If you’re anything like me, you’d much prefer to hang out at home with some friends rather than going out somewhere. It’s cheaper, quieter, devoid of wankers, and just generally a nicer time where you get to choose your own adventure.
But it can be pretty easy to run out of fun things to do on this particular flavour of evening. There is, after all, only so many times you can watch the movie Step Brothers before it loses its appeal.
Here’s some things you can try out next time you and your mates are having a night in.
Board games
You can’t go wrong with a classic board game or card game if the group isn’t too big. Try to avoid something too gnarly, like Monopoly, and lean more towards something that encourages positive / hilarious interaction, like Cards Against Humanity.
Or if you’re after something a little bit more engrossing, you could try your hand at a game like Settlers of Catan. What I’m trying to say is, there’s a flavour of board game for everyone and combined with some good pals and a few drinks, they can make for a great night in.
Drinking games
The true staple of any good gathering is some delicious beverages, so why not make a game out of them, too? I’m not talking about a full-blown session of Kings Cup, but something a little more drawn out. Skolling a concoction of 5 different types of alcohol from a measuring jug only ever ends badly.
Get creative with your drinking games, like pairing them to something you’re watching. A two birds, one stone kinda deal. For example, watch some lame Jamie Oliver cooking show and drink every time he says something exceptionally British, or when he weirdly asks you to smell something.
Make a massive dinner
Pick a cuisine and organise a truly gigantic feast. Hell, mix cuisines together if you want, I’m not your dad.
Seriously though, having some friends around and eating until you pass out makes for an excellent evening, so get into it. Add wine to taste.
Watch obscure movies
Forget the big names, watch some weird shit. Nothing gets a room full of pals interacting more than continuously asking “what the fuck is going on?” or “why is that man inserting a videotape into his body?”
I know it sounds weird, but you gotta trust me on this one. It makes for a lot of off-kilter fun, particularly when you combine it with a drinking game. Some good titles to get you started are Videodrome, Gummo, and The Room.
Party PS4 games
For those with a PlayStation 4, you should absolutely take advantage of its new range of PlayLink games, because they’re perfect for these kinds of nights.
Instead of using a standard DualShock controller, PlayLink lets you play using your smartphone, and because pretty much everyone owns one of those, everyone has a controller. Think of it like a board game on steroids.
There’s plenty of variety in the titles, too. Are you and your mates big fans of crime shows? Hidden Agenda tasks you and your mates with solving a crime, but also asks some of you to complete tasks in secret. It’s like an interactive episode of Law & Order.
If your group is more partial to making fun of each other, then maybe you’d prefer the game, That’s You!, which will ask questions like, “who is most likely to believe in aliens”, the aim being to pick the most popular answer within your group of mates.
Or, if you’ve been playing some of those drinking games I mentioned earlier, belt out a few bangers on SingStar Celebration. No need for a mic, either, you just sing into your phone. Hell yeah.
You can check out some more sweet titles in the trailer below.
So there you have it, folks. There’s heaps to do if you don’t fancy going out on the town. Hell, you could do all of the above in one night if you apply a little time management. Go wild.
