How To Host A Traitors Theme Night: Food, Decorations And Games

A Traitors night lives or dies on two things: candlelight and a straight face. You don't need a Scottish castle, you need a dark room, a big table and a group who'll commit to the bit.

Here's the running order we'd use, with the food you can make ahead and the games that keep it going once the first banishment is done.

Set the room

• Kill the big light. Candles, lamps and fairy lights only - the show is basically lit by three candles and it works.
• One long table with chairs all the way round. If you've only got a small table, use the floor with cushions in a circle.
• Tartan anything: a throw over the table, a blanket over the sofa, a scarf as a runner.
• Green velvet, brass candlesticks and a bowl of apples. Charity shops are a goldmine for this in about ten minutes.
• Hand-write the place names on brown luggage tags and tie one to each glass.
• Print the shields and hooded cloaks if you're going all in - a plain black dressing gown does the job.
• A clock or a phone timer on the table. Deadlines make people panic, and panic is the entertainment.

Banquet food that survives the drama

• Grazing board down the middle: cheese, oatcakes, chutney, grapes, cured meats. No plates to clear mid-game.
• A big pot of something - stew, chilli, mac and cheese - that sits on low and doesn't mind being ignored for an hour.
• Scotch eggs, sausage rolls and mini haggis bites for the Highland nod.
• Shortbread, tablet and a tray of brownies for the post-banishment sulk.
• Something dramatically red: beetroot dip, blood orange punch, a red velvet cake. It photographs brilliantly.
• Drinks on a side table, not the main one - the table is for accusations only.

How to run the roundtable

• Numbers: eight to twelve is the sweet spot. Three traitors for ten-plus players, two for under ten.
• Pick traitors secretly - cards face down, or a message to each phone from the host.
• Night phase: everyone closes their eyes, traitors pick who they murder. Host announces it in the morning.
• Breakfast phase: two minutes of chat while people notice who's missing, and who's enjoying it too much.
• The mission: one quick task as a group to earn 'prize money' - a jigsaw race, a blindfolded puzzle, twenty questions.
• Roundtable: everyone says one name and why. Then vote. The banished player reveals their card.
• Endgame: when only a handful are left, offer the classic choice - banish again, or end the game and split the pot.

Games to play alongside it

• The Traitors board game - the official one, based on the BBC show. Does all the roles and voting for you, so nobody has to host from a notebook.
• Werewolf or Mafia - the originals, and free if you just use playing cards.
• Avalon - shorter rounds, good when people want another go immediately.
• Codenames - a palate cleanser between rounds that doesn't require lying.
• Wavelength - team game, no elimination, good for anyone who's already been murdered.
• A quick quiz round about the show itself, for the people who've watched every series twice.

Invites and the little touches

• Send the invite as a summons: time, dress code, and 'trust no one'.
• Dress code: black tie, or just 'wear something you'd be banished in'.
• A sealed envelope on each place setting, most of them empty, one saying 'You are a Traitor'.
• A murder letter slipped under a door in the morning - genuinely startling if you do it well.
• Take a group photo before the first banishment, and again at the end. The faces are completely different.

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How to write it so it lands

• Write the running order on one card and keep it in your pocket - the night falls apart when the host is improvising.
• Set a hard timer on the roundtable. Five minutes maximum, or the quiet ones never speak.
• Tell people beforehand that being murdered first is fun, not a slight. It genuinely changes how they play.

Where to shop next

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Frequently asked questions

How many people do you need for a Traitors party?

Eight to twelve works best. Below six the deduction falls apart because everyone's suspect. Above fourteen the roundtable takes too long and people stop listening.

How many traitors should there be?

Roughly one traitor for every four players. Two traitors for six to nine people, three for ten or more. Too many and the faithful never stand a chance.

What food should I serve at a Traitors night?

Anything that can sit in the middle of the table and be ignored: a grazing board, a big pot of stew, sausage rolls, shortbread. You want nobody in the kitchen once the game starts.

Can you just buy The Traitors board game instead of running it yourself?

Yes, and it's the easier route. The official board game handles roles, murders, missions and the voting, so the host actually gets to play rather than reading rules off a phone.

Do you sell board games?

No. We make greeting cards, art prints, pin badges and party bits in the UK, so the games here are simply what we'd recommend to a friend. Some links go to other shops and may earn us a small commission, at no extra cost to you.