Ask a Gamer- The Ultimate Home Game Day

What gamer doesn’t want to host the ultimate game day at their home? We’ve all had friends and family over for various gaming events. Some events end up being more formal than others and others are more memorable. Eventually, most gamers will want to plan and host an amazing game day that all their friends will talk about for months.

How does one go about this though? The answer is preparation and expectations. There are a few general categories of things that we will explore below, but each category will still be influenced by the real forces behind creating an epic home gaming day, preparation and expectations. We will then go over some tips, tricks and do’s and don’ts that can help anyone flesh out their game day. Lastly, each category will finish off by throwing out a few ideas on how to take those tips and tricks from good to totally epic!

Invitations

I know, I know…this isn’t a wedding. We’re gamers, damn it! However, there are still many things we as gamers need to take into account before inviting others to our home; this is where preparation comes in. Think about whom you are inviting and what you are attempting to accomplish with your game day. Consider some of these questions:

What is the focus / theme of your home event? This bears some thought, though I rarely see anyone miss on this question. Most people already have an idea of what they want to do or what the plan is for playing those games. It is also something that is rarely unclear to your guests. However, it is worth mentioning because the last thing you want is having guests show up thinking they were going to be playing an RPG all day and you welcome them with stacks of board games or video games. Be clear on what you are planning.
Do your guests know where to go and when to show up? Again, this seems simple, and most anyone who is attending an all day game event at your home will be sure to get your address…but if you invite someone new or who hasn’t been to your home before, it can be very helpful if you provide them with your phone number and address in advance.
Do your guests know each other? This can be a major issue depending on how well you’ve set expectations with your guests. Some people can be put off if they are expecting a gathering of friends and instead there is a bunch of strangers.

Take it from good to EPIC

Send actual physical invitations. I once sent invitations that simply had a full color picture of the game on a ticket-sized piece of cardstock. There was only a QR code and a single number. My guests had to scan the card with their phones, taking them to a website with all of the game day details, including rules, directions to my house, etc.
Have some fun with invites and create pre-game feel by having some important part of the game dependent on responses before the event. For example, perhaps faction or race choice in a board game can be determined by a draft that is done prior to the game day or some bonus can be given away with some mini event or quiz over email.

Schedule

Man I hate it when I show up for a full day of gaming, ready to dive in and… find out one of the other players is going to be “fashionably” late. A schedule that is set up and communicated to guests before the big game day will go a long way towards avoiding the above issue as well as many others. The trick here is to plan out the schedule and then be clear with your guests as to the expectations for that schedule. Now I should mention here that having a schedule doesn’t necessarily mean that you are going to run a by-the-minute event; you can have a loose schedule. The important thing here is that you don’t have a bunch of people show up at your house with different expectations. If you’re just interested in inviting a bunch of people over for “general” gaming and to play whatever tickles your fancy, you might be surprised at how helpful it can be to have a basic schedule outline. Consider some of the questions below:

Consider the type of gaming you will be doing. Would this type of event benefit from a detailed schedule? If you simply plan to get together with friends and play WOW all day…you probably don’t need a very intense schedule. If you are going to play multiple board games simultaneously where the results of one will influence the others, then a schedule is a must!
Do you have food figured out? Woe to the host who invites me over for an entire day of gaming and hasn’t put any thought into what or when we will eat. I, like most gamers, consider gaming and eating to go hand in hand. Alas, even if you don’t hold this pairing in a religious status, you still need to fuel your gamers. Do you know what, when and how you will eat meals? Will your guests be bringing snacks or their own drinks? When is lunch and dinner? If you are ordering in, then you will not want to wait until everyone is starving before getting an order together. Another thing to think about…who will be getting this food? I may be putting what seems like a ridiculous amount of focus on this food question, but I believe it is something that can make or break your all day gaming session.
Have you communicated the schedule? This is important, not only for the reasons mentioned above to ensure people show up on time, but also to ensure you don’t end up on turn two of your amazing game and find out one of your guests has to go. Trust me, not many games can lose a player part way through and it not affect the outcome in a significant way. This is really simple. Once you have the schedule, including the start and end time of your epic game day, be sure to communicate it to your guests!

Take it from good to EPIC

Doing physical schedules that are given to guests when you invite them can be fun. Especially if it is done in some sort of themed way – such as a wax sealed note from the king as part of your Dominion game or maybe a handwritten note from the mysterious benefactor which falls right into your mystery themed game day.
A schedule that is given to the guests, but doesn’t have them doing anything is awesome as well. Perhaps as part of your preparation, you get food orders before the day even comes and you convince/beg/pay someone not attending (perhaps a non-gamer spouse?) to drop off certain food orders at certain times. You could have take out called in for the entire day with delivery times before the day even starts so you don’t have to worry about the ordering at all.

