Staying cosy and warm is a highlight of autumn for me and that can only mean one thing – staying indoors! Sure, I enjoy a blustery walk but in the evenings I like nothing more than relaxing at home with blankets, low lighting and warm radiators!
So, if the usual outdoor activities that you enjoy during the summer are thwarted by bad weather or dark nights, it’s time to take your fun with friends indoors. And that’s exactly what I’m suggesting here – a grown-up games night at home.
This idea is not only a fun way to hang out with your friends, but it’s a thrifty option too. Just think about all the money you’d be spending on pub grub or drinks if you were to meet up with pals in a coffee shop or local bar.
When enjoying an evening in, you can all share the cost – someone makes dinner, another prepares in-game snacks, a pal provides pudding and you all bring your own drinks to share. It’s a lovely way to all chip-in and have a fun evening of classic board games or quizzes that saves you all money.
Nowadays, if you want to do a pub quiz you don’t have to go to a pub. Sure, it’s nice to do that once in a while and get into the competitive spirit against other pub teams, but why not practise between live in-person quizzes with a trivia night at home?
Since the pandemic, there are plenty of online quizzes you could play along with as individuals or pairs to spruce up your knowledge. Or, for a fun night in, you and your friends could split into two teams and use the Host Your Own Pub Quiz trivia game, which contains 2000 questions to keep you quizzing for ages.
To satisfy the die-hard quizzers in your group you can play a game that also expands your knowledge, ready for the next pub night. The Top Trivia Ultimate pack from Cheatwell contains 5000 questions on 10 different topics and can be played by just two players, great for cosy evenings in as a couple. Or you can include as many people as you like in your game.
I like games that are simple in terms of rules – my brain just switches off when there are pages and pages of rules to read through before you can even start playing. Thankfully, there’s nothing more simple than a quiz – you just answer the questions! This avoids the long process of someone having to read out the rules (while no one listens!) or playing a test round before the game can begin – I’d rather just dive straight in.
That said, there’s one game that I’m willing to read the rules for – and that’s The Traitors card game. I’m a massive fan of The Traitors and always find myself really gripped by the episodes. So, now that I can actually play the game with my friends, I’m SO excited.
If you’ve ever seen the TV series, you’ll know how the game works so grasping the rules isn’t difficult. It can be played by 4-8 players so everyone in your friendship gang can get involved, each playing their own tactics, which is very exciting.
Plus, there’s an interactive digital element to the game with secret banishing and murdering taking place via the game’s app. Can you tell I’m excited to get my pals together to play this game asap?!
I’ve also got stacks of classic games in my cupboard and I bet all your friends do too – so why not each take it in turns to host a grown-up games night and you can all play your pal’s favourite games at each of their homes? You’ll get to learn new card games or try out a new board game and possibly find a new fave too.
Let me know what games you love to play during your evening in with friends in the comments below and please share your ideas for night-in snacks, drinks and other activities. I’d love to know what thrifty things you do to enjoy time with your friends during the autumn and winter.
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Some items in this blog post have been gifted to me and the pink links indicate a gifted product, affiliate link or information source. All thoughts and opinions in this post are based on my own experience and I am not responsible for your experience 🙂
