How to Host a Game Night – Thank You for the Great Reviews

When HOW TO HOST A GAME NIGHT was published nine months ago today, I had no idea how it would be received. To say I’m thrilled with the reaction would be a wild understatement.

In addition to the kind words from people like game designer Alan R. Moon (who called it “an incredibly fun read that’s chock-full of stories, memories, and experiences from gamers … the ultimate guide to gaming.”) and game publisher Justin Jacobson (who said, “Erik’s book is chock full of practical advice presented in a clear, fun way. … There is one sure-fire strategy to hosting the perfect get-together: Buy this book!”), the reviews on Amazon and other websites have been tremendously gratifying.

As of today, HOW TO HOST A GAME NIGHT has a 4.5-star rating on Amazon, which is amazing to me.

(Although I’m mentioning the reviews on Amazon, HOW TO HOST A GAME NIGHT is available anywhere you buy books, including amazing local bookstores like Reads & Company in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. To order from a local bookstore, click on IndieBound or Bookshop on this page.)

Talking Board Games on WGRT

I recently spent some time talking to Jessie Wiegand, host of LIMElight on WGRT-FM in Port Huron, Michigan, about the wonders of cooperative board games, spending winter nights playing board games, playing Pandemic during a pandemic, and much more!

You can listen to our discussion — including how to cope when things that go wrong at game nights — here:

https://wgrt.com/limelight-wsg-erik-arneson-how-to-host-a-game-night/

My book HOW TO HOST A GAME NIGHT is my love letter to game nights. It’s packed with practical advice and humorous stories from gamers. Jenn Bartlett, the Board Game Librarian, calls it “a delight to read” and says it “would make a great Valentine’s Day gift for that board game fan in your life!”

You can order your copy of HOW TO HOST A GAME NIGHT (paperback or ebook) now!

Talking Board Games on The Ray Carr Show

I was back on The Ray Carr Show this week, talking about Codenames, Password, Milton Bradley (the man and the game company), Monopoly, and much more (including a little about the Green Bay Packers).

Ray’s a fantastic host and I always enjoy talking to him. You can listen to the interview right here:

My book HOW TO HOST A GAME NIGHT is my love letter to game nights. It’s packed with practical advice and humorous stories from gamers. Jenn Bartlett, the Board Game Librarian, calls it “a delight to read” and says it “would make a great Valentine’s Day gift for that board game fan in your life!”

You can order your copy of HOW TO HOST A GAME NIGHT (paperback or ebook) now!

Reminder: Tabletop Games Trivia on 12/30 & 12/31!

Here’s a quick reminder about the tabletop games trivia events I’m hosting on Zoom on Dec. 30 and 31!

This trivia game features five rounds — each completely different from the others, but they all feature visual clues — and it can be played by individuals or by teams. (If you play with a team, just be sure you have a way to consult each other that won’t be heard by others on the Zoom. Discord, texting, and using the private chat feature on Zoom can all work.) The entire game takes between 60 and 90 minutes.

And I’ll send a copy of my book HOW TO HOST A GAME NIGHT to the winning player (or the captain of the winning team) at each event!

(NOTE: If you played my earlier tabletop trivia game, good news: This game features 100% new content.)

You can join me at any of these times:

Wed., Dec. 30, at 10 p.m. Eastern U.S. time

Thurs., Dec. 31, at 8 p.m. Eastern U.S. time

There is also an event scheduled for Wed., Dec. 30, at 8 p.m. Eastern U.S. time, but it is FULL. If you’re on a team with one or more players already registered for this date and time, send me an email (erik@erikarneson.com). The event scheduled for Thurs., Dec. 31, at 10 p.m. eastern U.S. time was apparently a little too late on New Year’s Eve, so the players who signed up for that time have been moved to Dec. 31 at 8 p.m.

The links above take you to the Zoom registration page for the listed date. After registering, you’ll receive a confirmation email that has all the details you need to join.

I hope to see you there!

NOTE: The same trivia game will be played at each session, so there’s no reason to sign up for more than one.

My book HOW TO HOST A GAME NIGHT is now available!

Justin Jacobson, president of Restoration Games, said this about the book: “Whether you’ve hosted a ton of game nights or you’re getting ready for your first, Erik’s book is chock full of practical advice presented in a clear, fun way. Recommendations for games, food, drinks, and music, down to the tiniest details, like seating arrangements, trash talking, and card sleeves. Overwhelmed? Not to worry, there is one sure-fire strategy to hosting the perfect get-together: Buy this book!”

Order your copy (paperback or ebook) today.

Celebrate the End of 2020 with Board Game Trivia!

If ever there was something to celebrate, it’s the end of 2020… So let’s kiss this year goodbye in style with some great trivia all about tabletop games!

This trivia game features five rounds — each completely different from the others, but they all feature visual clues — and it can be played by individuals or by teams. (If you play with a team, just be sure you have a way to consult each other that won’t be heard by others on the Zoom. Discord, texting, and using the private chat feature on Zoom can all work.) The entire game takes between 60 and 90 minutes.

And I’ll send a copy of my book HOW TO HOST A GAME NIGHT to the winning player (or the captain of the winning team) at each event!

(NOTE: If you played my earlier tabletop trivia game, good news: This game features 100% new content.)

You can join me at any of these times:

Wed., Dec. 30, at 10 p.m. Eastern U.S. time

Thurs., Dec. 31, at 8 p.m. Eastern U.S. time

Thurs., Dec. 31, at 10 p.m. Eastern U.S. time

There is also an event scheduled for Wed., Dec. 30, at 8 p.m. Eastern U.S. time, but it is FULL. If you’re on a team with one or more players already registered for this date and time, send me an email (erik@erikarneson.com).

