Here Are 24 of the Best Drinking Games to Play With Your Friends in 2023
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Drinking and games are fun on their own, but mixing the two is a great way to elevate a party. We love a good game of beer pong, but at some point, a few more of the best drinking games in your rotation can spice things up. After all, variety is the spice of life.
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Drinking games come in many variations. You can even turn games that don’t call for booze into some of the most fun drinking games. Connect 4? Take a shot when you lose. Chutes and Ladders? Take a swig whenever you have to go down the slide. Truth or Dare? I dare you, to shotgun this beer.
But while flip cup and beer pong are practically sports, drinking games don’t have to be high-octane. You can enjoy them while sitting on the couch. Have you ever played a movie drinking game? Hear us out: Google your favorite movie, followed by the word “drinking game,” and there’s sure to be one. We promise.
With that in mind, you can turn just about anything into a drinking game if you’re creative enough. If you need ideas, we’ve rounded up 24 of the best drinking games to break out during your next party, whether big or small.
So whether you’re slugging back the best summer beers or grabbing one of the best hard seltzers, it’s time to get your game face on.
Best for Two Players
Whether you’re a couple looking for something fun or you’ve finally gotten to the end of Netflix, consider one of the best drinking games for two. Of course, they’re not just for couples. Friends, esteemed colleagues, and frenemies alike can all enjoy a two-player drinking game.
1. Truth or Drink Drinking Card Game
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Created by the popular YouTube Channel known as Cut, Truth or Drink is a drinking game dedicated to spilling the beans or getting horribly drunk. It’s potentially one of the easiest drinking card games on our list; all you have to do is take turns picking up cards and reading the question. Choose to either answer the question truthfully or take a shot, making it one of the funniest drinking games on our list. Cut’s YouTube Channel has a slew of hilarious videos depicting gameplay that you have to watch to get the best idea of how this runs. You’re going to want to buy this one after a few views.
2. Do or Drink Game
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Do or Drink is one of the newest, most exciting drinking card games; you and your favorite drinking buddy will get a kick out of it. Start by separating the black and white cards into two different piles. The first player will then draw a white card and read it aloud. They will then do what it says, and then the other player will choose a white card and do what it says. Continue until one of you picks up a “DRAW” card. You do what that says or drink. If the player does the task successfully, they can keep the card and use it as a point. At the end, count the number of black cards, and you’ll have a winner.
3. Battle Shots
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It’s Battleship, but with shots. It couldn’t be a more straightforward premise, and that’s why it’s so ingenious. There are several ways to turn this kid’s game into an adult-friendly drinking version. You can arrange a larger board with shot glasses acting as the ships. One of the best ways to play is to make a DIY version with a couple of pizza boxes. You can also simply play as intended with glasses off to the side. Playing as two small teams is a great option too.
Best for Two or More Players
Many of the best drinking games are typically played in small groups, such as beer pong or flip cup. Either way, these are some classic games to bring out at your next shindig.
4. Beer Pong
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The thing about classics is that they’re classics for a reason. Beer Pong is one of the best but most difficult to master. The setup is simple. Each side sets up six cups in a pyramid-style shape before two teams take turns tossing ping pong balls into each cup. The first team to clear the opposing team’s cups wins. Your friend group may have its rules and regulations, but the most common is having a beer in each cup you have to drink when a ball lands in. Ensure you’re more than set on ping pong balls to use. Many will be lost over the sessions.
5. Flip Cup
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Perhaps more than any other drinking game on this list, Flip Cup is the one that can cause the most chaos and the most mess — but it’s often the most fun. Participants split into two teams and lined either side of a table with a cup of beer or liquor. When the game starts, players on either side have to finish their drink, put the lip of the cup on the table edge, and then flip it over (using only their fingertips) before the next person can start. Frenetic and fun, it’s one of the best drinking games for larger groups. A folding table like this one from Flash Furniture can be a dedicated space for competition.
6. Quarters
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Like Beer Pong, Quarters is a drinking game involving players trying to bounce a quarter into a shot glass. If you miss your shot, it then rotates to the next player. However, if you make it, you can tell someone to drink. The game continues like so, but feel free to set a point total to reach to declare the winner. This set of “Let’s Get Slothed” shot glasses are sturdy and gives the competition some character.
