The idea of inviting someone over just to hang out - or being invited to do so - without an underlying activity fills me with dread. But if I'm being invited over to play a game, then that's great - and I can chat and socialize while doing so.

I don't think it has to be Bunko, or any one particular thing. Hell, even helping friends move is fun in a way, as long as your spine is up to the lifting :P

If the hangout is activity-based, I find I feel forced to care about and talk about the activity, but I do not really give a flying fuck about the activity. For example going to do axe throwing? I don't care at all about axe throwing and have no interest in talking about it, I do have interest in talking about how my friends are doing, anecdotes, politics... I just want to sit down and _talk_ (a drink or meal works very well for me). Board games are hell to me, I don't care at all how many beans I can earn this round, I wanna talk about your home renovation or the trip you just went on.

For example I had a first date at an arcade. The games were actually pretty cool, but I wasn't really interested in them in the moment (I was interested in my date) and the chit-chat about the games felt very forced: I really didn't care on the moment. As soon as we took a break to grab soft drinks, suddenly conversation was flowing and infinitely more interesting.

Of course there are activities that I enjoy for their own sake and like doing with friends (eg rope climbing), but it's a very different type of hanging out which doesn't bring me the same pleasure at all.