LAN Party

A LAN party is a temporary, sometimes spontaneous, gathering of people with computers or game consoles, between which they establish a local area network (LAN), primarily for the purpose of playing multiplayer video games. The size of these networks may vary from the very small (two people) to very large installations. Small parties can form spontaneously, but large ones usually require a fair amount of planning and preparation. As of 2010, the world record for the size of a LAN party is 12,754 connected systems, set at DreamHack, in Jönköping, Sweden.

LAN party events differ significantly from LAN gaming centers and Internet cafes in that they generally require participants to bring your own computer (BYOC) and are not permanent installations, often taking place in general meeting places or residences.