While I’m obviously a fan of a styled party, not every get-together needs to be elaborate. Sometimes I just need a laid-back evening with friends. After a long work week I both want to see friends and relax. I love Friday night for game night. Break out the snacks and beverages and enjoy a night laughing with friends.

This post is created in partnership with Utter Nonsense. All opinions are my own. We tested out the Naughty Edition of the “hilarious accent game.” A quick note on the idea of a game with accents. I’m particularly sensitive to the idea of stereotypes and don’t find making fun of accents a good time. I was hesitant to try the game until I had the opportunity to check out their sample decks on their website.

Accents include things like, “baby,” “valley girl,” “chicken,” and “pooping.” There are also accent cards of different languages, but I found that my friends played these accents as close to the language as they could rather than playing to stereotypes. We had an absolute blast playing this game, but I wanted to put that out right in the beginning before delving into my tips for a fun and laid-back game night. 

Host a Friday Night Game Night

When I’m hosting a game night after working all day long I do the bare minimum. I’ve been known to throw more involved game nights on weekends or holidays, but on weeknights it is as simple as I can make it! Below are my tips on creating a fun and EASY game night get-together with friends.

Tip One: Invite friends you don’t feel the need to impress.

There are absolutely times where you might want to invite friends that you don’t know as well for a dinner party or game night. It is a great way to get to know others! For a game night following a full day of work I’d highly recommend inviting friends that are easy-going and fun to be around. Friends who bring a six pack of beer or bottle of wine are the BEST to invite.

Tip Two: Make sure there is food and beverages, but keep it simple!

If there was ever a night to order a couple of pizzas…this would be the night! Crockpot meals are also great for game nights. Throw together a crockpot of chili and put out all the fixins and let guests serve themselves as they get hungry. You can also host an after-dinner game night and just put out a few appetizers such as meat and cheese trays or chips and dip. Serve a variety of beverages such as beer, wine, soda, or sparkling water.

Tip Three: Pick non-complicated, FUN games!

If you can’t tell this type of party is all about keeping it simple. After a week of intensive creative work I do NOT have the ability to delve into a complicated game. I also really enjoy games where I can pop in and out as needed just in case I need to run to the kitchen to make something or hang with the kiddos for a bit. Utter Nonsense is a great option for a laughter-full evening with friends.

Purchase Utter Nonsense (affiliate link) at your neighborhood target or on the Utter Nonsense website.

The game rules are similar to games such as Apples to Apples or Cards Against Humanity in that each player has a chance to be a judge. Each player then gets a handful of cards and one card is then pulled out and read for all players to play. In this game each player holds a handful of phrase cards and an accent card is pulled and read aloud. Then, each player (besides the judge) reads out the phrase that they feel best fits the accent or will play best to the judge. We play the Naughty version of the game which produced tears of laughter and some seriously awkward situations!

That’s it! You’ve got yourself a game night perfect for ending out your week.

What is your favorite game to play at your game night?