Drink Up! The 10 Best Boozy Card Games for Your Next Gathering

3 drinking card games with a woman looking at cards in the background
Courtesy of Getty Images, Amazon

There’s no doubt about it: Drinking games are fun. It’s a fact humans have been wise to since the days of the ancient Greeks, who, according to writer Michael Fontaine in the history-focused magazine History Today, were among the first to combine games with drinking. We’re not surprised, given that the Greeks were experts at having a good time.

A go-to pastime was kottabos, which involved throwing shallow wine-filled cups called kylix at a metal disc in the center of a room. Knock the disc down, and you win a prize. If that sounds messy, that’s because it was.

“I have had a kottabos stand made, and [practiced] assiduously,” shares wine writer Hugh Johnson in Hugh Johnson on Wine. “From personal experience I can say it is not at all easy,” he continues. “And it makes a terrible mess on the floor.”

Things have changed since the days of the ancient Greeks, not least that most of us aren’t keen to purposely spill wine on the floor. Drinking card games are a wonderful—and much cleaner—modern alternative. We’ve rounded up some of our favorites here.

With easy-to-follow rules and no-sweat portability, these games are perfect for gifting or pulling out at your next gathering. Just remember to pace yourself. It makes the fun last a little longer!

Do or Drink

The rules of this game are simple. Players take turns choosing from two decks of cards that prompt various tasks, like attempting the worm or eating a spoonful of coffee grounds. Some of the challenges are more extreme (think giving your Amex card a snip or calling an ex). Either do as the card commands or drink accordingly.

$30 Amazon

Truth or Drink Card Game

A variation on the classic party game Truth or Dare, this game is less about the dare and more about the truth. And by truth, we mean intense personal questions. Take turns drawing a card and choosing whether to spill your guts or take a sip. The set comes with more than 400 questions, which vary in level of intimacy. Expect queries like “Would you hire me?” and “Tell us what you do to annoy your partner on purpose.” Also included? Customizable blank cards for devising your own spicy inquiries.

Let the game run its course until the bottle runs out. By the end of the night, you’ll know your friends and family on a deeper level. 

$25 Amazon

Cards Against Humanity

Often dubbed as a grown-up version of the game Apples-to-Apples, Cards Against Humanity has become a modern classic. It originated as the brainchild of eight high-school friends and is notorious for encouraging awkward conversations and twisted humor. According to its official website, “[The game] is made of cards. You put the cards together to make jokes. It’s pretty stupid.” So stupid that it’s become a certified cult favorite, and the internet decided to turn it into a drinking game.

There are several ways to incorporate booze into gameplay. One option is to have the dealer choose a best and worst card—whoever put down the latter must drink. You can also have players place two white cards down, but if neither are chosen, they need to sip their drink. To really shake things up, players can exchange their hands for the price of a drink. 

$29 Amazon

Never Have I Ever Card Game

Also known as “The Game of Poor Life Decisions,” this deck is designed to help you relive your most entertaining (and perhaps embarrassing) memories. A changing set of rules prompts players to plead guilty to questionable life experiences. You’d be surprised at what ends up in your friends’ “Hall of Shame.”

Though drinking is not incorporated in the official rules, Never Have I Ever is a popular party pick that warrants a little booze. To turn this into a drinking card game, take a sip for every action you “have” done—a true toast to the crazy life you live. 

$25 Amazon

Booze Clues

You may be familiar with taking a shot whenever someone on The Bachelor confesses that they are “Here to find love.” Well, here’s a drinking card game that turns watching T.V. into a boozy competition.

The set comes with a deck of cards and four shot glasses, though we encourage you to grab any drink of your choice. To play, deal the cards, sit back and take a sip as the plot unfolds. And yes, it totally works with The Bachelor. 

$23 Amazon

Uno

Your childhood summer camp staple just got revamped. Creators on sites like Etsy turned Uno into a drinking game by pairing shot glasses with classic Uno cards and calling it “Drunken Uno.” Try a DIY-version by grabbing a deck of classic Uno cards and friends to join the fun. The boozy gameplay assigns new meaning to the more strategic cards. Draw 2? Take a sip. Draw 4? Take duo. Got skipped or reversed? Take a sip. False uno? A big swig is in order.

Whoever runs out of cards first not only gets the glory of winning, but also gets to choose a player to drink up. 

$8 Amazon

Buzzed Card Game

Probably one of the simplest drinking card games out there, this single deck is perfect for larger groups. To play, take turns drawing a card and follow the directive. Either you or other members in the group will drink accordingly.

Prepare to vote, compete and confess according to prompts that will have you spilling the tea (but hopefully not your drink) in no time. 

$28 Amazon

Stir the Pot

Disclaimer: This one might ruffle some feathers—all in good fun, of course.

In this game, players take turns pointing fingers in a good ol’ fashioned roast session. Some truths are kept secret, while others are read aloud. Fate is determined by a coin-flip. The original gameplay doesn’t call for booze, but here are some house rules to help get your sip on: Are you pointed at? Take a sip. Who is the most likely to win? Whoever finishes their drink first. Consider it compensation for being picked on. 

$20 Amazon

SOMM Blinders

So, who’s going to be the next big-deal sommelier? It’s BYOB for this one, but don’t forget to hide or remove the label.

The goal of this game is to blind taste wine and correctly match it with a descriptor card. Each card may contain a flavor-description—ranging from “green apple” to “cotton candy”—as well as a specific regions or varietals. A drinking game in the non-traditional sense, this is perfect for anyone looking to fine-tune their tasting skills in a laid-back setting.

$35 SOMM Blinders

Dizzy Date

Think you know everything about your partner?

This game has gained major traction on TikTok for its power to spice up date night. Made for couples, each card prompts a steamy dare or intimate confession with a drinking penalty. Can’t recite your partner’s go-to Starbucks order? Take a drink. Ever farted in front of your partner? Take a drink.

Keep it to the two of you or bring the heat with friends.  

$20 Amazon

 

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