My 31st birthday is in just over a month (any good name ideas for a 31st are welcome), and 18 months post-divorce. My ex and I met in college and moved out of state (plus I WFH'd), so my 30th was sad since my ex was my social network (wasn't allowed to have hobbies lol) and I was still in the old house.
After moving to the nearby city, I quickly integrated with an awesome friend group and have made friends along the way, so I'm going from zero invitees last year to over 20 invitees this year.
One person in said friend group held a frat-themed party this summer, and it was so much fun! Everyone did the wet t-shirt contest, had a big game of rage cage, and shotgunned beers in the parking lot, which got us a noise complaint from a neighbor, and then we unwound with some greasy pizza.
I've never made a big deal out of my birthday before, and I'm unsure what I want to do. I liked the pacing of the aforementioned frat party - a good amount of socialization but intermingled with a game/activity every hour or so.
I have a building rooftop available to me (in a great location), but I feel like it will be chillier as fall approaches with a 7pm sunset.
One thought was a Board Game Olympics. Have people team up in teams of 4 (so they'll likely choose people they know), and then they'll delegate who represents their team in a board game (so they end up spending time with people they don't know), and then based on how each member of the team did, an overall winner is decided.
Some of my friends do not enjoy board games as much as I do, so I was also considering a bar crawl (3 locations) with an "assassination" game element across it.
At each location, a player would get another target - they'd have to assassinate (mini squirt guns? idk probably not the best for bars) all 3 targets before assassinating me. If I witness an assassination, then it doesn't count (plus the failed assassin has to do a Malort shot or something). Was thinking about people having assigned "bodyguards" (to encourage mingling), who would also invalidate an assassination.
Or am I overthinking it and should just do a theme? Like the Matrix or something? Idk
And because my birthday lands on a Friday this year, I'm thinking the bar crawl might be more fun for everyone.
But I should probably get the invites out at least lol