How to Pick a Game for Game Night (Without the 30-Minute Argument)

The problem everyone has

It's Friday night. Five people in the Discord call. Someone says "what should we play?" and then it begins. Suggestions fly. Someone Googles crossplay support. Two people argue about whether that game was fun or not. Twenty minutes later you're still in the lobby and someone's gone to make food.

We've all been there. We built PickThe.Games because we got tired of it.

Why it's actually hard

It's not just about taste. Even if everyone agrees on a game, you hit:

• Platform walls - Someone's on PC, someone's on PS5. Does the game even work on both?
• Crossplay confusion - The store page says "crossplay" but is it PC-to-console or just console-to-console?
• Player count limits - Your group has 5 people but the game maxes at 4 online
• The loud voice problem - One person always picks, everyone else just goes along with it

A faster way

Instead of one person suggesting and everyone reacting, flip it. Have everyone vote independently and let the overlap decide.

Step 1: Make a board

Go to pickthe.games and create a board. Pick the platforms your group plays on. Takes 30 seconds.

Step 2: Send the link

Share the invite link in your group chat or Discord. Each person taps which platforms they own.

Step 3: Everyone swipes

Each person swipes through games. Right for yes, left for no, up for maybe, down to ban. Takes a couple of minutes.

Step 4: Check the results

The app ranks every game by how well it fits YOUR group. Platform compatibility, crossplay, and votes all factor in. Your best matches are at the top.

What makes this different from a poll

Polls are broken for game selection. Someone posts three options, everyone picks their favorite, and the result is a three-way split with no clear winner.

Swiping works because:

• Everyone evaluates the same games independently (no anchoring bias)
• You see games you wouldn't have thought of
• Platform compatibility is checked automatically
• One veto removes a game entirely (no guilt trips)
• The algorithm finds the overlap you'd never calculate manually

Works inside Discord too

If you don't want to leave the group chat, add the Discord bot. Use /gameboard setup to create a board, /gameboard invite to share links, and /gameboard round to start a timed voting session. The embedded Activity lets everyone swipe right inside Discord.

Start before next Friday

Create a board now, share the link with your group, and have everyone swipe before game night. By the time Friday rolls around, you'll already know what to play.

Or try swiping without an account to see how it works.

Looking for ideas? Check out the best co-op games, best free multiplayer games, or browse the full database.