Free drinking games · Rules + play online

Beer games: the classics, with rules and scoreboards

Cups, balls, coins and a table: the games that fill every good party. Every beer game here has complete rules, a setup guide, house rules and a free scoreboard or tracker for your phone, and every one works with any drink, including water.

  • 👥 2–20 players
  • 🎒 Cups, a ball or coin, a table

Updated by the Free Drinking Games team

Beer games: play online

What should we play?

How many of you?
What have you got?

Tell the picker how many of you there are and what you’ve got, and it deals you a game. Tap again for another.

Beer games: quick rules

Short on time? For 4 players, set up beer pong. For 8 or more, play flip cup or rage cage. For two, try quarters. Outside, go for beersbee.

Which beer game for your group?

Beer games by group size and kit
GamePlayersYou needBest for
Beer pong2 or 420 cups, 2 balls, long tableTournaments, competitive groups
Flip cup6–20A cup each, a tableBig groups, team spirit
Rage cage6–1520+ cups, 2 ballsLoud, fast parties
Quarters2–10A coin and a glassSmall groups, bars
Beer die4A die, 4 cups, big tableBackyards and basements
Beer ball4–8A can each, a ballBig teams
Beersbee4A disc, 2 poles, 2 bottlesSunny afternoons
Beer darts2–8Darts, cans, a boardCareful, steady groups
Beer golf1–8A golf course or barsDays out

Beer snakes

A beer snake isn’t a game you win; it’s the running sculpture of a long party. Every empty can is taped or stacked onto the end of a line that snakes around the room, over the furniture and out of the door. At big events a beer snake can run for hundreds of metres, which is why festivals and stadiums often ban them.

Our advice: make it a snake of rinsed, crushed cans laid on the floor (never stacked to head height), count the cans at the end for bragging rights, then take the whole snake to the recycling. It’s a nice way to see, honestly, how much the group has had: if the snake is longer than the guest list times two, it’s water time.

Setting up a beer games table

  • A folding table 6–8 ft long covers beer pong, flip cup, rage cage and beer ball.
  • Buy thin party cups in bulk (about 50 for a night) and a pack of 12 ping-pong balls.
  • Keep a water cup at each end for rinsing balls, and a jug of water for people.
  • Put a towel or tarp under the table: every one of these games spills.
  • A phone on a stand at the end of the table runs the scoreboard for everyone.

Beer games without beer

Every beer game works with water, soda or low-alcohol drinks: the cups, balls and chaos are what make them fun. Use water in the game cups and let everyone sip whatever they’re drinking, or turn on No alcohol in any of our scoreboards to play for penalty points. For games with no cups at all, see drinking games without cards and our card games.

Beer games variations

Beer olympics
String several beer games together as events, with teams, flags and a medal table. See our beer olympics planner.
Tournament night
Run a beer pong bracket and play flip cup between matches.
Outdoor edition
Yard pong, beersbee and cornhole: see outdoor drinking games.

Tips for a good game

  • Small pours in the game cups: a sip or two each.
  • Rinse balls often; they spend half the night on the floor.
  • Set up the water before the first game, not after the fifth.

Play it safe: every game here works with sips of any drink, or none at all. Only adults of legal drinking age should drink alcohol, alternate with water, and never drink and drive. [How to drink responsibly](/drink-responsibly/)

Beer games: FAQ

What are the best beer games?

Beer pong, flip cup, rage cage and quarters are the classics. Beer die and beersbee are great with a bigger space, and beer ball is perfect for big teams.

What beer games can you play with 2 people?

Quarters, 1-vs-1 beer pong, beer darts and beer golf all work with two. More ideas on drinking games for 2.

What is a beer snake?

A long line of empty cans built up during a party, taped or stacked end to end. Keep it on the floor and recycle it afterwards.

What do you need for beer games?

Most need a long table, plastic cups, and a ping-pong ball or coin. Beersbee needs two poles and a flying disc; beer die needs a die.

Can you play beer games without alcohol?

Yes. Put water in the cups and play for points. Every scoreboard on this site has a No alcohol mode.