This week, I’m handing the mic to Craig, @TheMidlandMeeple, one of the sharpest board game minds I know. Craig has run dozens of legendary game nights and he's got a knack for blending structure and spontaneity!
Today, he’s breaking down exactly how he’d run a board game night from start to finish.
Over to you, Craig.
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Craig here - I've been in the hobby for a few years now. My collection has started to grow significantly in the last four years, which led to me creating a board game account on Instagram in search of other like-minded people. I can often be found at conventions up and down the country, as well as hosting every month at my local LGBT+ board game night. I'm lucky enough to have a partner who is as into board games as I am - though it would be nice to win one occasionally.
Here's the thing - when I'm hosting a board game night with my friends, I know that it's going to have a very different vibe than when it's with my partner. Chances are it's the first time we've seen each other in weeks, and we will be spending time catching up in between turns. That rules out anything too heavy, or any games with overly long turns. We tend to be the snackmen too (if that's a role one can have at a board game night) purchasing an array of crisps and sweet treats... but nothing that'll leave nasty fingerprints on the games!
So.. we have the people, we have the snacks, and we have the venue... but what games should we play?
One game that's a popular starter is
Faraway. Very tricky to teach as you're scoring cards in the opposite order that you've placed them, and planning in reverse can cause some frustration. There's a little bit of comedy that can be had when you're scoring cards and finding out that you've completely got it wrong.
Next, we could move onto the rather gorgeous and surprisingly simple
Rebirth. A game about trying to rebuild Scotland (or Ireland depending on which side of the board you play) after a series of calamities. Rebirth is a very simple game of draw a tile, place a tile, and maybe score points for it. There is a bit of area control and some end game scoring, but there's nothing at all complicated about this superb game.
If we were fancying something a little meatier at this point, we'd probably look to pull a Garphill game off the shelf. One of the best to bring out when you're with friends is Architects of the West Kingdom. Games of Architects can go one of two ways: people can generally leave each other alone, and everyone has a pleasant time, or it can get SUPER mean! There's a really fun tension of waiting to see who is going to be the first to put their opponent's workers in prison, and when it happens, if that person will react. Games are often close as there's many different routes to victory, but a great time is guaranteed.
Finally, we'd probably end with something a bit silly, and few games are sillier than
Anomia. Anomia is a party game where you have to think of a word related to the topic on your opponent's card before they do the same to you. At this point, every single word you've ever learned will disappear from your head. It's very easy to spiral out of control, but that just makes it all the more fun!
Ultimately a game night lives and dies by the decisions you make about the games being played. Make sure you always pick games that you think your friends will enjoy, rather than games you hope they will. Remember, it's their night as much as yours.
And always, always bring snacks.
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Massive thanks to Craig for sharing his insights and setting the bar high for game night hosts everywhere. If you want more of his wisdom, check him out on his
instagram page or on his brilliant
podcast!
Until next time, keep your dice rolling and those snacks stocked!
