8 Great Easy Drinking Games For Every Party

Because there's only so many times you can play Never Have I Ever.

Flip Cup

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Players required: Two or more, preferably four.

Items needed: One cup per person playing.

How to play: Flip Cup is a team game with two sides sat on opposite sides of a table. Each cup is filled part of the way to the top with your chosen alcohol. The aim of the game is to drink your drink as quickly as possible, hold the cup over the edge of the table and try to flip it so it lands upside down. First team to finish wins.

How to take your game to the next level: As the great sports coach Gordon Bombay taught The Mighty Ducks, "soft hands". Most plastic cups are pretty light, so let the base of the cup do the work for you.

The Claim Game

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Players required: Four or more, in a circle.

Items needed: Everyone needs a drink.

How to play: The Claim Game is started by one person saying "I claim I can name..." something. For example, "I claim I can name four songs by Beyoncé." It then goes to the person to the left, who increases the number by how confident they feel – up to five songs, 15 songs etc. This continues until someone makes a claim on a number, and the person caught out has to make good on their bet. A loser sees off their drink.

How to take your game to the next level: Game the system by picking things with a nice finite limit. There have been 13 Doctors in Doctor Who, so get ready to cash in when someone gets close to that.

Danger Fives

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Players required: Three and up.

Items needed: A drink per person.

How to play: Everyone puts a clenched fist into the centre of the circle. On the count of three each person either opens their hand or keeps it clenched. At the same time, the person in play guesses out loud how many hands will be open in multiples of five (for five fingers per hand). If the guess is correct – e.g. "25" as five people open their hands – the player is out of the game and safe. BUT, to be safely out, they must declare, "Ladies and gentleman, thank you for a lovely game of fives," without laughing or smiling. Whether they're out or not, the game then moves on to the next player. Last one in sees off some of their drink.

How to take your game to the next level: Quick draw. When someone calls a correct number, immediately call a multiple of five one less than the one they called and close your hand (or call it one more and open your hand). Then say "Ladies and gentleman, thank you for a lovely game of fives" while looking vaguely at the table to avoid making eye contact and laughing at your crafty moves.

Red or Black

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Players required: Two or more.

Items needed: A pack of cards.

How to play: Each player in turn draws a card and makes a prediction about it being black or red. If you guess correct on your draw, happy days. Get it wrong, drink.

How to take your game to the next level: You've got a 50/50 chance (kinda). Don't worry about it.

Beer Pong

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Players required: Two or more.

Items needed: Twelve cups. A couple of ping pong balls. A table

How to play: Fill your 12 cups part-way with your drink and set them up in 3-2-1 formation on opposing sides of the table. In two teams, players take turns in attempting to throw ping pong balls into the opposing side’s cups. When a ball lands in a cup, a member of the opposing team must drink its contents and remove the cup from the board. Eliminate all of your opposition's cups to win.

How to take your game to the next level: USE THE TABLE. A good bounce off a table can get the ping pong ball at the right height. Also, make sure your balls are dry before taking your turn. For an added twist, add "danger cups", harder drinks in difficult positions on the board.

Who Am I?

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Players required: Three or more. Four at least, preferably.

Items needed: Blank cards, a pen, everyone with a drink.

How to play: Similar to the Heads Up App Store game, Who Am I? sees everyone write the name of a famous person, real or fictional, on their card and swap it with another player without looking at the card they've been given. Everyone then places their card on their forehead so everyone can see it but them. Then, going round in a circle, players take turns to ask the others yes/no questions to figure out what character they are. Every time the answer is no, take a sip of your drink.

Ride the Bus

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Players required: At least three.

Items needed: Pack of cards, everyone with a drink.

How you play: Someone lays a 3x3 square of nine cards face down, before dealing out the rest of cards evenly to the other players. One at a time, the cards in the 3x3 are revealed. If you have a card of that number/face in your hand, you can play it down on the grid and nominate someone to drink three fingers of their drink.

Once the 3x3 grid is done, reshuffle the remaining cards and create a 1-2-3-2-1 diamond – the Bus. Starting from one end of the diamond, players with cards left in their hands must navigate a route from one side of the Bus to the other by turning cards, without overturning a face card. For every failed attempt, drink three fingers.

Drink the Beer

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And of course here's a bunch of additional "International" drinking rules you can add to any event.

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Failure to adhere to these rules will result in a two-finger forfeit.

1) Use your left hand for drinking and your right for pouring.

2) No first names.

3) No pointing.

4) Double-tap all drinks on the table after taking a sip.

5) No using the word "drink".

6) Extend the pinkie finger when drinking.