WhosFreeWhen?

The free game night planner

Plan a game night everyone can actually make

Herding a friend group is harder than winning at Codenames. Find a night your whole crew can make, then get back to arguing about whose turn it is to pick the game.

100% free to use

When are you thinking?

You'll get a shareable link. Drop it into the group chat. Everyone taps their available nights in 20 seconds. You see instantly which night works for the most people.

No account for playersWorks on any phoneAny group sizeReady in seconds

Picking the date is the hardest part

Everyone thinks game night lives or dies on the game selection. It doesn't. Every game night that fizzles out starts with a date half the group can't make. Get the date right and the rest sorts itself out.

Easy

Each friend opens the link and taps the nights they're free. No account, no download, no faff.

See the best night instantly

A colour-coded calendar shows which nights have the strongest coverage. No maths, no counting.

Done in a day

Beats a week of chasing people in the group chat. Lock in the night before everyone's calendar fills back up.

How it works

  1. 1

    Create your game night event

    Name it, pick a date range that suits your group, and you're done. Ten seconds.

  2. 2

    Share the link with the group

    Drop it into WhatsApp, Discord, iMessage or a group chat, anywhere the crew hangs out. No account needed to open it.

  3. 3

    Everyone taps the nights they're free

    Twenty seconds per person, whenever they get to it. Works beautifully on mobile.

  4. 4

    Lock in the winning night

    Pick the night with the strongest coverage, vote on the game, and get the table set up.

The 5-minute game night plan

The whole plan boils down to seven steps, in this order. Follow them and game night actually happens, and keeps happening.

  1. 1
    Get the night locked in. Poll the group. A weeknight after 7pm or a weekend afternoon usually wins for regular groups.
  2. 2
    Decide the format. Board games, cards, video games, or a mix. Agree it before people arrive so everyone knows what to bring.
  3. 3
    Sort the venue. Whose house, or rotate if it's a regular thing. Make sure there's enough table space and seating.
  4. 4
    Pick the games in advance. Poll two or three options so nobody arrives to an argument over what to play.
  5. 5
    Keep the snacks simple. Crisps, dips, pizza, or potluck-style so hosting duty doesn't fall on one person every time.
  6. 6
    Send a reminder a day or two before. Especially for casual or irregular groups, a quick nudge stops last-minute no-shows.
  7. 7
    Set a soft end time. Open-ended nights drag on and people quietly leave early. Aim for a natural finish, like 11pm.

Which night should you pick?

Not every night of the week is equal. Here's the honest ranking:

Tuesday – Thursday

The regular game night sweet spot. Low competition with weekend plans, and it splits the week up nicely.

Saturday afternoon or evening

Best for bigger groups or a one-off session. Book it a couple of weeks ahead, weekends fill up fast.

Friday

Works, but competes with everyone's post-week energy dip and other Friday plans. Fine as a backup.

Sunday & Monday

Avoid if you can. Sundays get eaten by week-prep, Mondays are the hardest sell of the week.

These are general patterns, not rules. The best day of week hint learns your specific group's actual pattern over time.

Common mistakes that kill a game night group

  • Not setting a regular cadence

    Ad-hoc scheduling means it happens once and quietly fizzles out. Even a loose 'every other Thursday' rhythm keeps a group going.

  • Choosing the game before the date

    Matching the game to who actually shows up matters more than picking the perfect game for an ideal group that never fully turns up.

  • Assuming the same night works forever

    Life changes. Repoll the group every few months rather than assuming last year's slot still works for everyone.

  • No clear start or end time

    Open invites lead to people trickling in over two hours and the game never actually starting. Set both.

  • Sending three date options by text

    Half the group never replies, you chase for a week, and still end up guessing. A shared availability poll fixes this in a day.

  • Ignoring newer or quieter players

    Rotate in a lighter, easy-to-teach game occasionally so newcomers aren't thrown straight into a three-hour strategy game.

Frequently asked questions

What's the best day for a regular game night?
Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday evenings tend to work best for recurring groups. Fridays compete with other plans and end-of-week tiredness, and weekends fill up fast with other commitments.
How many people do you need for a good game night?
Four to six is the sweet spot for most board and card games, big enough for a good table but small enough that everyone gets a turn without a long wait. Party games and video games can flex much higher.
How do we decide which games to play?
Poll the group before the night rather than debating it at the door. A quick vote on two or three options settles it in minutes and means everyone knows what to bring or brush up on.
How often should game night happen?
Weekly works well for dedicated groups, but every two to four weeks is more sustainable for busier friend groups. A loose, repeated rhythm beats a one-off that never gets rescheduled.
What if half the group can only make certain nights?
Use a shared availability poll instead of guessing. Everyone taps the nights they're free, and you pick the date with the strongest coverage rather than the one that happens to suit whoever replied first.
Should we rotate whose house it's at?
For regular groups, yes. It spreads the hosting effort, the snack budget, and the washing up. Agree the rotation once and stick to it so nobody has to volunteer every time.
How far in advance should we schedule game night?
A week or two is usually enough for a regular group's normal slot. For a bigger one-off session, or a group that hasn't played together before, give it three to four weeks.
What snacks and drinks work best?
Keep it simple and low-effort: crisps, dips, pizza, or a potluck where everyone brings something. Have a proper non-alcoholic option for anyone driving home or not drinking.

Ready to lock in the next game night?

Lock in the date in under 24 hours. Free, no sign-up, no app for your group to download. Just a shareable link.

Start your game night poll →