When it’s time to break the ice at a party or liven up a night with friends, nothing does the trick quite like drinking card games. These card-based drinking games combine strategy, luck, and laughter to create unforgettable moments. Whether you’re looking for a fast-paced challenge, a hilarious memory test, or a game to loosen up the mood, there’s something for everyone. All you need is a deck of cards, your favorite drinks, and some good company.
From classic games to unique twists on card play, this list of 40 best drinking card games will provide plenty of fun. Ready to grab your deck of cards and get started? Let’s dive into some of the best drinking games to keep the party going!
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1. Kings (Kings Cup)
The Kings card drinking game is a party favorite that requires a deck of cards and a large cup. Spread the cards in a circle around the cup. Each card has a different action associated with it. Players take turns drawing cards and performing the action, and when a King is drawn, the player pours some of their drink into the middle cup. The person who draws the fourth King has to drink the contents of the cup. This is one of the Best Fun Drinking Games.
Key Actions:
- Ace: Waterfall (everyone starts drinking, and no one can stop until the person before them does).
- King: Pour your drink into the cup.
- Queen: Ask a question, and the chain of answering continues until someone fails.
2. Ride the Bus
Ride the Bus is a game where players attempt to avoid becoming the unfortunate person who has to “ride the bus” at the end of the game. A pyramid of cards is laid out, and players take turns guessing whether the next card will be higher or lower than the previous. Get it wrong, and you take a drink!
How to Ride the Bus: The loser must answer multiple higher-or-lower questions in a row, and for each wrong answer, they drink.
3. Circle of Death
Circle of Death is a variation of Kings where each card in the deck represents a different rule. Players take turns drawing cards, and depending on what they pull, they might drink, make others drink, or create new rules. This is one of the Exciting Drinking Games.
- 2: You (pick someone to drink).
- 4: Floor (everyone touches the floor, last person drinks).
- 6: Chicks (ladies drink).
4. Drunk Poker
This is a poker variant where the stakes aren’t cash, but drinks. Play traditional poker, but every time you lose a hand, you take a drink. If you fold, you drink a smaller amount, but losing big? That’s a full drink.
5. Drunk UNO
Use a regular deck of UNO cards. The rules of UNO apply, but every time you draw two, skip a turn, or reverse, the person affected has to drink. Adding drinking penalties for losing players makes this game even more fun.
6. Pyramid
In Pyramid, a stack of cards is placed in the shape of a pyramid, face-down. Players take turns flipping cards and matching ranks. If a player matches the card, they can tell another player to drink. The higher up the pyramid, the more drinks can be assigned.
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7. Asshole
In Asshole, players try to become the president and avoid being the asshole. The president can assign drinks to other players, while the asshole has to do whatever the president says. Cards are dealt, and players need to get rid of their cards as quickly as possible. The hierarchy of ranks dictates who becomes president or asshole for the next round.
8. Fk the Dealer**
One player becomes the dealer and flips over a card. The next player guesses the card’s value. If they guess incorrectly, the dealer tells them whether it’s higher or lower. After two wrong guesses, the player drinks, and the role of the dealer passes on. This is one of the Kickass Drinking Games.
9. Presidents and Aholes**
Similar to Asshole, but with a few extra rules. Players race to get rid of all their cards, with the goal of becoming the president. Losers get relegated to being the asshole, and the president can make them drink or perform tasks.
10. High or Low
The dealer flips a card, and the player must guess whether the next card will be higher or lower. Guess wrong? Drink up! It’s a simple, fast-paced game that’s great for starting a night of fun.
11. 21s
Players go around in a circle counting aloud, and the goal is to avoid being the one to say “21.” You can say up to three numbers in your turn. Whoever says 21 drinks, and a rule is added to the next round.
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12. Bullsh*t
The goal is to get rid of all your cards by lying about what you have. If someone suspects you’re bluffing, they call “bullsh*t.” If they’re right, you drink. If they’re wrong, they drink!
