Winter is coming. Those words ring a bell? Points to those who can guess which house slogan this is from the award winning HBO series and global phenomenon, Game of Thrones!

We all await in eager anticipation of the new season. But if you’re suffering from a bout of going cold turkey from the series, why not indulge in a little Game of Thrones shindig in the meanwhile?

Planning a Game of Thrones party isn’t as complicated as it sounds. Here’s a list of party ideas you can definitely accomplish. Follow these suggestions and your party will be the next talk of town.

Decorations
This will be the very essence of your party. If it looks like a scene at the Game of Thrones, then it probably is a Game of Thrones party. Get as creative as you can but balance it out with authentic details from the show. If you’re throwing such a party, you’re bound to invite guests who are equally as fanatic as you are. They will possibly be fact checking every inch of your decorations to make sure they are “true” to the book/show.

DIY Iron Throne Decal – Unless you have a thousand blades and dragon-breath to mold them together, you’ll probably want an Iron Throne decal. You could either print or draw the above image and attach it to the back rest of chairs to replicate the Iron Throne.

DIY House banners – Westeros is divided into the Seven Kingdoms, with each kingdom providing different characteristics. Are you a Northman from the north who pledges your allegiance to the House Starks? Or are you ironborn hailing from the Iron Islands ruled by House Greyjoy? Print the various house insignias (find them here), paste them onto strips of cardboard, and champion the house you favour! Or string them all to create a banner bunting.

DIY Dragon eggs – Dragons are a symbol of power and it turned the tide to the advantage of one Daenerys Targaryen. Give your party that extra edge with these fearsome looking dragon eggs.

Dire-wolf plush toys – Dire-wolves are the house sigil for House Stark and a major mascot for the series. You simply cannot miss out on having a dire-wolf around if it’s a Game of Thrones party. They’re available for purchase at any toy store. Ask for a wolf one if the lady at the counter doesn’t know what a dire-wolf is (no one will really be able to tell the difference).

Candles – You see these filling up the chambers of every dwelling in the series. In the world of Westeros, fire and candles represent the only form of light. Overload your party location with these, turn off all the lights and watch the magic happen.

Food & Beverage
Game of Thrones is set in a setting similar to Medieval England. If you’re looking for authenticity, you have to factor in food that they ate in that time period – meat pies, roast and ale. But if you’re looking to have fun, go crazy with different food ideas as long as you spin it with a Game of Thrones twist.

You can’t go wrong with roast chicken. Add peas and vegetables to the mix for girls trying to keep a Sansa-esque figure.

If Game of Thrones was a type of food, it’d be a beef, ale and mushroom pie – the perfect combination for a warrior! Bake up a storm with a hearty pie, or a crimson red velvet cake to mark how bloody good (and not to mention, gory) Game of Thrones is.

Create a rustic ambience by placing all that delicious food onto a wooden table. Dye a white tablecloth with coffee if you must, and sprawl it across.

Get creative with cocktails and name them according to Game of Thrones references.

Games
What’s a Game of Thrones party without some games, as the series title itself would suggest? Plus, you are hosting a party and your guests will be bored if you don’t have a game or two in your repertoire. So, unless you’re a Lannister, in which case you can probably afford hiring Kit Harington to mingle with your guests, here are some games you can play to keep them entertained.

Joffrey piñata – Anyone who’s watched the series has played with the idea of smashing Joffrey into tiny pieces. The only legal way to do that is with a piñata. Learn how to make one here.

Game of Thrones – Essentially, it’s musical chairs! Line two rows of chairs against each other with one less chair than the number of guests you have. Switch it up with a Game of Thrones soundtrack and once the music stops, everyone will need to scramble for a chair. The person who didn’t manage to get one will be out of the running and the last man standing (or rather, sitting) will be throned winner of the Game of Thrones.

Game of Thrones Bingo – Robb Stark’s a pro, apparently. Learn how to play with printable cards for the game here.

Game of Thrones card game – It’s a little geeky, but a ton of fun. Get it here.

Finally, if you want to immerse completely into character, rent a costume of your favourite character here.

There you have it. You’re all prepped for a Game of Thrones soirée. Party on!

Written by: Stephen Vergara
Edited by: Claire Ding