An evening without a plan tends to drift. The first game runs long, the second never starts and everyone leaves at an awkward time. A game night schedule fixes this, and two hours is a good length: long enough to feel like an event, short enough that people stay. Here is a plan built from the real lengths of the games on a free site I make, Boardit.
How long does each game really take?
The lengths are the foundation of the schedule, so use the actual figures. A quiz takes about fourteen minutes. A clue game takes about twenty. A drawing game takes about twenty. Snakes and Ladders takes ten to twenty-five. Ludo takes thirty to sixty, and a property game about forty-five.
The schedule
0:00 to 0:10. Arrivals, a joke and the link. Check that everyone has a seat.
0:10 to 0:25. A quiz, about fourteen minutes. Easy, loud and a good warm-up.
0:25 to 0:30. Scores and a short talk.
0:30 to 0:55. A drawing game, about twenty minutes, plus a few minutes for setting up.
0:55 to 1:05. A break. Water, snacks, stretch.
1:05 to 1:30. A clue game, about twenty minutes, with a vote at the end.
1:30 to 1:50. A short snakes race for the finale, or a second quiz round.
1:50 to 2:00. Final scores, thanks and the date of the next night.
Why this order?
Start with something that needs no explanation, so latecomers can slip in. Put the loudest game in the middle, when energy is high. Put the thoughtful game after the break, when people are settled. End with something short and silly, so the last thing the group does is laugh.
How do you handle overruns?
Cut the last game, never the break. A break is when people talk, and talk is half the point. If the clue game runs long, skip the finale and read the scores early. The group will not miss the game it never saw.
What if you only have ninety minutes?
Drop the finale and shorten the arrivals. Keep the quiz, the drawing game and the clue game. That is eighty minutes with a five-minute break.
What if the group is larger or smaller?
Check the seats. A quiz seats two to eight, a clue game three to eight online, and a drawing game up to twelve. For a group of nine to twelve, swap the quiz and the clue game for a second drawing game. For a group of two to four, swap in Ludo and add a property game.
How do you keep score across games?
Three points for a win, two for second, one for third. Keep a note open and read the totals at the break and at the end. The winner of the night can choose the first game next time.
Which kinds of games fit this plan?
This plan suits online board games and party games online alike. Mix one quick game of chance, one skill game and one social game, and the evening has variety. All of them can be free online games when you pick a site that starts from a link with no account, which keeps the arrivals short.
Where do you run it?
Board It has all six games, free, from a link, with no download. An evening with three games becomes a few clicks, and the table shows each game's rules as you start.
Write the plan in the invitation
Write the schedule in the invitation. People turn up on time when they know the plan.
Ahmed Moaz builds Boardit, a free browser game site.