How to Host a Games Night at Home
The evenings are drawing in
The clocks have gone back, and the season for staying in has begun. It is dark by five, the curtains are drawn early, and the best plans now are the ones made at home.
Not a quiet night on the sofa, though. We mean a proper evening with people round: supper, a candle or two, and a game that runs later than anyone intended. Whether it is a dinner party for six or a games night for two, here is how to host at home this autumn, from deciding who sits where to settling the date for next time.
Start with the seating plan
Before the cards come out, the most important decision of the evening: who sits next to whom. A good dinner party seating plan mixes old friends with new ones, separates couples just enough, and puts the best talker in the middle of the table.
Our Jubilee table planner makes it easy. Write each guest's name on a card, slip it into place and rearrange until it's just right. It sits on the sideboard as the evening begins, and settles any debate about who was meant to sit where.
Available in Ruby and Amethyst.
After supper: the best games for a dinner party
Once the plates are cleared, the evening needs somewhere to go. The best dinner party games are quick to learn, easy to play with a glass in hand, and lively enough to keep everyone at the table. These are our three favourites for a games night at home.
Perudo, for a table of bluffers
Perudo, sometimes called liar's dice, is the game that turns a quiet supper into a noisy one. Each player hides five dice under a leather cup, then takes turns bidding on how many of a number are on the table. Call a bluff correctly and your opponent loses a die. It is simple to learn and works for anything from two to six players.
Our Classic Perudo Set has six calfskin cups in different colours, so everyone knows whose is whose. A special one-off gift for the perfect host or a game fanatic.
Poker, for the natural dealer
A poker set on the table changes the mood of an evening. Ours is handcrafted from wood, bound in smooth calfskin with a suede interior, and holds two packs of cards and four rolls of chips. Built to last, for the natural dealer or the one who plays to win.
Backgammon, for two by the fire
Not every games night needs a crowd. Backgammon is the perfect game for two: a mix of strategy and luck, and over in twenty minutes, so there is always time for one more. Our travel backgammon set is small enough to travel, beautiful enough to stay out on the table. Choose from Sapphire, Hunter Green, Fuchsia and Saffron.
Before they go: a visitors' book
The best evenings deserve a record. Before your guests head home, pass round the visitors' book. Note down who came, who won and who stayed for one more round.
Over the years it becomes one of the most treasured books in the house, full of names, notes and memories long after the guests have gone. Our leather visitors' books are hand bound with gilded pages, and can be debossed with your house name or words of your choosing.
Not sure what to write? A date, a name and one line about the evening is plenty. The best entries are the funny ones.
Same time next month? Plan the next one
Before the evening's over, settle the date for the next one. The easiest way to make hosting a habit is to book the next evening while everyone is still at the table.
Our 2027 diary has the week laid out on the left and a to-do list on the right, with room for the year's suppers, birthdays and evenings in. It comes in five colours, Moss, Tangerine, Navy, Powder Pink and Russet, and can be personalised with your initials.
Hosting at home: your questions answered
What are the best games for a dinner party?
The best dinner party games are quick to learn and easy to play at the table. Perudo (liar's dice) suits groups of up to six, poker works well for four or more, and backgammon is ideal for two.
How do you plan a dinner party seating plan?
Mix guests who know each other with those who don't, split up couples, and seat your most sociable guests in the middle. A table planner lets you write each name on a card and rearrange until it works.
What do you write in a visitors' book?
Your name, the date and a line about the visit. Many guests add a memory from the evening, a thank-you, or the result of the game.
How many people can play Perudo?
Perudo works for two to six players. Each player needs a cup and five dice, so a set of six cups covers most dinner parties.
Personalised for your home
Every piece here can be personalised by hand in our Battersea workshop, with initials, a house name or a few words of your choosing.
