The important bit of party games is to meet your friends face-to-face and sit on the couch together.

Its rare to find 8-player party games with simple controls that anybody can get into.

We just bring the laptops, set up a LAN game and 7-8 of us sit in the same room. It does involve bringing some hardware along, but it isn't a big deal. We used to do it quite often.

Hmm... I can name at least 3 people who don't even have a laptop who were enjoying themselves in the last 8-player Bomberman game I played on the Switch.

I like LAN parties, but the whole concept of them is kinda limited to the nerdy crowd. I'm totally a nerd btw, I go to conventions and play in those LAN rooms and stuff.

But opening up gameplay to my general non-nerd friends only happens through couch gaming. A lot of my friends straight up wouldn't get a chance to play in a LAN-party setup. But they come over and have fun with Mario Kart, Puyo Tetris, Smash, or most recently... Bomberman.

Ok, I'm almost convinced now. I do have friends who come over and don't want to bring their laptops, esp. people with kids. Perhaps I will try it.