Despite the common belief that gaming can be anti-social, it is actually a great way to make friends.
After all, even when playing online, it allows you to spend quality time with others who share your interests, forging strong relationships while doing so. In fact, some people even meet their significant other through gaming!
As a result of this, it’s important that you enjoy the social aspect of gaming as much as the gameplay itself, especially if you otherwise find it difficult to find and maintain friendships.
Photo by Josh Appel on Unsplash
With that in mind, here are three fun ways to spend more time with your gamer friends in person, as opposed to behind the screen!
Host a movie marathon.
Hosting a movie night at your home is a great way to spend more quality time with your friends, whether you’re rewatching classic movies from your childhood or the latest releases.
Either way, try to choose a theme ahead of time. For example, if you’re interested in horror movies, you may want to watch the goriest slashers you can find, asking each friend to come with a movie in mind.
Having a theme in mind makes both the planning process and the movie night itself more fun, as it gives you a framework to follow. For instance, if you were hosting a Harry Potter themed movie night, you could send out invites in the style of Hogwarts letters and decorate your home accordingly!
However, one thing you must get right when hosting a games night is the seating arrangement. If your guests are uncomfortable, they’re unlikely to be able to enjoy the movies or the night as a whole. As such, get creative when setting up the seating area, using throws, pillows and blankets to create the perfect, comfortable space.
Plan a game night.
There’s no better way to connect with your gaming friends than by planning a game night. After all, this gives everyone the chance to come together over the activity or game you love the most!
However, in order to make this a little different to playing online, try to find as many ways as possible to enhance their gaming experience. For example, if you were going to be playing the racing game Forza Horizon, you may want to invest in Forza Horizon 5 Mods. These mods will allow you to begin racing right away while also giving you access to the entire catalogue of cars and vehicles.
Again, you should also make sure you’ve perfected your gaming setup ahead of time. For example, you may want to invest in surround sound speakers in order to create a more atmospheric environment.
While you should try to play a wide range of games throughout the night, try to focus on multi-player games as much as possible. After all, this ensures that everyone gets to play as much as possible instead of watching everyone else play.
Give D&D a try.
If your friends tend to play video games and you want to try something different, consider hosting a Dungeons and Dragons session. Not only is this a lot of fun, but playing with friends is a great way to bring yourselves closer as a friend group as you embark upon a fictional but nonetheless fun adventure!
While there is a wide range of D&D campaigns to choose from, you should keep an eye out for those that are beginner-friendly, such as the Lost Mine of Phandelver and Dragon of Icespire Peak. This will help you to familarize yourself with the rules and gameplayer, whether you’re part of the action or serving as the dungeon master (the narrator role).
How to take your event to the next level.
No matter which of the above options you choose, there are plenty of ways in which you can take your get-together to the next level, ensuring everyone has as much fun as possible.
- Send out invites in advance. When planning your get-together, try to send out invites as soon as possible. This increases the chances of everyone you invite being able to attend, as they can make room in their schedule accordingly. This way, you can ensure you have enough players present to play any multiplayer games.
- Prepare some snacks and drinks. All friendly gatherings are improved by snacks! While you could keep it simple by buying a few bags of popcorn and candy, you could go one step further and prepare themed snacks, cocktails and mocktails based on the activities you are completing. For example, if you went with the Harry Potter Movie marathon, you could make your very own butterbeer!
- Explain the rules before playing any games. While you may be something of a pro when it comes to gameplay, don’t assume that all of your guests have played these games before. Furthermore, it’s also important to note that different players tend to adopt different rules. As a result, discussing which rules you will be following ahead of time can improve the overall gaming experience and ensure that no fights break out!
- Create the perfect atmosphere. There are many different ways in which you can curate the perfect atmosphere for your event. For example, if you were playing tabletop games such as D&D, you may want to put together a playlist of songs from your favorite adventure movies and TV shows, such as Lord of the Rings and Game of thrones. You should also ensure that you get the lighting right! If people are meeting for the first time, consider starting the night with some ice breakers so that they feel comfortable when you start to play.
- Focus on having fun. Planning a get-together can be quite stressful. However, it is important that you do remind yourself of the reason you decided to host the event in the first place: to have fun with your friends. No matter what you choose to do, you are spending time with those who mean the most to you, and that is what matters!
