Here's How to Play the Ridiculously Fun Drinking Game from HBO's 'Run'
In the second episode of HBO's Run, Billy and Ruby play a drinking game.
The game is called "Water" and requires a bit of acting.
Here's how to play the very fun game.
On the second episode of HBO’s Run—the escapist, vicarious blast we can’t get enough of—Billy Johnson (Domhnall Glesson) and Ruby Richardson (Merritt Wever) continue their train game of Will They Or Won’t They Hook Up After Abandoning Jobs and Children. It’s wicked fun—and this week everyone wins, because we all get a fun new drinking game out of it.
The fun in Episode 2 involved bathroom courtship and awkward bunk bed shenanigans. It ended with a three-way drinking game, called “Water.” Or rather, as Gleeson’s character Billy, excitedly announces, “Ladies and gentlemen, the name of the game issss WATER!”
According to Billy, it’s a game “all about deception,” which is an apt summary given the train situation: two characters hiding secrets about their families and businesses from each other.
The game requires shots of clear alcohol—vodka, tequila, sambuca, etc.—and WATER! The rules are remarkably simple. Shots are arranged in front of each player. Each round, one person selects a glass and shoots it. The player then either says “Water” or, presumably, “Not Water.” The other players then have to determine if that statement is true or false. They smell the glass to verify this. If their answer was wrong, they take a shot.
In the series, the characters use smell, though we’d recommend allowing a neutral pourer to confirm. So maybe instead of having lots of random shots sitting around, you have your sober friend determine who gets what and then verify the answers (for intoxicated olfactory reasons). That sober friend can even use a coin toss app to determine who gets what (if you’re concerned about them taking vengeance on you and pouring nothing but sambuca.) Then he/she can drive you home.
If you're social distancing, you can play the game over Zoom. So long as you trust your friends. Make sure your cameras are on the highest resolution so they can see your reaction. No cheating.
The beauty of the game is you can use grimacing to your advantage. So, even if you don’t shoot alcohol well you can fake it with water grimaces. It’s all a bit of a mind game.
“Don’t feel bad,” Billy tells the loser after Ruby fools him. “[She] and I have been playing games together for a very long time.” Can’t wait for next week’s games.
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