13. Irish Poker
The dealer places four cards face down. Players guess whether the first card is red or black, higher or lower for the next two, and whether the fourth is in-between or outside the previous two. For every wrong guess, drink!
14. Drunk Go Fish
Use regular Go Fish rules, but with a drinking twist. Every time someone tells you to “Go Fish,” you take a drink.
15. Chase the Ace
Deal each player one card. The goal is to avoid being stuck with the lowest card, which is the ace. At the end of each round, the person with the lowest card takes a drink.
16. War
Each player draws a card at the same time, and the higher card wins. The loser of each round drinks. In the event of a “war” (a tie), the loser drinks double.
17. Speed
Players compete to get rid of all their cards by placing them in ascending or descending order on the pile. Each time you fail to make a move fast enough, drink.
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18. Kings and Queens
Players draw a card and must perform an action based on the suit and number of the card drawn. For example, hearts mean love, so you must compliment another player before they drink.
19. Kings Quest
This is a fun twist on Kings where players draw cards that determine mini-quests they must complete. Fail to complete the quest? Time to drink.
20. Blackjack with a Twist
Regular Blackjack, but with drinking penalties for losing hands. The loser takes a drink equal to the difference in their hand’s total versus 21.
21. Death Pyramid
Similar to Pyramid but more intense. Each level of the pyramid means an increasing number of drinks. If you match cards at the top of the pyramid, you can make another player drink a large amount.
22. Snap and Sip
Fast-paced and fun, this game is about matching cards quickly. Every time two players place the same card, the last person to yell “Snap” takes a drink.
23. Russian Roulette Cards
Shuffle a deck of cards. Players take turns drawing, and whoever pulls a red card drinks. If someone draws a black card, they’re safe.
24. Drink and Draw
Similar to Pictionary but using cards to determine what to draw. Each incorrect guess results in drinks for the team.
25. Memory (with Drinks)
Regular Memory game rules apply, but if you fail to make a match, take a drink.
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26. Slapjack
Players take turns drawing cards, and when a Jack appears, everyone tries to slap it. The last person to slap the Jack drinks.
27. Cheat
In Cheat, players try to sneak extra cards onto the pile. If they get caught, they drink!
28. Thumper
This high-energy game requires players to assign themselves a gesture. Players take turns doing their gesture, followed by someone else’s. Mess up? Drink!
29. Screw the Dealer
The dealer flips a card, and the player must guess its value. If they’re wrong, they drink. After two wrong guesses, the dealer drinks.
30. Card Shark
Players try to guess the next card’s suit or number. Get it wrong, take a drink. Make the wrong guess multiple times in a row? Drink double.
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31. Lucky Number Seven
Any time a player draws a card totaling seven, they assign drinks to other players. But if they draw a card higher than seven, they drink.
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32. Seven-Eleven-Doubles
Roll dice and try to land on 7, 11, or doubles. If you do, other players drink. If not, you do.
33. Spoons with Drinks
The classic Spoons game, but the last person to grab a spoon takes a drink.
34. Base Card Drinking Game
This game’s goal is to collect the highest base card. The player with the lowest base card at the end of the round drinks.
35. Texas Hold ‘Em (Drinking Edition)
Play a round of Texas Hold ‘Em, but the loser of each hand drinks. Simple and effective.
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36. Higher or Lower
One player shows a card, and the next player guesses whether the next card will be higher or lower. If they’re wrong, they drink.
37. Red or Black
Players guess the color of the next card. Wrong guesses mean drinking!
38. Flip Cup Cards
Combine Flip Cup with card-based rules, where each player must draw a card to determine how many drinks or flips they must perform.
39. 3-Man
A dice game with cards, players assign numbers based on the roll and card drawn. The 3-man always drinks whenever a three is involved.
40. Buffalo Club
Players try to use their non-dominant hand for drinking. If caught using their dominant hand, they drink. Play this alongside any other card game for extra laughs!
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