(Disclosure: We by no means condone underage drinking, and the following is for those 21+. Please remember to drink responsibly!)
I’m not here to bore you with the typical description on how to play beer pong or flip cup. By now, as a college student, you’re probably well versed on those games. Personally, I’m surprised I haven’t been recruited for a D1 pong team by this point in my life. I’ve been playing most of these games on this list since I could remember (with water of course– hey mom!).
Here are some other fun drinking games you should know, or should learn by the end of your college career.
1. Kings
A classic game that every college kid needs to know. You need a deck of cards and to have everyone sit or stand around a table with their drinks. Place one unopened can in the middle. You take turns taking cards, and each card is assigned a rule. After reading the card and completing the rule, you stick the card under the tab of the can. You keep going until the tab on the drink opens the can, and the person who sticks the last card in has to chug the entire drink as fast as they can. The card rules are:
#2 card: You. Person who picked the card picks a person to take a drink.
#3 card: Me. Person who picked the card drinks.
#4 card: Floor. Every player has to point to the floor, and the last to do so drinks.
#5 card: Guys. Every dude playing drinks.
#6 card: Chicks. Every girl playing drinks.
#7 card: Heaven. Every player has to point to the sky, and the last to do so drinks.
#8 card: Date. Pick another player to take a drink with you for the rest of the game. Every time you drink, he or she drinks.
#9 card: Rhyme. Player who picked the card says a word, like “play”, and everyone goes around the circle saying a word that rhymes with it. First player to repeat another’s word or makes a mistake has to drink.
#10 card: Categories. Player thinks of a category. The circle goes around saying something in the category until someone messes up. For example, categories can be NFL teams, famous singers, or countries.
Jack card: Never have I ever. Play with three fingers up until someone gets out. Then that person drinks.
Queen card: Questions. Look to the person next to you and ask a ridiculous question. Then continue around the circle until someone laughs or messes up. That player then drinks.
King card: Rule. Player who picks the card makes a rule. For example, every time someone curses they drink, or every time they take a drink they must ask the maker of that rule to do so. Rule must be followed until another player picks a King card and makes a new rule.
Ace card: Waterfall. Player who picked the card begins chugging their drink, and everyone must follow suit. Players keep drinking until the first person stops.
2. Slap Cup
This game has been played many different ways, such as “stack cup” instead of slap. Since I prefer slapping rather than stacking, that is the way I am going to teach you. You need two empty cups and two ping pong balls to play. Have a bunch of cups filled with a drink in the middle, and the one in the very center filled to the top. Begin by having the empty cups in front of players opposite each other on the table. Both start at the same time, trying to bounce the ball into the cup. If you get it on the first try, you can move the cup anywhere on the table. If it takes you more than one try, you slide the cup and ball to the player on your right once you bounce it in. If the player on your right is also trying to get the ball into the cup and you successfully get it in before them, you immediately slap their cup off of the table. They then have to chug one of the cups before they continue playing. Keep playing until the last completely full cup is left, and the player to get that cup, or the “death cup” must chug it as fast as they can. Stay slapping friends.
3. Most Likely
Everyone takes turns saying something like, “Most likely to make out with everyone here” or something ridiculous like that. On the count of three, you point to that person who fits the description. You then take a sip for every person pointing at you. Play on.
4. Chinese Flip Cup
Grab a partner and stand across the table from them. You each get two cups, one empty and one filled, in a line in front of you. One of you begins by chugging the full cup and continue by flipping it into your partner’s empty cup. They can help you out by picking up their cup and attempting to guide your cup into theirs. The next partner chugs their own cup and flips it into your cup, and whoever finishes first is the winner. Play with more than two cups to get really crazy.
5. Chesties
A mix of pong and flip cup, this game is fun and a favorite among my friends. You and your partner stand across the corners of the table from one another with three cups in a triangle shape in front of you. You throw the ping pong ball and if it lands in a cup, your partner slides it over to your opponent and they have to chug the drink and flip it over, like in flip cup, when they are done. They cannot continue throwing the ball until they have finished drinking, so you and your partner have more time to try and make the shots. Bonus: you can use your body as a backboard to guide the ball into the cup.
6. Sink The Battleship
Get a pitcher and place a cup in it. Each player has a turn pouring as much of the drink as they can into the empty cup in the pitcher. As it starts to bob down, strategically pour liquid so you don’t actually sink the cup. The person who sinks it entirely into the pitcher must fish it out and chug the entire thing.
7. Thumper
A personal favorite played intensely by my friends in my hometown of central New Jersey, thumper is a childhood game gone dirty. Each player comes up with a signal, usually something like “bunny ears”. You say the term while doing the action, so giving yourself bunny ears (my friends and I have found that using more R rated signals is way more fun, but we’ll keep it PG here).
The game begins where all the players are banging on the table. The person starting begins by screaming, “What’s the name of the game?!” and the remaining players scream, “Thumper!”. The leader then reciprocates by yelling, “And why do we play?!” as the players reply, “To get messed up!” (language can be changed). The leader then signs their own signal and then another player’s sign.
The player whose sign they signaled then goes on to do their own sign and pick another player to do theirs. It goes on until someone messes up, and then the one who ruins it drinks.
8. Never Have I Ever
The adult version of your favorite middle school game. Hold up however many fingers you wish and go around the circle saying something you’ve never done (dyed your hair, thrown up in public, kissed your best friend’s brother…You get the idea). Each time you have done something that someone hasn’t, you drink. The first player to have all of their fingers down should chug the rest of their drink if they want to retain any dignity lost during playing.
9. Beer Ball
Another favorite of my hometown friends, beer ball can be played with four or more players. You’re going to need two ping pong balls, and you’re going to stand on one side of the table with an unopened can. The goal of the game is to hit your opponent’s can with the ping pong ball. Once you hit it, you open your drink as fast as you can and begin to chug until the opponent gets the ping pong ball and hits it on the table. Once the ping pong ball touches the table, you must stop chugging. This continues until a team finishes all of their drinks. It can get intense and very physical, so get ready to run around chasing a ping pong ball.
Enjoy and please drink responsibly! #College