7. Drunk Jenga
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On its own, Jenga is fun, but incorporating drinking certainly takes the experience up a notch. By writing different instructions on the blocks (like “give two sips” or “take two sips”), each block pulled from the tower can offer up a prompt to further the experience. And, if someone causes the tower to fall, they’ll have to finish off their drink completely. Let your imagination run wild as you provide the literal building blocks for one delightfully entertaining drinking game.
Best for Small to Medium Groups
The sweet spot for many of the best drinking games is for small groups. These can be played with roughly three to eight players, give or take a few. There’s often some equipment used with bigger group games, whether dice, cards, or a game board. But this makes them all the more exciting.
8. King's Cup
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Whether you call it Ring of Fire, Circle of Death, or King’s Cup, the rules to this excellent drinking card game are the same. Players sit around a table with a beer in the center and a deck of cards spiraled out around it. Each person draws a card, and the number on the card corresponds to a different action (for example, a card with the number eight on it means ‘mate,’ so you pick a person to drink with). Once the card has been pulled, it needs to be inserted into the tab on the beer. The person that causes the tab to pop or the person that draws the last King card must finish the drink. Having a deck of waterproof cards like this striking gold set is a smart move if the game gets a little rowdy.
9. Never Have I Ever Drinking Card Game
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The game you most likely played as a teen is back! The game comes with a set of rule cards that enhance the playing of the rounds and entice participants to own up to some of the worst decisions they’ve ever made. Add in drinks and sip through that past mistakes. After this game, you might make more.
10. Drink-A-Palooza Drinking Board Game
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If you enjoy a good board game but wish there was more chance to drink while you roll the dice, Drink-A-Palooza is the game for you. The game combines other drinking games into one game. You’ll move around the board, landing on spaces to determine which drinking game you’ll be playing. Plus, with the ability for up to 12 players, so ideal for bigger get togethers.
11. Drunk, Stoned, or Stupid Drinking Card Game
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Implicate. Advocate. Adjudicate. That’s the name of the game Drunk, Stoned, or Stupid. Two hundred fifty prompt cards will let you and your friends determine whom among your group is the most likely to do a given thing, such as “wake up with half a burrito in bed.” Once you draw a card, it’s up to the group to determine who best fits the description. Get ready for there to be opinions about you and your crew.
12. EZ DRINKER Shot Spinning Roulette Game Set
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The best drinking games are always more fun when there’s a bit of risk involved, making this EZ DRINKER roulette game an excellent option for those looking to up the stakes. The small glasses around the roulette wheel can be filled with anything you fancy, letting fate determine how your evening will go. The possibilities to torture your group are endless.
13. Fingers
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The name isn’t so cute, but trust us on this one. Fingers is an easy game that gets you drunk, but there’s a twist. Here’s how it works: you snag a red solo cup, have everyone pour whatever they’re drinking inside, and then have each person put a finger on the cup’s rim. With each turn, all players will take a finger off or leave a finger on the edge of the cup while one person guesses how many fingers stay on the cup. If they guess correctly, they’re out and do not have to drink the cup. The last person has to swallow everything. Let’s keep it real; they will be pretty sloshed at the end.
14. Three Man
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Three Man involves at least two dice and three participants. Players will take turns rolling the dice until one person rolls a three and becomes the titular Three Man. Each player will take turns rolling the dice from there, with each number determining a different outcome. Three means the Three Man drinks, seven means the person left of the dice roller drinks, nine means the person to the right of the dice roller drinks, 11 represents the roller drinks; doubles means you get to take that number value and distribute drinks accordingly. This set of dice comes with a felt dice can, making it easy to play the game without the dice flying off the table.
15. Loaded Kings Drinking Card Game
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If you like the idea of King’s Cup but need more guidance, Loaded Kings is for you. It has all the rules easily printed on the cards themselves. This will allow you to focus on the drinking instead of keeping track of guidelines throughout the game. The cards are 100% waterproof, so no worries if you or a friend happen to commit a party foul.
