board games you already know and love. Check them out for a good time!

DISCLAIMER: The games on this website are using PLAY (fake) money. No payouts will be awarded, there are no "winnings", as all games represented by 247 Games LLC are free to play. Play strictly for fun.