The links above take you to the registration page for the listed date. After registering, you’ll receive a confirmation email that has all the details you need to join.

I hope to see you there!

NOTE: The same trivia game will be played at each session, so there’s no reason to sign up for more than one.

My book HOW TO HOST A GAME NIGHT is now available!

Justin Jacobson, president of Restoration Games, said this about the book: “Whether you’ve hosted a ton of game nights or you’re getting ready for your first, Erik’s book is chock full of practical advice presented in a clear, fun way. Recommendations for games, food, drinks, and music, down to the tiniest details, like seating arrangements, trash talking, and card sleeves. Overwhelmed? Not to worry, there is one sure-fire strategy to hosting the perfect get-together: Buy this book!”

Order your copy (paperback or ebook) today.

Talking Board Games with The Love Doctor

I recently spoke to Dr. Terri Orbuch – also known as The Love Doctor – about my book HOW TO HOST A GAME NIGHT, what playing board games can reveal about the people you’re playing with, game recommendations, and more!

I loved (no pun intended) talking to Dr. Terri. It was a great interview. I think playing games is one of the best ways to see people’s true personalities, and we dug into that topic quite a bit.

When I was writing HOW TO HOST A GAME NIGHT, Dr. Terri was kind enough to share some of her thoughts with me. You can read what she had to say in Chapter 2, which is all about two-player game nights.

You can listen to our conversation right here, or head over to the Empower Radio website.

HOW TO HOST A GAME NIGHT is available now! Alan R. Moon, designer of Ticket to Ride, calls it “the ultimate guide to gaming” and says it “perfectly describes what makes the world of gaming the special place it is for so many people.” Order your copy (paperback or ebook) now!

Support Your Local Bookstore on Small Business Saturday

Today is Small Business Saturday in the United States, a great day to support local independent bookstores by making some holiday purchases!

If there’s anyone on your gift list who might enjoy HOW TO HOST A GAME NIGHT, you can get a copy from your local bookstore by ordering via Indie Bound.

If you already have all the copies you need of HOW TO HOST A GAME NIGHT, here are some other great books from my publisher, Tiller Press:

• Puzzlesnacks: More Than 100 Clever, Bite-Size Puzzles for Every Solver by Eric Berlin
• Cook Anime: Eat Like Your Favorite Character—From Bento to Yakisoba by Diana Ault
• How to Handle a Crowd: The Art of Creating Healthy and Dynamic Online Communities by Anika Gupta
• Under the Black Hat: My Life in the WWE and Beyond by Jim Ross and Paul O’Brien

And if you want a specific bookstore recommendation, I’ll point you to Reads & Company Bookshop in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, an incredible bookstore co-owned by my friend Robb Cadigan, who’s also an author (his novel PHOENIXVILLE RISING is tremendous) and occasional Noir at the Bar co-reader.

Interview with Dan Manley on WMST in Mt. Sterling, KY

I recently spoke to Dan Manley on WMST’s Mornings on Main about my book HOW TO HOST A GAME NIGHT, the Green Bay Packers, The Rifleman board game, and much more!

Our discussion, which lasted nearly a full hour, was great fun. WMST (1150 AM and 106.9 FM) is located in Mt. Sterling, Kentucky, about 40 minutes east of Lexington.

You can listen to the entire discussion right here:

HOW TO HOST A GAME NIGHT is available now! Alan R. Moon, designer of Ticket to Ride, calls it “the ultimate guide to gaming” and says it “perfectly describes what makes the world of gaming the special place it is for so many people.” Order your copy (paperback or ebook) now!

Talking About Game Nights on WGVU in Grand Rapids

I recently spoke to WGVU-FM, the NPR affiliate in Grand Rapids, Michigan, about game nights, virtual game nights, and all sorts of board games.

You can listen to the interview (about 7 minutes long) right here.

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My book HOW TO HOST A GAME NIGHT is available now! Alan R. Moon, designer of Ticket to Ride, calls it “the ultimate guide to gaming” and says it “perfectly describes what makes the world of gaming the special place it is for so many people.” Order your copy (paperback or ebook) now!

NY Times: Host a Multigenerational Game Night

A recent article in The New York Times by Alexis Soloski (“Host a Multigenerational Game Night This Thanksgiving”) includes a lot of great tips for any family game night.

Here are the first two paragraphs:

Monopoly takes forever. Candy Land is dull, Chutes and Ladders preachy, the Game of Life troubling in its implications. So even as parents scramble for offscreen entertainment over the holidays, the prospect of a family game night may drive them to despair.

Some good news: We are living through a 24-karat golden age of tabletop games, an amusement Renaissance that sees thousands of board games published every year, in a dizzying array of story, strategy and design. How to pick a game that will delight the youngest players without boring older ones silly?

Alexis goes on to discuss specific game recommendations, tips for making game night a wonderful experience instead of one that people dread, and more!

Among the people she interviewed for the story (in addition to me) are Nick Fortugno, chief creative officer at Playmatics, and Jon Freeman, the owner of The Brooklyn Strategist.

It’s always fantastic to see the board game hobby get coverage in outlets like The New York Times, and even better when it’s a well-written article by someone who obviously enjoys playing games!

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My book HOW TO HOST A GAME NIGHT is available now! Alan R. Moon, designer of Ticket to Ride, calls it “the ultimate guide to gaming” and says it “perfectly describes what makes the world of gaming the special place it is for so many people.” Order your copy (paperback or ebook) now!