16. Cards Against Humanity
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One of the most hilarious card games ever made, Cards Against Humanity offers players a series of prompts that must be responded to by playing an answer. The person who draws the prompt card will then choose the funniest response. Described as “a party game for horrible people,” the cards are inherently absurd and decidedly adult. Add in a drinking component by having the losers of each round have to take a sip. It could be one of the best drinking card games on the planet if you choose to include alcohol, which you should.
17. Barbuzzo Spin the Shot Drinking Game
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Remember playing spin the bottle? Well, spin the shot takes the infamous game of youths and upgrades it to adulthood. Simply load the included shot glass with your spirit of choice and spin it to determine who has the honor of downing it. The arrow determines the lucky participant and allows for endless antics. Plus, it’s small enough to take you anywhere you want to get the party started.
18. These Cards Will Get You Drunk Game
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These Cards Will Get You Drunk is a multiperson drinking game for adults that will have you and your closest pals cackling the whole night. It works like this: you and your buds sit in a circle and take turns drawing from the deck in a clockwise rotation. Follow the instructions on the card; each will tell you who needs to drink. Throughout the game, you’ll have to vote and screw your friends over a few times to have the time of your life.
19. Buzzed Drinking Card Game
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Buzzed comes to us from the minds that made What Do you Meme? Players will take turns drawing cards from the top of the deck and reading the prompt. Depending on the card, either you or the whole group will take a drink. Meant to be played with groups as large as 20 or as small as three, the hilarious cards will definitely be nothing short of entertaining.
Best for Large Groups
The best drinking games are great for parties, but some caveats exist. Generally, you want a game with simple rules to explain to a large group of presumably already-buzzed people. You’ll also want something with minimal parts, especially with a large group. Ensuring there are enough supplies to distribute shouldn’t be a worry while getting down.
20. Cheers to the Governor
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This game is a classic and is more fun the more people you add to it. All you need to play is the drink in your hand and a good imagination. The way it starts is simple enough. You sit in a circle, and you count up to 21, with the first person saying “one,” the person next to them stating “two,” and so on. This can be clockwise or counter; it doesn’t matter initially. The person who says 21 says, “Cheers to the Governor,” and everyone takes a drink. Then, that person must make up a new rule for any number. For example, instead of saying eight, you do a silent salute, something easy and silly. Your imagination only limits you. If you mess up, you take a drink, and counting starts over at one.
21. Power Hour
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Those looking to get the evening off to a roaring start consider a Power Hour. This is easily one of the best drinking games. The premise is simple: put together a playlist of 60 songs and have each song shuffle after it plays for a minute. Whenever the next song comes on, take a drink. Easy to play and still socialize, put your favorite music snob in charge of the playlist. Plus, you can bolster the experience with a Bluetooth speaker like this colorfully compact option from Sony.
22. Shot Roulette
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Alright, this one’s a doozy. However many friends you’ve got, have everyone sit at a table. One person will go inside and fill a bunch of identical shot glasses with water and one shot glass with clear liquor, such as vodka. That person will mix up the shot glasses to forget which has the liquor, then distribute them to everyone. Each person will go around the table one at a time, taking their shot as everyone watches their reactions. Ultimately, the goal is to have the group guess which person had the liquor. If the group is correct, the person who took the shot has to take a sip of their drink to lose. If the group is wrong, everyone, aside from the person who did the shot gulps their glass.
23. Suck and Blow
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No, it’s not as dirty as you might think. Suck and blow is the classic high school game turned into one where everyone gets a little tipsy. And flirty. It works like this: get a playing card. Any playing card. Have everyone stand in a circle and pass the playing card around only by sucking and blowing. When the card drops and the players accidentally smack lips, they must do a shot together. Switch the order in which players stand each round to complicate things. This game was forever cemented in the classic teen comedy Clueless.
24. Thumper
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What’s the name of the game? Thumper! When playing thumper, you need nothing but pals, drinks, and a set of hands. To play Thumper, every player needs a hand signal of sorts. You can cover your eyes, do a peace sign, give yourself antlers — whatever, get creative. Everyone at the table slaps their knees twice throughout the game while one person does their sign and passes it to someone else through every double knee slap. If it’s your turn, you’ll slap your legs twice, do your sign, slap your legs twice again, and then do someone else in the circle’s sign to pass it to them. The signs will continue passing until someone messes up. That person drinks, and you’ll start the game over.
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