Game On: Extra Tips on Throwing a Boardgame Bash

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SO MANY GAMES, so little time. Sure everyone knows Scrabble and Yahtzee, but are you ready to step it up a notch? Board game party organizers offered up suggestions on how to make the most of the evening:

» Break Out of the Box
Bayard Catron, host of the Maryland/D.C./Virginia 20s to 40s Boardgames Meetup Group, says Taboo and Cranium are sure bets, but suggests giving these other games a go:

- Why Did the Chicken: It's similar to Balderdash, "but instead of making up definitions, you create funny or clever riddles."
- Encore: To win players need to sing song snippets. "But you don't have to sing well to do well." That's music to tone-deaf ears.
- Snorta: This "loud and funny barnyard animal" game - in which players flip cards and race to make animal noises — is bound to quack you up.

» Timing is Everything
What to play is one thing, but when to do so is a complete other. Jesse Bechtel, 35, has planned monthly game get-togethers for eight friends at his Mount Pleasant digs since December 2006. For that kind of small, low-key group, he recommends planning events on weeknights. "It's a good break-up of the week," he says.

For Christina Wu, host of the Reston 20s to 40s Game Night Meetup Group, the opposite is the case. Since 40 or so people show up for her events, Saturday night has become a must. "We tried to do it on a weeknight and it just didn't work out," she says. "People would have to cancel because they had to stay late at work. Or there would be horrible traffic and people would give up on trying to get there."

» Don't Be Afraid to Dress Up
One doesn't need to wait 'till Halloween or the next Legwarmer's show to don some crazy duds. John Sebelius, creator of Don't Drop The Soap, says his prison-themed game gives entertainers an opportunity to be creative in their outfit selections. "You could dress like a warden, officers and other people could dress like inmates," he suggests. "Maybe serve some candy cigarettes?"

Photo by Chris Combs/Express