Inviting a few friends over for drinks, games, and frivolity is a great way to spend a weekend. It’s something that you can throw together in just a few hours – or even less – provided that you have the right ingredients. If you’ve got a space on the calendar and you’re looking to fill it, then a games night might be just the thing.

So, what does it take to organise a great last-minute game night? Let’s run through a few of the key ingredients.

Drinks

Given that there’s such a wide range of different beers, wines, and spirits available, it’s a shame to stick to the well-known brands. You can buy craft beer online from specialist vendors, and get a varied selection of drinks to sample.

Snacks

If you don’t have any food available all through the night, then your guests are likely to become irritable. Little bowls of snacks will help to keep them satisfied. Again, variety is key. Go for pretzels, chocolates, and crisps – and order a take-away if you don’t fancy cooking. If you want to impress, you can prepare something elaborate – just make sure that it’s not going to create a mess.

Games

Having catered to your guests, you’ll want to make sure that they’re suitably entertained, and this is where the games come in. Without the right games, your night is going to be a bit of a damp squib. A few stand out as worth investigating.

Cards against Humanity

It’s gloriously offensive, dark, edgy, and just plain mean. This is a card game that you’ll definitely want to keep away from your relatives, and from small children.

Villainous

This interesting game is geared towards Disney fans. The object is to sabotage the other villain on your way to victory. Being a Disney product, the artwork is worth the price of entry alone – and the gameplay is deeper than you might expect.

Pictionary

This classic drawing game has the advantage of being well-known and easily explained – even if your guests have already had a few beers. You can get a boxed version of the game, or you can create your own with a whiteboard or a large enough easel.

Exploding Kittens

As the title might suggest, this is a slightly random game that involves just the right amount of humour, and that’s suitable for just about any skill level. You can pick it up in minutes and have hours of fun.