Drinking card games turn a standard deck into a party game, with a rule or a forfeit tied to each card. Ring of Fire, Ride the Bus, Horse Race, Higher or Lower, Guess the Dealer and Pyramid all need only one deck and a few friends. They work just as well with soft drinks, so nobody has to drink alcohol to join in.
Play it safely first
These games are for adults of legal drinking age only. Before you start, agree a few ground rules.
- Set your own limits and stick to them. Nobody should feel pushed to match anyone else.
- Swap in soft drinks, water or juice whenever you like. A forfeit can be a sip of anything, or a dare.
- Nobody has to drink. Anyone can pass, and the game goes on.
- Eat something, keep water on the table and never drive afterwards. Plan how everybody gets home.
Good hosts care more about a relaxed evening than about speed. If you're unsure how much is too much, play with less. Rules for drinking age differ by country and state, so check the local law.
Most of these games need only a standard deck, shuffled well, and a table to sit round. The exact rules vary from house to house, so agree yours before the first card turns.
Drinking card games with a standard deck
Ring of Fire (Kings)
The best-known one. Spread the cards face down in a circle around an empty cup in the centre. Players take turns to draw, and each card triggers a rule.
- Place an empty cup in the middle and fan the whole deck around it, face down, in a ring.
- Go round the table. Each player draws one card and flips it.
- Follow the rule for that card. Common rules include Ace as waterfall, Two as pick a person, Three as you, Seven as heaven and Ten as categories. Versions differ, so agree your list before you start.
- When someone draws a King, they add a little of their drink to the centre cup. Whoever draws the last King takes a small sip from the centre cup, or drinks a soft drink version.
- Keep going until the ring is broken, which happens when the circle of cards collapses.
The waterfall is the rule people remember. When an Ace is drawn, everyone starts drinking at the same moment. The player who drew it stops whenever they like, then the next player can stop, and so on around the circle. It's a good moment to swap in a soft drink if you want to.
Ride the Bus
A four-question guessing game, usually played as a punishment round for the loser.
- Deal one card face down. The player guesses red or black, then turns it over.
- Deal a second card. The player guesses higher or lower than the first, then checks.
- Deal a third card. The player guesses whether it falls between the first two cards or outside them.
- Deal a fourth card. The player guesses the suit.
- A wrong answer sends the player back to the start. Complete all four in a row and the ride ends.
Horse Race
A betting game that uses the four Aces as horses and works well with a group.
- Take the four Aces out and line them up at the edge of the table as the starting line.
- Players pick a horse and decide on a stake, such as a number of sips to give out.
- Lay a row of cards face down from the starting line, as the track. Shuffle the rest of the deck.
- Turn cards over from the deck one at a time. The suit shown moves that horse forward.
- When a horse passes a track card, flip that card. The suit on it moves another horse back.
- The first horse across the finish line wins, and its backers hand out their stakes.
Higher or Lower
Simple and quick. The dealer draws one card and shows it. Each player guesses whether the next card will be higher or lower. A correct guess means the dealer drinks, and a wrong guess means the guesser does. For something with a little more edge, try it after a game of 21 blackjack at home, which uses the same deck.
Guess the Dealer
A game of guessing and nerve, where the dealer faces the whole table.
- One player is the dealer and draws a card without showing it.
- The player on the dealer's left guesses its rank.
- If the guess is wrong, the dealer says higher or lower, and the player guesses again.
- A wrong second guess means that player drinks. A right guess means the dealer drinks.
- The role of dealer passes to the next player, and the game continues around the table.
Pyramid
A bluffing game that rewards a straight face.
- Deal each player several cards, which they look at but keep hidden.
- Build a pyramid of face-down cards, with a wide bottom row narrowing to a single card at the top.
- Flip the cards one at a time, starting at the bottom. Each row is worth more than the one below.
- If you hold a card of the same rank, you can give out sips, or hand out a dare, and show your card.
- Anyone can challenge a claim. If the bluff is caught, the bluffer takes the penalty. If it's genuine, the challenger does.
Fast-paced favourites like these pair nicely with other card games you may already know. If your group prefers something quicker, try Speed, or look at these Uno house rules for a family-friendly twist that anyone can join.
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Boxed adult party card decks
If you'd rather not remember the rules, a boxed deck builds them in. Three popular types are worth knowing about.
- Drunk Stoned or Stupid: a pick-a-card game of dares and questions, where players choose between three options. Best for friends who are comfortable with silly and slightly rude dares.
- Cards Against Humanity: a fill-in-the-blank humour game with crude content. It doesn't need alcohol at all. It's for adults who know each other well.
- Do or Drink: cards that give you a choice between a challenge and a sip. It's easy to adapt, because the challenge can always be the safer option.
Check the age rating and content on the box. Some decks are much rougher than others, and a deck that suits one group could embarrass another.
How to make any of these alcohol free
Every game here works with a different forfeit. You don't lose anything by leaving the alcohol out, and some people find the game more fun when everyone's clear-headed.
- Use soft drinks, sparkling water or juice and keep the same rules.
- Swap sips for dares, such as telling a story or doing an impression.
- Use points instead. The player with the fewest penalties wins.
- Give forfeits to the group, such as picking the next song.
Anyone who's driving, pregnant, on medication or simply not in the mood can join in on the same terms. That's the point of a party game. Everyone's included, and the evening doesn't depend on what's in the glass.
Make a party card game for adults? See how to get it featured on this list.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best drinking card games?
Ring of Fire, Ride the Bus, Horse Race, Higher or Lower, Guess the Dealer and Pyramid all use a standard deck and are easy to learn.
Can you play drinking card games without alcohol?
Yes. Swap in soft drinks, water or juice, or change the forfeit to a dare or a point. Nobody has to drink to join in.
How do you play Ring of Fire?
Spread a deck face down around a cup, take turns drawing, and follow the rule for each card. Agree the rule list before you start, as versions differ.
Who can play drinking card games?
Only adults of legal drinking age should play with alcohol. Check your local law, set your own limits and never drive afterwards.
