Hosting a virtual game night is a great way to stay connected with your friends and family, especially when everyone is joining in from different places. Whether you’re catching up with friends or planning something fun for everyone to do on a Saturday evening, a virtual game night makes it easy to spend time together without anyone leaving home.
Virtual game nights have exploded in popularity since Covid, offering a simple way for people to connect no matter where they are. They’re popular with all ages because they’re simple to organize and easy for anyone to join in. You can invite a small group for a casual online night or plan a larger competitive event with multiple games and rounds. The goal is the same either way: bringing people together to have a fun time.
The good news is, you don’t need a complicated setup to get started. It’s actually pretty simple. With the right game, a way to talk to each other, and a reliable internet connection from CITYNET, you can host a virtual game night everyone looks forward to.
Choosing the Right Game for Your First Session
If it’s your first time hosting, keep things simple. Look for games that are easy to join and don’t require everyone to use the same device or system.
Browser based, mobile, or cross-platform games (meaning players on phones, computers, or gaming systems can all join), are great options since they’re easy for most people to access. Party-style games like trivia, word games, or casual mini games are especially good for helping everyone feel comfortable and get into the fun faster.
It also helps to choose games that don’t require long setups or complicated rules. The easier it is for everyone to jump in, the more enjoyable the experience will be.
Here are a few easy options to try:
- Jackbox Games – A collection of party games that players can join using their phones.
- Skribbl.io – A simple drawing and guessing game you can play in a browser.
- Among Us – A popular multiplayer game that’s easy to learn and great for groups.
Picking a Communication Platform
A big part of what makes game night fun is the ability to talk and laugh together in real time.
So, choose a platform that’s easy for everyone to use. Discord is a popular option for voice chat, especially for gaming. You can also use more familiar tools like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, or FaceTime; the best tool is the one everyone is most comfortable with.
Some games have voice chat features built in, but that may only work if everyone is using the same device type, so that’s something to keep in mind when planning.
If you do use a platform like Discord, you can set up different voice channels or rooms if your group wants to split into teams. But for most game nights, one shared space works just fine. Keeping things simple, especially the first time, helps everyone join without confusion.
Make sure everyone knows how to join the call ahead of time, especially if some are not familiar with the platform.
Preparing Your Home Network
Nothing slows down game night faster than lag. If things start freezing or dropping, it gets frustrating for the host and all the online guests.
Everyone participating needs a fast, stable connection to avoid lag. Latency (ping) and stability matter more than raw speed for most casual online games. As the host, your upload speed and stability are important for creating the game world. However, if any player in the game has a long delay, or latency, for data to travel to the host connection and back, that delay can negatively impact the entire group’s experience.
Why Everyone's Connection Matters:
- A weak connection for any user can cause “lag spikes” or disconnect, even if the host has a strong signal.
- While fast speeds are nice, stable connections are more crucial. A wired Ethernet connection is strongly recommended over WiFi for all players to minimize lag.
- Even one player with a slow or unstable connection can affect the experience for everyone.
Best Practices for Everyone on Gaming Nights:
- Use Ethernet: Anyone who can plug directly into their router should do so to reduce interference and lag.
- Reduce Interference: If on WiFi, move closer to the router and use the 5 GHz band if available. The 5 GHz band is faster but shorter range, while 2.4 GHz reaches farther. (Most modern routers have the 5GHz band. Older routers may only have 2.4)
- Minimize Network Usage: Ensure others in the house are not streaming 4K video or downloading large files simultaneously during game time.
- Use CITYNET’s Managed Wifi App: Our Managed WiFi app puts you in complete control of your home network. Use it to prioritize your gaming devices and manage which devices are active on your network during game time.
A reliable, high-speed connection, like fiber internet, can make a noticeable difference by reducing lag and keeping gameplay smooth, even with multiple devices online.
Tips for Hosting Your First Session
A little bit of planning can make your first game night a success, and these tips will help:
- Keep the first session low pressure and focused on fun.
- Schedule the date well ahead of time so everyone can plan to attend.
- Send out invites, links, and instructions early, and encourage everyone to make sure they can access the link.
- Test your audio and video before people arrive and ask your guests to do the same.
- Set simple expectations around any rules and how long you’ll play.
Build in a little flexibility, too. Not everyone will be familiar with the games or the technology, so allowing a few extra minutes at the beginning to get everyone settled can make things go more smoothly.
Level Up Your Game Night
Once you’ve hosted your first session, there are plenty of ways to make future game nights even better.
You can stream or record sessions to capture funny moments, rotate hosts to keep things fresh, or try new games to keep everyone engaged. Themes or friendly competitions can add a little extra excitement.
For many, these game nights offer more than just excitement. They become weekly rituals where friendships form and lasting connections develop. The energy of celebrating wins together (or commiserating on near misses) makes each session feel like a real event rather than just another night online.
Making it a regular event is one of the best ways to stay connected to friends and family who live far away.
And while the games and conversations are what make it fun, having a reliable internet connection powered by CITYNET behind the scenes helps everything run smoothly from start to finish.