Food

Wait, didn’t I already talk about food in the scheduling section? Yes, I did. You can take the fact that this is its own section as an underscore to its importance. As I’ve said, food is very important to fuel your gaming and to make sure everyone has a great time. Now, let’s make sure your guests note it as a highlight and not a miss. Consider below:

Have you made sure you know everyone’s preferences? Most people who do an all day gaming session tend to get this right. Don’t order every pizza with meat on it if you have a bunch of vegetarians coming to your ultimate game day! Make sure you get food that everyone will be happy about or, barring that, a variety so everyone has at least something they’ll like. You also want to be sure the expectations are set for food in general. Is everyone bringing money? Will the expected buy-in be $5 for the cheap pizza or $8 for the good stuff?
Do you have a plethora of good snacks? This is pretty straight-forward. The same rules apply here as above: be clear. Are guests bringing their own snacks? Pitching in? Make sure that if you are providing them, you have variety. Also, if you don’t want grease or spills on your nice $100+ Origins exclusive game, make sure people are aware of your snack rules or the snacks you provide won’t spell grease laden destruction of your prized game.
Alcohol? If alcohol is part of the party then you want to be sure everyone is aware. Personally, I’m not that keen on playing with inebriated players, while some I know think it’s the only way to play. As always, set the expectation. If you allow it, have guests bring their own…it’s way too expensive otherwise.

Take it from good to EPIC

Do some themed food. This can seem pretty corny and over the top, and to be honest, could mean a WHOLE LOT of work…but if done right, this can be awesome. Ever had a GOOD cook whip up a Lord of the Rings themed meal? Yum!
My favorite: take it out of your guest’s hands completely. Have them show up with 5 or 10 bucks each and watch their eyes light up at the sight of a Super Bowl party sized snack bar. Then, have all the pizza and other food delivered and get to gaming!

Comfort and Game Preparation

This part is probably the most important. This is the idea that when your guests arrive, your home is ready for them with everything they need to game all day without distraction. This section focuses more on preparation, but there’s still some expectation thrown in for good measure. Let’s consider some of the questions below:

Do you have ample parking? This may seem silly, but I’ve been to game days where we are parking three or four blocks away. If you can, park your own vehicles far down the road, and let the close parking be for your guests.
Have you removed the distractions? Do you have screaming kids in the next room or will your game day be interrupted by your spouse coming home to watch the big game? You should think about clearing the non-gamer crowd from the house for the day…send your wife to a spa or something (this has an added effect of wife happiness). Shut off the TV, clean the house, CLEAN THE BATHROOM! Make sure your home smells nice too; burning a couple of candles before your house is packed full of gamers is always a smart idea.
Ambiance? You have to be careful here, because you don’t want to be distracting. But some themed music playing quietly in the background can be a nice touch.
Will your guests be comfortable? If you are going to be sitting at a table for 8 hours, make sure the chairs are comfortable! This isn’t just about sitting though. Make sure the temperature will be pleasant. Nothing is as bad as a bunch of gamers in a warm house with no AC. Also, I hate to mention this…but…take a shower. I know I shouldn’t have to mention it…but I did…and there’s a reason…done. Be sure to plan for breaks to eat!
Have you prepared your game(s)? This needs to be done. The last thing you want to do is be digging around for your missing game piece that is a key to the starting set-up. Make sure you have game pieces ready, the play area set up and all the typical gaming extras you might need right at hand: dice, meeples, miniatures, books, etc.

Take it from good to EPIC

Have everything ready to go, and I mean READY: player pieces out, sorted and organized. This is especially important for the huge games like Twilight Imperium or many miniature war games. Make it so the only thing standing between your guest and the most epic day of their lives is an empty plate to fill with snacks!
Have an organization system for players; ensure they have enough space for their game stuff. If the table isn’t big enough, give everyone a TV tray for their additional game pieces.

These are just a few ideas, and I’m sure there are many more out there. Remember to set expectations and be prepared! Be sure to leave your own ideas in the comments below!

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GM Lance

Contributing Writer for d20 Radio

Lance has been an all-around gamer since he was young and his best friend introduced him to Final Fantasy III (now VI). Since that fateful day, the idea of story and game taken to epic conclusion has bordered on obsession. Small bits of this zeal have rubbed off on his wife, but his real hope for live-in game play lies with his two children.