Game night at home: how to set up the game in half an hour
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by Verpakkingdeals.nl
6 min reading time
Four laptops, two outlets, and a speaker that doesn’t work: this is how you set up a game night at home without losing half an hour to cables, ports, and table space.
Four friends, one table, three laptops, and two power outlets. Someone is shuffling a mouse on a placemat, the speaker only works after ten minutes of cable fumbling, and the chips are exactly where the keyboards should be. The evening starts half an hour later than planned – and that half an hour was precisely why you decided to meet at home instead of online.
A game night at home doesn't depend on expensive hardware. It depends on what happens around the screen: enough ports, enough power, enough table space, and food that doesn't end up in your keyboard. Below, in four steps, we'll go through the things that most often go wrong, along with what you specifically need to fix them.
Start with the table, not the tech
Count on approximately 70 to 80 cm of table width per person when mice are moving. Being cramped is the most underestimated game-breaker: you bump into each other's mice, cables get tangled, and drinks are too close to equipment. Measure your table before inviting four people, and place drinks on a separate side table or on the other side of the main table.
On a smooth dining table, a mousepad is not a luxury but a necessity: on untreated wood or glass, an optical sensor registers poorly, and your cursor will dart all over the place. An XXL mat also covers the entire corner, including the keyboard. The Battletron XXL Mousepad of 80 x 30 cm (€19.95) covers one complete spot; if you also want space for a notebook, the XXL gaming mousepad of 900 x 400 mm (€29.99) is a size larger.
Do you have a guest who shows up with a laptop trackpad? Have a spare mouse ready. The RGB gaming mouse with 3200 DPI and 6 buttons (€12.95) is perfect for this; for those looking to upgrade themselves, consider the BattleTron gaming mouse (€19.95) with a 1.4-meter cable, so you're not tethered to the edge of the table.
Ports and power: the silent game-breaker
Most laptops have two or three USB ports. A mouse, a headset, a controller, and a memory stick already make four. A hub solves this, but pay attention to the difference between two types:
A USB hub splits your laptop's data ports. Great for mice, keyboards, drives, and controllers.
A charging station plugs into a wall outlet and only provides power. This is what you want for phones and power banks, as they would otherwise drain your laptop battery.
Does your cable just barely not reach? A 2-meter USB 3.0 extension cable (€9.95) saves you from having to move the entire setup. And for charging cables that give out at the connector after a few evenings: cable protectors, set of 4 (€1.95). It's not the most exciting purchase of your life, but it's the cheapest way to extend a cable's life.
Is someone sitting far from an outlet, or are you playing on a handheld? Have a 3000 mAh power bank (€14.95) ready. Enough to power a phone through the evening, small enough to sit next to the table.
Sound everyone hears – and the neighbors don't
Four headsets mean four people talking over each other and not hearing anything from each other's screens. For a shared evening, one speaker often works better: everyone hears the same music, the same countdown, the same curse. A stereo speaker with phone holder, USB and AUX (€14.95) connects with one cable and simultaneously holds the phone with the playlist upright.
Two practical tips: do not place the speaker between two people, but at the short end of the table, so no one talks into it. And check in advance whether you're connecting via AUX or USB – an AUX cable that you only realize you're missing at eight o'clock means someone has to go to the store that evening.
If you're playing in a house with housemates or thin walls, agree on a time after which the volume will be lowered. It works better than explaining it afterward. A set of gaming door signs, set of 4 (€2.95) on the doorknob is a playful gesture, but one that works.
Food and drinks without accidents over the keyboard
The rule is simple: anything greasy or wet stays off the table. Use bowls instead of open bags and cups with a wide base instead of tall glasses. A popcorn bowl (€7.95) is stable and keeps mess contained; fill it with Jimmy's Popcorn Sweet 100 gram (€4.95). Popcorn has one advantage over chips: no greasy fingers on your mouse buttons.
For four to six people over an evening of about four hours, you can roughly estimate two bags of popcorn, something savory, and something sweet. Chocolate works well because you distribute it per bar and no one dips into the same bowl: for example, a TWIX 10-pack of 500 grams (€7.95) or the Mars 10-pack of 450 grams (€7.95). Whatever is left simply goes back into the cupboard.
Handy detail: place phones upright and out of the way with a desk organizer with phone holder (€5.00). This saves four phones from lying amidst crumbs.
A setup order that saves you half an hour
Clear the table, measure out spots, lay down mousepads.
Power first: charging station and power strips in their fixed spots, cables along the edge.
Only then connect the hub, mice, and speaker and test once.
Snacks in bowls, drinks on a separate table.
Visibly lay out spare items: extra mouse, extension cable, power bank.
Anyone who follows this order once can do it in twenty minutes the next time. And that's precisely the advantage of meeting at home.
Everything for your setup at a glance
Mice, mousepads, and hubs can be found under Gaming Accessories; cables, chargers, and speakers are under Computers & Accessories. For the snack table, look in Candy and Food & Drink Accessories. If you're unsure which hub or cable suits your laptop, or want to know what's available for immediate delivery from stock, feel free to email info@verpakkingdeals.nl – we're happy to help, even if you're only looking for one item.
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