Free · Play online · No sign-up

Drinko: the Plinko drinking game

Drop a disc, watch it bounce down the pegs, and find out what it lands on: sips, gifts, water breaks or a free pass. Drinko is the drinking-game version of the game-show classic Plinko. Play it online below with three slot sets, or build your own board for the party.

  • 👥 2–12 players
  • ⏱ As long as you like
  • 🎒 One phone (or a peg board and cups)

Updated by the Free Drinking Games team

Drinko: play online

Drinko

Drop the disc, see who drinks

Pick a column, drop the disc and watch it bounce down the pegs. The slot it lands in decides: take a sip, give some out, water, or a free pass. Pass the phone for the next drop.

Tap the board (or use the arrows) to aim, then Drop. Choose Classic, Party (dares and truths) or Chill (lots of water). Add names under “Players” to take turns.

Drinko: quick rules

Players take turns choosing where to drop the disc at the top of the board. It bounces off the pegs into one of 9 slots at the bottom; the slot says what happens: take a sip, give sips, water, a dare or a new rule. The middle slots come up most often, so the biggest outcomes sit at the edges.

How to play Drinko

  1. Aim

    The current player chooses a column at the top. Tap the board where you want to drop, or use the arrows.

  2. Drop

    The disc bounces left or right at every row of pegs, a fair 50–50 each time, and lands in a slot.

  3. Do the slot

    Take a sip, give some out, have water, pick a mate, answer a truth or make a rule.

  4. Pass it on

    Next player drops. Play for a set number of rounds, or until the next game.

Where should you drop? (the odds)

Every bounce is a coin flip, so the disc usually lands close to where you dropped it: most drops finish within two slots of the starting column, and the edges are hard to reach from the middle. That’s why our boards put the big outcomes (“Give 3”, “Dare”, “Rule”) at the edges and ordinary ones in the middle.

So aim for an edge if you want the jackpot, and for the middle if you want to play it safe. It’s the same maths as a Galton board, and why real Plinko prizes sit where they do.

How to build a real Drinko board

  • Board: a sheet of plywood about 60 × 90 cm (2 × 3 ft), propped up at an angle against a wall or on a stand.
  • Pegs: screws or wooden dowels in staggered rows, about 5 cm (2 in) apart; a disc should just fit between two pegs.
  • Disc: a plastic poker chip or a small puck. Glue two chips together for weight.
  • Slots: divide the bottom into 7–9 slots with strips of wood and put a small cup in each, labelled with the outcome.
  • Rails: add a strip down each side so the disc can’t fall off.

Fill the cups at the bottom with water, juice and one or two with something stronger, or keep drinks separate and label the slots with rules. No time for DIY? The online board above plays exactly the same.

Slot ideas for your own board

Mix outcomes so nobody drinks every turn: 2–3 “take” slots, 2 “give” slots, 1–2 water or safe slots and 1–2 wild ones (a dare, a truth, make a rule, pick a drinking mate). Put the rare edge slots to work with the most dramatic outcomes. For more wheel-of-fortune style games, see drinking roulette and the shot games page.

Drinko variations

Team Drinko
Two teams alternate drops; each slot gives points instead of sips. First team to 20 wins.
Blind drop
The player to your left chooses your column.
No-alcohol Drinko
Choose No alcohol: every sip becomes a penalty point; use the Chill set.

Tips for a good game

  • Keep the board steady: a wobble changes everything.
  • Put water in at least two cups on a real board.
  • Let everyone aim before the drop: the suspense is half the fun.

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/)

Drinko: FAQ

What is Drinko?

A drinking game based on Plinko: drop a disc down a board of pegs, and the slot it lands in decides what happens, from a sip to a free pass.

Can you play Drinko online?

Yes: the board above is free to play on one phone, with three slot sets and turns for every player.

How do you make a Drinko board?

Use a sheet of plywood with staggered rows of screws or dowels about 5 cm apart, side rails, and 7–9 labelled slots with cups at the bottom. A poker chip makes a good disc.

Where is the best place to drop in Drinko?

The disc usually lands near where you drop it. Aim for an edge column for the rare outcomes, the middle to play it safe.

More drinking games to try

More party games from our sister sites