8 Fun Drinking Games With Cards

1. Circle of Death

Arrange cards face down in a circle around a central cup, which is filled with a drink of choice. Players take turns drawing cards and each card corresponds to a specific action or rule (e.g., waterfall, categories). In Circle of Death, each card corresponds to a specific action or rule. Here's a breakdown of what each card typically represents:

• Ace: Waterfall - Everyone starts drinking, and no one can stop until the person to their right stops.
• 2: You - Pick someone to take a drink.
• 3: Me - The person who drew the card drinks.
• 4: Floor - Everyone must touch the floor, and the last person to do so drinks.
• 5: Guys - All guys drink.
• 6: Chicks - All girls drink.
• 7: Heaven - Everyone points to the sky, and the last person to do so drinks.
• 8: Mate - Choose someone to be your drinking buddy; whenever you drink, they drink, and vice versa.
• 9: Rhyme - Say a word, and everyone else must say a word that rhymes with it. The first person who can't think of a rhyme drinks.
• 10: Categories - Choose a category (e.g., brands of soda, types of fruit), and everyone must say something that fits into that category. The first person who can't think of something drinks.
• Jack: Rule - Create a rule that everyone must follow until the end of the game (e.g., no using first names, no pointing).
• Queen: Questions - Go around the circle asking each player a question. The first person who answers a question or can't think of one drinks.
• King: King's Cup - Pour some of your drink into the central cup in the middle of the table. The person who draws the fourth king must drink the contents of the King's Cup.

These are general guidelines, and variations of the rules may exist depending on house rules or regional variations. Always ensure that all players are aware of and comfortable with the rules before starting the game.

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2. High or Low

• One player draws a card from the deck and keeps it hidden.
• Other players guess whether the next card drawn will be higher or lower than the first card.
• Players who guess incorrectly must take a drink.

3. War

• Split the deck evenly between two players.
• Players simultaneously reveal the top card of their deck.
• The player with the higher card wins and the loser drinks.

4. F*ck the Dealer

• One player is designated as the dealer.
• The dealer shuffles the cards and holds them face down.
• Other players guess the rank of the top card in the deck
• If the player correctly guesses the rank of the card, the dealer must take 3 sips, and it's then the next player's turn to guess.
• If the player's guess is incorrect, they must take a sip, and then the dealer must indicate whether the card is higher or lower than their initial guess. The player then has a second chance to guess the card correctly. If the player’s second guess is correct, then the dealer must take 1 sip.
• If the player’s second guess is incorrect, they must drink the difference between their second guess and the card. The dealer then places the card on the table and it’s time for the next player to guess the next card.
• The players continue this cycle until three consecutive players incorrectly guess their second attempt. After the third consecutive incorrect guess, the dealer passes the card to the next player, who becomes the new dealer.
• Example:
  • Given the card is a 10,
  • If the player guesses 4, the dealer will declare ‘higher’, and the player takes a sip. If the player’s second guess is 7, they will take 3 sips because 10-7= 3.

5. Memory

• Lay out cards face down in a grid.
• Players take turns flipping two cards at a time, trying to find matching pairs.
• If a player fails to find a match, they must drink and the next player takes a turn.

6. The Clock

7. The Bus (short version)

• Guess out loud whether the card will be higher or lower than a 7. Flip over a card from the deck. If you're right, you keep going. If you're wrong, take a sip and try again. If the card is a 7 you are unfortunately wrong.
• If you're still in the game, make another guess for the next card, but this time you must guess if it will be higher or lower than the previous one. Flip over the next card. If you're right, the adventure continues. If not, take two sips (because you reached the second step) and start over from scratch.
• If you're still standing, repeat the process for the next card, higher or lower than the previous one. Get it right, and you're on your way. Get it wrong, and it's three sips (because you reached the third step) and back to step one.
• This pattern repeats until you successfully guess the next card correctly five consecutive times.
• Example:
  • Let's say the player flips over a card and predicts that the next card will be higher than 7. They flip over the next card, and it's a 9! Since they guessed correctly, they can continue to the next round.
  • Now, for the second card, the player predicts that the next card will be lower than the previous one. They flip over the card, and it's a 5! Great job! They've guessed correctly again and can continue.
  • For the third card, the player predicts that the next card will be higher. They flip over the card, and it's a 3… This means they must go back to step 1.
  • Imagine, now the player flips over a card and predicts that the next card will be higher than 7. They flip over the next card, and it's a 6. Since they guessed wrong, they must take 1 sip because they are back to step 1.

8. Up the River, Down the River

• Players sit around a table or in a circle.
• One player is designated as the dealer.
• The dealer shuffles the deck and deals four cards face up in front of each player.
• The game consists of two phases: "Up the River" and "Down the River."

Phase 1: Up the River

• The dealer flips over one card at a time from the remaining deck and calls out its rank and suit.
• If a player has a card matching the rank of the flipped card, they must take a drink for each matching card (e.g., if a 7 is flipped and a player has two 7s, they take two drinks).
• This continues until four cards have been flipped. Each successive card requires an increasing number of drinks:
  • 1st card: 1 drink for each match
  • 2nd card: 2 drinks for each match
  • 3rd card: 3 drinks for each match
  • 4th card: 4 drinks for each match

Phase 2: Down the River

• After the four "Up the River" cards are flipped, the game moves to "Down the River," where players give drinks.
• The dealer flips another four cards from the deck, one at a time, just like in "Up the River."
• If a player's card matches the rank of the flipped card, they can assign drinks to other players:
  • 1st card: Assign 1 drink for each match
  • 2nd card: Assign 2 drinks for each match
  • 3rd card: Assign 3 drinks for each match
  • 4th card: Assign 4 drinks for each match
• Players can split the drinks among multiple people or assign all to one person.

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