For those of you who have never seen New Girl, you’re missing out. However, those of you who have seen it know about the hard-to-follow drinking game the gang often plays: True American. What many people don’t know is that this game is REAL; the New Girl gang just tweaked it with a few of their own rules.
All you need to play the game is a “general” knowledge of American history and as many 24-packs as you can carry back from Meijer. As entertaining as this game seems, I don’t necessarily want to spend all of my free time studying history just to win a drinking game – especially since I’m a college student who can barely study up on her own classes to graduate. That being said, my roommates and I decided to create a new and improved version of True American, specifically for those who bleed green and white: True Spartan.
What you need:
- 3+ players
- All of those beers you lugged from Meijer
- 1 bottle of hard liquor (it’s for the winner, so make it a bottle of the good stuff)
- An open area/room with “obstacles” – such as pillows, furniture, etc.
- A general knowledge of your Spartan Nation
Game set-up:
When setting up the game, all of the beer will be stacked on a table in the middle of the room, creating a pyramid with the bottle of liquor balanced on top. This is the King’s Palace, the liquor being the king. The beers are the pawns, and you’ll want to equally stack them in four lines in all directions around the King (easy access).
Next, you need to set up the obstacles. In this game, the ground is molten lava, so you will want to build paths toward and around the King’s Palace in order to create travel for players. There are three zones, each with five places for a player to stand. The center space in each zone is the only space that a pawn can be taken from; it is closest to the King’s castle. Here is an example:
After set up, you’re ready to get started. Teams are optional. These can be chosen by having one player count down from three and everyone placing a random number on their forehead. If anyone’s numbers match, then they are designated teammates.
How to play:
The game starts with a shotgun tip off; the first person to finish their shotgunned beer gets to move first. That player then yells, “One, two, three: GO GREEN!” The other players must reply, “GO WHITE,” grab a pawn (beer) and find an open space on the life-sized game board.
The goal is to move around the room in a clockwise direction. The player whose turn it is will always move a space, but, the other players must “win” their move. In order to do so, there are three options:
1. The Number Game: The player whose turn it is will yell, “One, two three,” and everyone must place a random number from 1-5 on his or her forehead. Any player who has a number that isn’t repeated gets to move forward.
2. Finish that Quote: A player may slowly say a quote pertaining to Spartan history/culture. The first player to finish the quote gets to move forward. Example: “SPARTANS, WHAT IS YOUR PROFESSION?” The player that responds, “AWOO, AWOO, AWOO” first will move on.
3. Word Association: A player may yell out two people, places or things that pertain to MSU. The first person to say what these two have in common will move forward. Example: “TOM IZZO and VALENTINE.” The player that responds, “BASKETBALL” or any other clever association will win the move. If there is a tie, then the player who asked the question will pick the best answer.
How to win:
After removing all of the pawns from the castle, the King becomes defenseless. The first team to make it to the King’s Palace, finish their beer and take a swig of the King’s liquor will be declared the winners.
***If you are caught without a beer or with an empty OR if you step in the molten lava, you will lose. In order to enter back into the game, you must drink a full beer and choose an empty space on the game board.
While this game may not be as easy as your typical drinking games (Kings, Irish Poker, etc.), True Spartan is sure to leave a lasting impression on any guests you invite to play. Feel free to add your own rules, and of course, happy drinking.