Free · Play online · No sign-up
Rage cage: rules, setup and a cup tracker
A ring of players, a cage of cups in the middle, two ping-pong balls and pure chaos. Bounce the ball into your cup, pass it on, and try to stack the player next to you before they sink theirs. Here are the rules, the setup, the house rules, and a tracker that counts the cups left in the cage.
- 👥 6–15 players
- ⏱ 10–20 minutes
- 🎒 20+ plastic cups, 2 ping-pong balls
Rage Cage: play online
Rage cage tracker
Count the cups left in the cage and who gets stacked most. The phone announces when the death cup is live.
Set how many cups are in the cage, then tap a player every time they get stacked. The tracker counts down the cage and tells everyone when the death cup is live.
Rage Cage: quick rules
Put about 20 cups with a splash of drink in the middle of the table, plus one bigger “death cup” in the centre. Two players on opposite sides each start with an empty cup and a ball. Bounce the ball off the table into your cup, then pass the cup and ball to your left. If you sink it first try, you can pass to anyone. If your cup lands inside the cup of the player before you (you “stack” them), they drink a cup from the cage and keep playing. Whoever gets stacked when the cage is empty drinks the death cup.
Rage cage setup
- The cage: 16–24 plastic cups in a tight cluster in the middle of the table, each with a small splash of drink (a sip or two).
- The death cup: one cup in the very middle with a slightly bigger mix of everyone’s drinks, or just a normal cup of something nobody loves. Keep it modest.
- The starters: two empty cups and two ping-pong balls, handed to two players on opposite sides of the circle.
- Water: a water cup to rinse balls, and a jug of water on the side table.
How to play rage cage
Bounce
The two starters bounce their ball off the table, trying to land it in their own empty cup. Keep trying until it goes in.
Pass
Sink it and pass the cup and ball to the player on your left. Sink it on your first try and you may pass to anyone at the table.
Stack
If you sink yours while the player to your right is still trying with the other cup, drop your cup into theirs: they’re stacked.
Stacked player drinks
The stacked player takes a cup from the cage, drinks it, and brings it back into play as the new second cup. The stacked cups go to the side.
The death cup
When the cage is empty, the next player to get stacked drinks the death cup and the game ends.
Rage cage house rules
| Situation | Usual call |
|---|---|
| Ball goes in on the first bounce | Pass to anyone, not just left |
| Ball lands in a cage cup | The shooter drinks that cup and it rejoins play |
| Knocking over a cage cup | The knocker drinks it |
| Both cups end up with the same player | They must sink the first one before stacking |
| Throwing instead of bouncing | Doesn’t count |
Slap cup, stack cup, rage cup: other names
Rage cage is also called stack cup, slap cup and rage cup. It grew out of speed quarters, which uses coins and glasses instead of balls and cups. The rules above are the most common version; a gentler one (often called “slap cup”) lets you slap the other cup away instead of stacking it, and the slapped player simply keeps bouncing.
Keeping rage cage fun
Rage cage moves fast, so the cups must stay small: a sip in each. With 20 cups and 10 players, everyone drinks about two cups in a game. If one player keeps getting stacked, give them water cups for a round. Want more team games that pack a table? See our large-group games and beer games.
Rage Cage variations
- Water cage
- Water in every cup except a few; the stacking is just as frantic.
- Rage cage with dares
- Instead of drinking a cage cup, the stacked player does a quick dare from the group.
- Three-ball rage
- With 14+ players, add a third cup and ball, evenly spaced around the table.
- Pour your own
- Each cage cup gets a splash from a different drink, so nobody knows what they’ll get.
Tips for a good game
- Use a table that isn’t wobbly: bouncing on a soft surface is miserable.
- Keep spare balls; they fly everywhere.
- Put the cage on a tray so spills stay in one place.
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/)
Rage Cage: FAQ
How do you play rage cage?
Players stand around a table with a cage of cups in the middle. Two players start with an empty cup and a ball; bounce the ball into your cup, then pass it left. If you sink yours while the player before you is still trying, stack your cup into theirs: they drink a cup from the cage. Whoever is stacked when the cage is empty drinks the death cup.
How many cups do you need for rage cage?
About 16–24 cups in the cage plus one death cup and two starter cups. Roughly two cups per player keeps the game at a good length.
What is the death cup in rage cage?
The cup in the middle of the cage. When all other cage cups are gone, the next player to get stacked drinks it and the game ends. Keep it a normal-sized serving.
What happens if you make it on the first try?
You can pass the cup and ball to any player, not just the one on your left. Great for catching someone out.
Is rage cage the same as stack cup?
Yes. Stack cup, slap cup, rage cup and rage cage are names for the same bounce-and-stack game, with small differences in house rules.
More drinking games to try
- Flip Cup The team relay: drink, flip, next. With a relay timer.
- Beer Pong Rules, setup, re-racks, a cup tracker and a tournament bracket.
- Quarters Bounce a coin into a glass; make three, make a rule.
- Large-group games Team games and party games for 8 to 30+ players.