best drinking games - young people playing beer pong outside
best drinking games - young people playing beer pong outside

Best Drinking Games For Students

Bored at pres? These easy drinking games will liven things up.

Whether it’s Freshers Week, your housemate’s birthday, or a boring Tuesday night, drinking games are a way for everyone to bond over some organised fun. 

And, of course, the booze does help a bit with getting to know people on a deeper level. 

However, please drink responsibly, and stay safe during Freshers. You don’t want to spend the next few weeks not feeling well and missing out on the experience. 

We’ve got the best drinking games, from ones without cards to drinking games for small groups. 
Not planning on drinking while at uni? Here are some alcohol-free and sober bars near you.

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Best drinking games

Drink Murder

An adult twist on the classic game, wink-murder. 

Number of players: as many as you want

Things needed: just some pals and drinks

How to play

  • Each round has one person that is assigned (secretly) to be the murderer. 
  • The murderer has the ability to ‘kill’ the other players just by looking them in the eye and winking. 
  • If you’re winked at, you have to pretend to ‘die’, or in this case, take a sip of your drink.
  • The other players have to guess who the murderer is each time someone dies. 
  • If they get it wrong, they have to drink. If they get it right, the murderer must down their drink. 

Pizza Box

A game of rules and skill. 

Number of players: the more, the merrier

Things needed: empty pizza box (or broken down empty case of beer/piece of cardboard/paper), a penny/coin

How to play:

  • On the piece of cardboard/pizza box, every player writes their name and draws a circle around it. 
  • The first player starts by tossing a coin onto the cardboard. If it lands on somebody’s name, that person has to drink. Then it’s the next player’s turn to toss a coin.
  • If the coin doesn’t land on someone’s name, and instead on a blank area, the player who tossed the coin gets to write a rule in the empty spot and draw a circle around it (can be as big or small as they want). If someone lands the coin on a rule, they have to do the rule (i.e. down their drink, hop on one leg for 2 minutes).
  • Each player takes a turn in tossing a coin before continuing to the next person. Continue until the box is covered in rules. 

Cheers to the Governor

So simple but will have you in stitches. Definitely one of the best drinking games to play.

Number of players: 3 or more ideally

Things needed: an active imagination 

How to play:

  • The aim is to count to 21. Go round the group and take turns counting until you get to 21 (first person says 1, second says 2, etc). 
  • When you start the game, the first rule is that 7 and 14 are switched, so when counting, it should be ‘1-6, 14, 8-13, 7, 15-21’.
  • Once you get to 21, everyone yells “cheers to the Governor” and drinks. Whoever says 21 then gets to choose another rule for the next round; such as say “moo” instead of odd numbers. Then you play the game again with the new rule as well as the previous one.
  • Whoever says the wrong number or messes up a rule, has to drink. 

Easy drinking games

Here’s your little reminder that you absolutely don’t have to drink if you don’t want to. A lot of these games are just as with sober alternatives! 

If you’re planning on cutting back on the alcohol, here are some fun alternatives to drinking for your time at uni.

Roxanne

One you can have a little jive during. Arguably one of the most easy drinking games for uni students. 

Number of players: could play on your own TBH but we recommend at least 3 people for extra giggles

Things needed: phone or something to play music off

How to play:

  • This is such an easy drinking game and can be done to a variety of songs, including ‘WAP’ by Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion.
  • Play the song and drink every time you hear “Roxanne” in the song, or “WAP” (or whatever song you choose to listen to). 

Medusa

It doesn’t get much simpler than Medusa, one of the most easy drinking games you could play.

Number of players: at least 3, but it’s way more fun with a bunch

Things needed: your eyes

How to play:

  • Gather around a table and place a shot of alcohol in front of each player. 
  • Everyone has to start with their head down, and then count to 3. On 3, each player must raise their head and look at another player.
  • If two players lock eyes, they have to shout “Medusa!” and neck their shot. If no one locks eyes, then the game continues. 

Moustache

Incredibly simple but so hilarious. 

Number of players: 1 to 100

Things needed: TV, a fake moustache (or Christmas hat will do, too)

How to play:

  • Stick the fake moustache on the TV screen.
  • Take a drink every time the moustache lined up with the actor’s lips.
  • If using a Christmas hat, place it on the corner/edge of the TV and drink each time it lines up with someone  wearing it.

Drinking games without cards

Drunk Jenga

best drinking games without cards- women playing drunk jenga outside

A classic game with a tipsy twist.

