How to Run a Family Games Tournament at Home
Family game night has a way of ending in an argument about who actually won. A family games tournament fixes that. You play several short games in a row, everyone collects points, and at the end there’s a table, a champion and a trophy. Family Tournament does the scoring for you, on one phone or tablet passed around the room.
What you need
- 2 to 4 players. Mixed ages work best.
- One phone, tablet or laptop that everyone can reach.
- 30 to 45 minutes for a 3-game cup, an hour or so for 5 games.
How a family games tournament works
- Name your cup. The Diwali Cup, the Sunday Showdown, the Nani Trophy. A good name matters more than you’d think.
- Add the players. 2, 3 or 4, with names if you like.
- Pick the games, and 3 or 5 of them. You can choose from Gulel Showdown, Kite Cutter, Mud Ring Rumble, Carrom and Gully Cricket.
- Play each game as best of 3 rounds.
- Score every game 3-2-1: 1st place gets 3 points, 2nd gets 2 and 3rd gets 1.
- Most points after the last game wins the cup. If two players tie, the one who won more games wins; if that’s level too, more rounds won.
Making it fair for little ones and grandparents
A seven-year-old and a seventeen-year-old aren’t an even match, and neither is a grandparent who has never held a phone game. Before you start, you can give any player a head start of 1 to 3 points. They begin the table with those points already on the board. It keeps the youngest in the race until the last game, which is the whole point.
A rule of thumb: 3 points for children under 8 or anyone playing for the first time, 1 or 2 for children under 12, none for teenagers. They will tell you it isn’t needed. It usually is.
Which games to pick
| Game | What it’s like | Good when |
|---|---|---|
| Gulel Showdown | Aim a slingshot at birds flying over rooftops | You want calm, careful aiming |
| Kite Cutter | Fly a kite and cut the others’ strings | You want fast tapping and shouting |
| Mud Ring Rumble | Push the other wrestlers out of the ring | Younger children are playing: simple and very funny |
| Carrom | The board game, on a screen | Grandparents are in, and they’re good |
| Gully Cricket | Batting and bowling, street-cricket style | Cricket fans want a say |
A good mix for a first cup is one aiming game, one fast game and one classic: Gulel Showdown, Kite Cutter and Carrom.
Tips for a good family cup
- Agree the prize first. Choosing tomorrow’s dinner, the front seat, or the last piece of mithai.
- Rotate who starts each game, so nobody always has the first go.
- Play the funniest game last. Mud Ring Rumble is a good closer.
- Share the table. Send the final table or a picture of the result to the family group. Every cup goes into the trophy cabinet on that device, so next year you can see who won last time.
- Add a quiz. For a bigger family or more players, run a family quiz night on the TV first, with up to 30 players on their own phones.
Questions people ask
Can more than 4 people play?
The tournament takes up to 4 players on one screen. For more, play in teams of two who take turns, or switch to Family Game Night on the TV, which takes up to 30.
Do we need one phone each?
No. The tournament runs on one phone, tablet or laptop, and players share the screen.
Can the computer fill an empty seat?
In the games themselves, yes: empty seats can be played by the computer. It’s handy if three of you want a four-player game.
Is it free?
Yes, with nothing to download and no sign-up.
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