Guide · Checklist · Game plan
How to host a drinking game night
A good game night doesn’t happen by accident. It needs the right games in the right order, enough water, some food, and a plan for getting everyone home. Here’s a simple timeline, a shopping list, a three-hour game plan and the house rules that keep it fun from the first card to the last.
- 👥 4–20 guests
- ⏱ An evening
- 🎒 This checklist
How to host a drinking game night: play online
Not sure where to start? Tell the picker how many of you there are and what you have, and it deals you a first game.
How to host a drinking game night: quick rules
Invite people a week ahead, plan three or four games (one easy starter, one team game, one loud game, one calm finisher), buy cups, balls, a deck of cards and more water and food than you think, set house rules before the first game (sips only, anyone can pass, water rounds) and sort out everyone’s ride home before anyone has a drink.
Game night timeline
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| A week before | Invite people, check who drinks and who doesn’t, and pick a theme if you want one. |
| Three days before | Choose 3–4 games and make sure you have what each needs (see the shopping list). |
| The day before | Shop, charge phones and a speaker, clear a table, and plan rides home. |
| An hour before | Set up the game table, fill water jugs, put out food, and open the first game on your phone. |
| During | Water round every 30 minutes, food out before the second game, and keep an eye on everyone. |
| At the end | Everyone gets home safely: taxis booked, sofas made up, nobody drives. |
A three-hour game plan
- Warm-up (arrivals, 30 minutes): the Party Deck or Kings Cup on the Chill level, so late arrivals can join mid-game.
- Team game (45 minutes): flip cup or a beer pong mini-tournament. Shuffle teams with the team maker.
- Food and water break (20 minutes).
- Loud game (45 minutes): rage cage, drinking roulette or the drinking board game.
- Calm finisher (30 minutes): Truth or Drink, drinking bingo during a film, or word games.
Big group? Run two games at once in different corners. Small group? See drinking games for 3 and for 2.
Shopping list
- Cups: 50 plastic party cups (16 oz) for games, plus normal glasses for drinks.
- Balls: a pack of 12 ping-pong balls, and a coin for quarters.
- A deck of cards and two dice (or just use the online versions here).
- Water: at least one large jug per table, refilled all night.
- Soft drinks and mixers so anyone can play every game with any drink.
- Food: proper food early (pizza, tacos, a chilli), then snacks.
- Towels and a bin bag per table: every game spills.
- A phone stand or TV so everyone can see the game.
House rules that keep it fun
- Sips, not chugging. Every “drink” in every game means a sip or two.
- Anyone can pass any card, dare or turn, no explanation needed.
- Water rounds every 30 minutes (our games can remind you every 20).
- Any drink counts: soda and water players play every game, for points.
- No phones on the game table except the one running the game.
- Nobody drives. Decide how everyone gets home before the first drink.
Looking after your guests
As host, you set the pace. Serve food early, make water the easiest drink to grab, and slow the games down if anyone is flagging: switch to a talking game, or to the No alcohol mode that every game here has.
Know the signs that someone has had too much (confusion, vomiting, slow or irregular breathing, not waking up) and call emergency services straight away if you see them. Never leave that person alone. Our drink responsibly page has the details.
Theme ideas
- Beer olympics: teams, flags and a medal table: beer olympics planner.
- Movie night: a film and movie drinking bingo.
- Game day: the big match with football drinking game cards.
- Halloween: costumes and Halloween drinking games.
- Pirate night: Drunken Pirates and rum-free grog.
Tips for a good game
- Put the water jug in the middle of the game table, not in the kitchen.
- Start the first game as soon as three people arrive.
- End on a high: stop the games while everyone is still having 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/)
How to host a drinking game night: FAQ
How many games should I plan for a game night?
Three or four: an easy starter, a team game, a loud game and a calm finisher. Each lasts 30–45 minutes.
What are the best drinking games for a party?
Kings Cup or the Party Deck to start, flip cup or beer pong for teams, rage cage for noise, and Truth or Drink to finish.
How much water should I have?
At least one large jug per table, refilled all night, and a water round every 30 minutes.
How do I include friends who don’t drink?
Choose games with an Any drink or No alcohol mode (every game here has both), and have good soft drinks. See our guide to playing without alcohol.
More drinking games to try
- Large-group games Team games and party games for 8 to 30+ players.
- Beer Olympics Events, teams and a live medal table for your party.
- Playing without alcohol Swaps, points, forfeits and the best games to play sober.