The next New Year’s Eve is to be celebrated at your place, and you want to throw one remarkable party, a night to remember forever! If you are new to throwing house parties and cannot think of the best party games your guests will cherish, here are some tips that could help you get on with the house party planning, and the games (including drinking games) to select.
The Planning
You are the host, so it is up to you to choose what games would be played by your guests. The sooner you finalize, the longer you have to plan and shop. Firstly, know your guests. If your house party is for a group of close friends that prefer to stay up till dawn holding glasses to their lips, drinking games are the way to go. Otherwise, if they are teetotalers, some fun board games such as “Taboo” or “Pictionary”, or conversational games such as “Dumb Charades” or “Truth or Dare” are best chosen. Either way, decide ahead of time, and shop ahead for what you need.
Finalizing the Game(s)
The main purpose of playing games at a party is to have a common source of fun, rather than people breaking into smaller groups for private conversation. It is also a game-changer, pun intentional, for guests with diverse backgrounds, or those who do not know each other very well. Whatever be your reason, some fun drinking games and non-drinking games are listed here to help you zero in. Of course, you can choose more than one.
Drinking Games
A handy tip for selecting drinking games is to choose on the kind of liquor. For example, “Beer Pong” would go down well with your guests only if they are beer lovers. If your guests are not particular about what they drink, go with other games such as “Never Have I Ever” or “Flip Cup”. Word of caution – do not choose drinking games that require shots if there are only scotch lovers around.
Non-drinking Games
For a more formal house party, or one with children, board or conversational games are your best choice. Choose from the more popular games such as “Dumb Charades” or “Pictionary”. You might also explore lesser known options such as “The Book” or “Dictionary Game”.
On the Day
Now that you planned, shopped, and decorated, your actual test as a host comes on the day of your party. As your guests start trickling in, let them settle down. Do not jump into games right away, make them at home first. Once you start the games, try to stick to your plans, but be open to improvisations if things get boring. As the host, you need to strike a balance between having the final say and being courteous. Most importantly, throw conversations in between, be perfect about your supply of food and drinks, and blend in with all guests equally.
Rock the next party, and do not stress out over throwing one. Have fun!