School trips and youth camps: evening games
On a school trip or youth camp, a big group ends up in the common room each evening, and not everyone is close friends. Good group games include everyone, cope with changing players and don’t need an adult to run them.
- for 6–12 people
Important for supervisors: Gather needs no account, shows no ads and has no purchases. Teens without the app play in the browser via QR code. Hostel Wi-Fi, however, is often a guest network where devices can’t see each other – test it on the first evening.
Games that fit
Village at Night
5–12 players15–30 minVillage at Night is a trip classic anyway, but here it needs no game master: the game table deals roles secretly to each phone and narrates the night. Supervisors can play along or simply take a break.
Say It Different
4–12 players10–20 minSay It Different in two teams gets even the quieter teens talking, because everyone explains once. The watcher from the other team keeps it fair.
Cover Word
4–12 players15–30 minCover Word is for groups who like to strategise. With twelve players you get two teams of six, and the clue-givers come under real pressure.
Quiz Night
1–10 players5–10 minQuiz Night can match the trip: Geography for a city trip, Nature & Animals for a week by the lake. Up to ten play individually; bigger groups share one phone in pairs.
Sketch Round
3–10 players10–20 minSketch Round is the finale for an evening when everyone is already tired. The words are family-friendly, so it suits younger groups too.
How it can go
First evening
A Quiz Night to settle in – and a test of whether every phone finds the others on the Wi-Fi. Anyone who can’t connect pairs up with someone who can.
Team night
Say It Different and Cover Word with mixed teams, for example across rooms. That brings together groups that would otherwise stay apart.
The big night
Village at Night with the whole group, in several rounds back to back beyond twelve. A Sketch Round to wind down ends the evening.
Tips
- If the hostel Wi-Fi doesn’t work, a supervisor’s own mobile router can help. Try the setup before the trip.
- Village at Night takes at most twelve players. With bigger groups, let those knocked out of one game go first in the next.
- In Village at Night, eliminated players see all the roles. Agree beforehand that they won’t give anything away by giggling.
More occasions
- Game night with friends
- Birthday games for grown-ups
- Kids’ birthday party: games with little reading
- Games for Christmas
- New Year’s Eve with games
- Family gatherings: games for young and old
- Office parties and team events with games
- Game night for two
- Bachelor and bachelorette party games
- Flatshare night with games
- Rainy day: what to play when you’re stuck inside
- Holiday rental evenings: games without a TV
- Seniors’ club: familiar games on a new table
- Pre-party: quick games before you head out
- Getting-to-know-you night: games for new groups
- Halloween: games for a dark night
- Easter: games for the long weekend
- Family game night: playing with your kids
- Grandparents and grandkids: games for two to four
- Match night: games before kick-off and at half-time
- Cabin weekend: games for several evenings
- An evening on your own: games against the computer