5 Great Food Ideas When Hosting a Game Day

March 03, 2021

While my current game days are more digital these days, I'm hopeful that in person gaming will resume soon! So I wanted to share one of my favorite parts of hosting a game day, aside from the games, the food! Trying new restaurants and food is one of my favorite past times, so it’s no surprise that I tend to center most activities around eating. Here are some of my favorite food suggestions for when you’re hosting a game day.

Pizza and Soda

Boxes of pizza on a desk. One box of pizza is open to reveal a pizza, the other one is partially closed. Two cans of coke are also on the desk.

If you just want to go for the old school option, you can’t really go wrong with pizza and soda.

DIY Pizza Bar

A top down view of a handmade pizza. Half of the pizza has a pesto sauce nd various toppings. The other half has red sauce, cheese, and basil. There's garlic, parmesan cheese, and basic on the table around the pizza.

This was something a friend did at one of our game days and I LOVED it. Consider this one step up from the previous option. He made the dough (or you can get store bought) and we were able to add whatever toppings we wanted to our pizza. We then threw them in the oven on our pizza stone, and viola, a pizza everyone likes! This is a great option if you have a lot of food restrictions and you plan on gaming for awhile.

Charcuterie Board

I love this option because if you’re playing D&D, it makes you feel like you’re in a fantasy tavern. Grab a variety of cheeses, meats, add some bread and crackers, and maybe some fruit and you can enjoy snacking on this while you play. It has the added benefit of being less messy so you don’t get food residue on your game pieces. Pair this with alcohol of your choice, and you really will feel like you’re in a tavern!

All of the Snacks

A bowl of popcorn in the foreground with popcorn spilling out onto the table. Behind that bowl is a bowl of potato chips. There's a salt dispenser in the back.

If you want something that’s less of a meal, just grab a bunch of snack foods. My favorite go-tos are chips and guac, pita and hummus, a veggie plate, or seasonal fruit. Have others bring something so you can have a variety, and people are guaranteed to have something they like.

Sweets

A plate of three donuts. One donut is powdered, another is glazed, and the third is chocolate frosted.

If you’re like me, and you have a crazy sweet tooth, then we can't forget about desserts. Oreos, both flavored or regular are a big hit. We’ve gotten donuts from a local shop before, and have even had an ice cream bar. Again, knowing what food restrictions people have will help you figure out what to get.

Lastly, if you want to go the extra mile, you could always recreate one of the recipes from the D&D Cookbook: