How to Host an Online Game Night on Discord or Zoom
An online game night is the easiest way to get friends together when you can't all be in the same room. With a video call, a free browser game and a bit of planning, it can be as loud and fun as a night around the table. Here's a simple plan that works on Discord, Zoom, Google Meet or Teams.
1. Pick a date and keep the group the right size
The best online game nights have between four and twelve people. Fewer than four and the energy drops; more than twelve and people start talking over each other (and most rooms in drawing games hold up to 12 players). If your group is bigger, plan two rooms and swap people between games.
Send the invite a few days ahead with a start time, the call link and a one-line description: “Drawing games on Discord, Friday 9 pm, nothing to install.” People are more likely to show up when they know it's easy.
2. Choose where everyone talks
- Discord is great for regular groups: create a voice channel for the night, and people can drop in and out. Screen sharing isn't needed, since everyone plays the game in their own browser.
- Zoom, Google Meet or Teams work well for family, colleagues or friends who don't use Discord. Seeing faces makes the reactions half the fun.
- Phone plus laptop: some players like to keep the call on their phone and play on a laptop or tablet, so the game gets the bigger screen.
3. Pick games that need nothing to install
The number one game-night killer is “wait, I can't get it to download”. Browser games avoid that: everyone opens a link and they're in. Good choices for a mixed group:
- A drawing and guessing game like You Draw: one player draws, everyone else guesses in the chat. It works for any age and any skill level, and bad drawings are often the funniest moments of the night.
- A trivia quiz run by one host with questions on screen share.
- Word games like charades over video, or “guess the song from the first three seconds”.
Starting with a drawing game is a good idea: it's easy to explain in one sentence, everyone plays at once, and it warms the group up.
4. Set up the drawing game
- The host opens You Draw, presses Create room and chooses rounds, drawing time and word difficulty. For a game night, 3 rounds and 80 seconds is a good start.
- Add custom words for your group: inside jokes, friends' names, places you've been, your favourite films. Ten or more custom words lets you play with only yours. Our themed word lists are ready to paste if you need ideas.
- Share the invite link in the call chat. Friends open it on any device and join; no account needed.
5. Plan the evening
A rough plan keeps the night moving without feeling like a meeting:
- 0:00 – 0:15: people arrive, catch up, sort out sound problems.
- 0:15 – 0:45: two or three drawing games with the main word list.
- 0:45 – 1:00: a break: refill drinks, check on snacks.
- 1:00 – 1:30: a different game (a quiz, or charades) for variety.
- 1:30 – end: a final drawing game with the hardest custom words, then announce the overall winner.
Most groups find an hour and a half to two hours is the sweet spot. End while people still want one more round: they'll be keen to come back next time.
6. House rules that keep it fun
- Mute when you're not talking if there's background noise, but unmute for the reactions.
- No shouting the answer on the call. Guesses go in the game's chat, otherwise the fastest typist loses to the loudest voice.
- The artist can't talk during their turn. This is already true in the game's chat; make it true on the call too, apart from groans.
- Be nice about bad drawings. Laugh with the artist, not at them.
7. Keep score and add small prizes
A little competition makes it more exciting. Keep a running total of who won each game, or give points for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place. Prizes don't need to cost anything: the winner picks the next game, chooses the theme for the next word list, or gets to name the group chat for a week. In You Draw the podium at the end of each game also hands out fun awards and shows a gallery of every drawing, which is great for screenshots.
8. Make it a habit
The groups that keep game nights going pick a regular slot (“first Friday of the month”) and rotate the host. Each host brings a new word list, so every night feels different. Over time your group's custom words turn into a collection of inside jokes that nobody else would understand, which is exactly the point.
Game night checklist
- Date, time and call link sent a few days ahead
- 4–12 players (or two rooms for bigger groups)
- A custom word list for your group
- A rough schedule with a break
- A way to keep score and a silly prize
More ideas for parties, classrooms and team building are in drawing games to play with friends. If anyone in your group is nervous about drawing, send them 12 tips to draw fast before the night.