Free · Play online · No sign-up
Kings Cup card game: rules and a free online deck
The classic card drinking game, also called Ring of Fire or Circle of Death. Shuffle our online deck and pass the phone, or grab real cards and use the card meanings below.
- 👥 3–10 players (2-player rules too)
- ⏱ 30–60 minutes
- 🎒 A phone or a deck of cards, one cup
Kings Cup: play online
A full deck with the rule on every card
Shuffle a virtual 52-card deck and pass the phone around the circle. Each card shows its rule, lasting roles appear as badges, and the fourth King ends the game.
Kings Cup: quick rules
Spread a deck of cards face down in a ring around an empty cup. Players take turns drawing a card and doing what that card means: Ace is Waterfall, 2 is You, 3 is Me, and so on up to King. Each King adds a splash to the cup in the middle; whoever draws the fourth King takes 3 sips from it and the game ends.
How to play the Kings Cup drinking game
Set up the ring
Put an empty cup (the King’s Cup) in the middle of the table and spread a shuffled 52-card deck face down around it in a circle. Everyone sits around the table with their own drink. Online, just press Shuffle and play.
Draw a card
The youngest player starts. They draw one card, turn it face up and read out its rule. Play then passes clockwise (to the left).
Do what the card says
Each rank has its own rule: some are quick (3 is Me: you take 2 sips), some are mini-games for the whole circle (10 is Categories), and some last until the same card comes up again (Queen makes you the Question Master).
Feed the King’s Cup
When someone draws a King, they pour a splash of their drink into the King’s Cup. The first three Kings just add to it.
The fourth King ends it
Whoever draws the fourth King takes 3 sips from the King’s Cup and the game is over. (Old-school rules say “drink the whole cup”; we don’t, because mixed drinks in big gulps is how game nights go wrong.)
Kings Cup card meanings
These are the rules our online deck uses by default. Most groups know them; if yours plays a card differently, change it in House rules before you start.
| Card | Rule | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Ace | Waterfall | Everyone starts drinking at the same time, the player who drew it first. Nobody can stop until the person before them stops, so the player who drew it decides when it ends. |
| 2 | You | The player who drew it picks someone to take 2 sips. |
| 3 | Me | The player who drew it takes 2 sips. |
| 4 | Floor | Everyone touches the floor. The last one down takes 2 sips. |
| 5 | Jive | The player who drew it does a dance move. The next player repeats it and adds one, and so on. First to mess up the sequence takes 2 sips. |
| 6 | Thumb Master | The player who drew it is the Thumb Master until the next 6. Whenever they quietly put a thumb on the table, everyone copies. The last to notice takes 1 sip. |
| 7 | Heaven | Everyone points to the sky. The last hand up takes 2 sips. |
| 8 | Mate | The player who drew it picks a mate. Until the next 8, whenever one of you takes a sip, so does the other. |
| 9 | Rhyme | The player who drew it says a word. Going round the circle, everyone says a word that rhymes. First to repeat a word or stall takes 2 sips. |
| 10 | Categories | The player who drew it names a category (car brands, pizza toppings…). Going round, everyone names something in it. First to fail takes 2 sips. |
| Jack | Make a Rule | The player who drew it makes a rule everyone must follow until the next Jack (no pointing, say "please" first…). Anyone who breaks it takes 1 sip. |
| Queen | Question Master | The player who drew it is the Question Master until the next Queen. Anyone who answers one of their questions takes 1 sip, unless they reply "…question master". |
| King | King's Cup | The player who drew it pours a splash of their drink into the King’s Cup in the middle. Whoever draws the fourth King takes 3 sips from the cup and the game ends. |
A rhyme helps everyone remember the first few: “2 is you, 3 is me, 4 is floor, 7 is heaven.”
The King in Kings Cup: what does it mean?
The King is the card that gives the game its name. Every time a King is drawn, that player tops up the King’s Cup in the middle of the ring. Nothing else happens for the first three.
The fourth King is the finale: whoever draws it takes 3 sips from the King’s Cup and the game ends, even if cards are left. In the online game the cup in the corner fills a quarter at a time so everyone can see how close the end is.
Some groups also let the King player make a rule (like a Jack) or change one card’s rule for the rest of the game. Add that in House rules if you like it.
Ring of Fire drinking game and Circle of Death: the same game?
