Soundtracking Your Games Night
3 min read
A games night can be a fantastic way to bring friends together, and enjoy the social benefits that a good game can provide. Doing this, however, means creating the right vibe – and a crucial component of this is the music you choose.
Whether you’re playing a traditional card game, a more modern board game, or a video game, the right soundtrack can help to set an evening apart. But what exactly goes into the right soundtrack?
Setting the Tone: Matching Music to Game Type
Among the most important factors to consider is the game you’re playing. Music that’s appropriate for a round of poker might not be suitable for, say, Twister. You should also think about the tastes of the people who are going to be playing the game, and the overall theme or atmosphere you’re looking to create.
For tabletop RPGs, you might want to be able to change the music according to the events in the story. This is where modern music software, or even live performance with actual instruments, might be able to take the night to the next level.
Creating Playlists for Different Phases of the Night
A good night of games won’t be completely homogeneous from beginning to end. You’ll typically have an hour or so of warming up, followed by another hour of gameplay, and then an hour of winding down. The time you spend in each period might vary – but what matters is that the evening will evolve, and the soundtrack should evolve with it. Pick your playlists ahead of time with the help of Spotify, or other streaming services. Encourage your guests to contribute their own musical choices, too.
Themed Nights and Bonus Elements
If your games night is going to follow a particular theme, then it can be that much more distinctive and memorable. This can also help to make your musical choices for you. A retro games night, a murder mystery dinner, and a round of bingo might demand entirely different kinds of music. Bingo promotions might bring the online world together with the offline one, to create an entirely new kind of gameplay experience.
Keeping Volume and Distraction in Check
It’s easy to go overboard when it comes to music. If the volume is so loud that your guests can’t hear one another, or the music is so intense or unusual that it becomes a talking point, then you might find that the game itself suffers. Make sure that you test out the music you’re going to be using before you get started, and that you’re prepared to switch things around if your guests indicate that you’ve gotten it wrong!
::: RenownedForSound.com’s Editor and Founder –
Interviewing and reviewing the best in new music and globally recognized artists is his passion.
Over the years he has been lucky enough to review thousands of music releases and concerts and interview artists ranging from top selling superstars like 27-time Grammy Award winner Alison Krauss, Boyz II Men, Roxette, Cyndi Lauper, Lisa Loeb and iconic Eagles front man/songwriter, Glenn Frey through to more recent successes including Newton Faulkner, Janelle Monae and Caro Emerald.
Brendon manages and coordinates the amazing team of writers on RenownedForSound.com who are based in the UK, the U.S and Australia.
