What Are the Best Snacks for Game Night?

Whether you’re on an epic journey to defeat an evil sorcerer who’s ravaging your realm with sourness and despair, or you’re just unwinding with your friends after a busy week, everyone deserves to kick back and have an epic game night from time to time. 

Seriously, it’s literally good for your health. It helps your brain develop when you’re young and keeps it strong as you age, and the serotonin boost can literally help against depression and anxiety. Incredible.

Obviously, game night is all about having fun and playing your favorite games with friends and family, but there’s one thing we never play around with around here, and that’s the snack menu. So we’re here to help you make game night epic with the best snacks to have on hand.

How Do I Decide What To Serve on Game Night?

There are a few crucial factors to consider when supplying snacks for game night.

Functionality

Some of the best snacks in the world are also extremely messy, so they might not be the best snacks for game night. Consider handheld options that won’t get grease, cheese, or dip on your deck of cards, controllers, or fresh set of dice.

Variety

Span the sensory spectrum with snacks from the Four S’s: sweet, sour, savory, and spicy. Cover the texture spectrum from crunchy to chewy to melty.

Something for Everyone

There are tons of delicious alternative-ingredient snacks available if you have friends with dietary restrictions. It’s easy to provide some gluten-free or vegan options for people who need them while also having the regular stuff for people who don’t. 

But if there’s a nut allergy, don’t forget to keep the whole snacky smorgasbord nut-free. 

Beverages

Fizzy and not fizzy. Hot and cold. Caffeinated and not caffeinated. Water, juice, soda, whatever! Just make sure to have a variety of drinks available to wash down all those snacks. 

The Ultimate Game Night Snack List

1. Sour Candy

Let's go ahead and start the list with the best snack of all time. Sour candy isn’t just a snack — it’s a whole experience. You could pick up a Final Boss Elite Pack for game night to see who can handle the most sour candy before diving into the rest of the night’s games. This way, your snack is a game in itself, and you’ve basically won the night.

2. Chips and Dip

Kind of a big dropoff from #1, but tortilla chips in salsa and guac, anyone? Or potato chips in a cheesy artichoke dip? There’s truly a chip-and-dip combo out there for everyone. 

3. Cheese and Crackers

No need to go full charcuterie unless you’re feeling fancy, but just about any cheese on top of just about any cracker is an easy and delicious snack list staple. Add some sliced meats like salami, cold cuts, or summer sausage to take it to the next level.

You could even get crazy and use the crackers in your dip or put cheese on your chips. Game-changing.

4. Quesadillas

Whether it’s just some cheese microwaved inside a folded tortilla or an elaborate, pan-fried delicacy stuffed with chicken and veggies, quesadillas are a delicious handheld snack that works great with some of the dips you probably already have for your chips.

5. Mozzarella Sticks

Need we say more?

6. Hot Pockets

Or Bagel Bites, or frozen pizza, or any combination of pepperoni on cheese on sauce on bread. Someone will bite into them too early and burn the roof of their mouth, and someone else will forget to eat them until they’re room temp, and everyone will be glad it’s an option.

7. Potstickers

So yummy and easy to eat with your hands, plus you can get a few different types to keep it interesting. All you need is a little soy sauce for dipping, and you’re good to go.

8. Popcorn

Whether it’s freshly popped and hot or the pre-popped kind, plain, cheesy, buttered, or kettle corn, someone will be shoveling fistfuls into their mouth at some point in the night.

9. Chocolate

Having a few different sweet snacks on hand is always a good idea. Throw some plain chocolate, something with nuts, and a peanut butter-stuffed chocolate into the mix.

10. Popcorn and Chocolate

The only thing that could make popcorn and chocolate better is if you dumped a bag of M&M’s into a hot bowl of freshly popped popcorn. When the chocolate gets a little warm and mixes with the crunchy, salty goodness of the popcorn in your mouth, you’ll never be the same again.

11. Fruit

Not everything has to be sour fruit all the time. Having some fresh grapes, mandarins, or apples on hand adds a nice variety to the snack table. Plus, if you’re feeling snacky but filled up on some of the other foods, fruit is a great way to keep chewing without overwhelming your stomach.

12. Ice Cream

Even snack meals are best finished with a dessert. Ice cream by itself is always good, but you could also whip up a sundae bar, make root beer floats, or keep it handheld with ice cream sandwiches.

13. Mini Cupcakes

Regular-sized cupcakes are great, but they can get pretty messy, and we’re trying to keep the game supplies from getting totally demolished. Plus, with smaller cupcakes, you could get a variety and try a little bit of everything without filling up too much for the rest of the snacks.

14. Mixed Nuts

The bowl might sit there untouched until the end of time, or it might get gobbled up before the games even start. There’s only one way to find out. Perfect for a quick nibble to keep you sharp between games — walnuts can help support cognitive function, after all.

Game Fuel

What would game night be without the snacks that keep you powered up? Honestly, we hope we never have to find out. And don’t forget to keep a pouch of sour blueberries in your back pocket to keep you sharp and focused until the last game is done.

Sources:

What are the health benefits of a board game night? | Legacy Community Health

Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity: A Review | National Library of Medicine

A retrospective study of peanut and tree nut allergy | National Library of Medicine

Beneficial Effects of Walnuts on Cognition and Brain Health | National Library of Medicine