Yes. Kings Cup, King’s Cup, Kings, Ring of Fire and Circle of Death are all names for this game; which one you grew up with depends mostly on where you went to school. The ring of face-down cards around the cup is where “Ring of Fire” and “Circle of Death” come from.
One extra rule belongs to the ring version: if you break the ring (leave a gap between cards when you draw), you take a penalty, 2 sips in most houses. Online there is no ring to break, so we skip it.
Traditional rules vs our rules
In many older rule sets, 4 is “Whores” (all women drink), 5 is “Guys” and 6 is “Chicks”. They leave out anyone who isn’t on the named side and they’re dull at a mixed table, so our default swaps them for three rules everyone plays: Floor, Jive and Thumb Master.
The College set makes 5 a Social (everyone takes a sip) and Jack a round of Never Have I Ever. The Couples set turns the cards into compliments, memories and small dares for two, and the Kings Cup Extreme set has wilder dares for bold groups.
Can you play Kings Cup with 2 people?
You can, with a few changes: Waterfall becomes a two-person race, Mate becomes Swap, and the group mini-games become duels (thumb war, staring contest). Pick the Two players rule set in the online game and every card is rewritten for two.
Looking for more two-player ideas? See our drinking games for 2 and couples drinking games.
House rules worth trying
- No names: nobody may say anyone’s name for the whole game. Slip up and take a sip.
- Left hand only: drinks may only be held in the left hand (a classic that runs all night).
- Social King: when a King is drawn, everyone takes one sip together.
- Snake Eyes on 6: instead of Thumb Master, the player becomes Snake Eyes; anyone who meets their eyes takes a sip.
- Water card: make one card (say the 3) a water break for the whole table. Our deck already suggests water after the game.
Kings Cup variations
- Kings Cup Extreme
- Dares, forfeits and a hot seat instead of the gentle rules. See Kings Cup Extreme for the full list, playable online.
- College Kings
- Social on 5, Snake Eyes on 6, Never Have I Ever on the Jack: faster and noisier. Choose College in the game.
- Two-player Kings
- Every card rewritten as a duel or a question for two. Choose Two players.
- Couples Kings
- Compliments, memories and slow dances. Nothing explicit. Choose Couples.
- Kings Cup without alcohol
- Set the game to No alcohol: every sip becomes a penalty point and Waterfall becomes a humming contest. Lowest score wins.
Tips for a good game
- Agree the rules before the first card, especially for the 8 (Mate) and the Jack (Make a Rule).
- Keep the King’s Cup small: a splash from each King, not half a drink.
- Put a jug of water on the table and make it part of the game.
- With more than 10 players, split into two circles, one phone each.
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/)
Kings Cup: FAQ
What are the basic rules of Kings Cup?
Players take turns drawing cards from a ring around a cup. Each card has a rule (Ace Waterfall, 2 You, 3 Me, 4 Floor, 5 Jive, 6 Thumb Master, 7 Heaven, 8 Mate, 9 Rhyme, 10 Categories, Jack Make a Rule, Queen Question Master, King adds to the cup). The fourth King ends the game.
How many people do you need for Kings Cup?
It works best with 4 to 8 players. Three is fine, and there is a two-player rule set. Above 10, split into two groups.
What happens when the fourth King is drawn?
The player who draws it takes 3 sips from the King’s Cup and the game ends. Traditional rules say they finish the whole cup; we recommend sips.
What does the Jack mean in Kings Cup?
In our classic rules the Jack is Make a Rule: the player invents a rule everyone must follow until the next Jack. In college rules the Jack is often a round of Never Have I Ever.
What is a Waterfall in Kings Cup?
When an Ace is drawn, everyone starts drinking at the same time. You may only stop after the person before you has stopped, so the player who drew the Ace decides how long it lasts.
Is Kings Cup the same as Ring of Fire and Circle of Death?
Yes, they are regional names for the same card game. The rules below apply to all of them.
Can you play Kings Cup without cards?
Yes. Our online Kings Cup shuffles a full 52-card deck on your phone, shows the rule for every card and tracks the Kings, roles and rules for you.
Can you play Kings Cup without alcohol?
Yes. Choose No alcohol in the game settings: sips become penalty points and the lowest score wins. Soda or water in the King’s Cup works too.
More drinking games to try
- Kings Cup Extreme Every card a dare, forfeit or hot seat. Louder, not boozier.
- Ride the Bus Four guesses, a pyramid and the dreaded bus ride.
- Drinking card games Kings Cup, Ride the Bus, Higher or Lower, Horse Race and more.