Number of players: 2 or more

Things needed: Jenga and a pen

How to play:

  • Luckily, Drunk Jenga is one of the drinking games without cards, making it simple and easy to play — just like actual Jenga.
  • On your Jenga set, write a different rule on the top of each block. You can write things like “down what’s left of your drink”, “take a mystery shot”, “kiss the person you fancy the most” — you get the idea, have fun with it.
  • Then play Jenga as usual, and the person has to follow whatever rule they pull out on their Jenga piece. 

Flip Cup

Flip Cup is one of the most fun drinking games without cards. A little bit of coordination and speed, what a combo with alcohol!

Number of players: at least 4, better if more and in even numbers

Things needed: plastic cups (same number as players)

How to play: 

  • Split the group into two equal teams. Line up at the sides of the table, facing each other. 
  • Place one plastic cup in front of each person and fill them with the same amount of drink.
  • The first player on each side has to drink their drink as quickly as possible, put the empty cup on the edge of the table and then try to flip it; hopefully landing on the table upside down. Catch: you can only use one hand. 
  • The next player cannot start their drink until the previous player has a successful flip. 
  • First team to finish is the winner. 

I’m Going To The Bar

Memory games are super funny when it’s turned into a drinking game.

Number of players: 2 or more

Things needed: short-term memory

How to play:

  • One player will start by saying something like “I’m going to the bar… and I’m getting a tray of shots”. 
  • The next player then has to repeat what the previous player has said, and add something of their own. For example: “I’m going to the bar and I’m getting a tray of shots, and a packet of crisps to share”.
  • The next player then has to remember and say the previous 2 players’ sentences and add their own, continuing around the group. If someone forgets to say something or takes too long to answer, that player drinks.

Drinking games for two

One is okay, two is fine, three is a crowd. 

Higher/Lower

tattooed arms and hands shuffling deck of cards - best drinking games for two

One of the easiest drinking games for two, using a pack of cards.

Number of players: 2

Things needed: pack of cards (or card app on your phone)

How to play:

  • Start by shuffling the deck of cards and place it face-down on the table. 
  • Flip over the first card and take turns guessing whether the next card will be higher or lower than the previous one. 
  • If you guess wrong, you drink!

Match

A card game with a twist. 

Number of players: 2

Things needed: 2 dice and 2 pack of cards

How to play:

  • Each player has their own deck of shuffled cards.
  • Roll 2 dice and once they’ve settled (stopped spinning), flip through your deck of cards to find one that matches the number shown by the dice. I.E. if you roll 7, you flip through your cards to find a 7 of hearts or diamonds etc. 
  • Whoever is slowest to find a matching card has to drink.
  • Use the cards at face value and use Queens as 11 and Kings as 12. Remove Jokers, Aces, and Jacks. 

Caps

Almost a game of recycling. Similar to Beer Pong.

Number of players:

Things needed: bottle caps and plastic cups

How to play:

  • Set 2 cups up either side of a table. Fill them with beer/drink.
  • Stand opposite each cup (facing each other) and take turns trying to toss a bottle cap into the cup of the person opposite. 
  • If you land a cap in their cup, they have to drink. If you miss, you have to drink.

Drinking games for small groups

Drinking games for small groups to get to know each other better.

Most Likely To

Calling out your friends in a fun way.

Number of players: as many as there are

Things needed: playful judgement

How to play:

  • Make sure everyone in the group has a drink.
  • Take it in turns to ask “Most likely to” questions. Some examples include, “most likely to marry a stranger on holiday”, “most likely to set the campus fire alarm off”, “most likely to trip up the stairs in front of the entire lecture”. 
  • Everyone then must point towards the person they think would most likely do the question asked. Whoever has the most people pointing towards them has to take a drink.

Categories

Fast-paced and under-pressure — one of the most perfect drinking games for small groups.

Number of players: 3 to 5

Things needed: just your thinking caps on are needed for this drinking game

How to play:

  • Start by choosing a category such as “colours”, “foods”, “kitchen appliances”, “animals”, etc.
  • Take turns quickly naming things that are associated with the category like “dog, “cat” for animals.
  • Whoever hesitates, repeats a word that has been said, or draws blank completely, has to take a drink.

Never Have I Ever

A classic school-yard game but make it adult.

Number of players: as many or as little as you want

Things needed: inventive minds

How to play:

  • Each player takes turns in making a statement starting with  “Never have I ever…” followed by something they’ve never done, like “Never have I ever been arrested”. 
  • Players who have done said thing, have to take a drink.
  • Continue with the next player making another statement.
  • This game can be really revealing…


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