20 Best Drinking Games With Cards
Looking to turn a deck of cards into a fun drinking game?
Well, there are a lot of ways to do that.
Here are 20 of the best drinking games you can play with cards.
Classic Card Drinking Games
1. Kings
Kings is a popular card drinking game where players draw cards from a deck and perform actions based on the card’s value.
The game requires a standard deck of cards and your drink of choice.
Here are some basic rules to follow:
- Ace: Everyone drinks.
- Two: You choose someone to drink.
- Ten: Start a waterfall, where everyone starts drinking and can only stop when the person to their right stops.
The game continues until all cards have been drawn or players decide to end the game.
2. Ride the Bus
Ride the Bus is a fun drinking game that involves guessing the value of cards.
To play, you’ll need a deck of cards and a drink.
Here’s how it works:
- The dealer places a card face down, and you must guess whether the card is higher or lower than a seven.
- If you’re wrong, you take a drink. If you’re right, the dealer moves on to the next player.
- Once everyone has taken their turn, the person with the lowest card must “ride the bus,” which means they drink for a predetermined amount of time.
3. President
President is a strategic card drinking game that involves players attempting to get rid of their cards as quickly as possible.
In this game, the first player to discard all their cards becomes the President, while the last player with cards is the Asshole.
The President can create or modify rules, while the Asshole must drink and serve drinks to others.
4. Circle of Death
Circle of Death is an intense drinking game.
The cards are placed face down in a circle, and players take turns drawing cards, resulting in various actions like this:
- King: Make a new rule, which all players must follow.
- Queen: You can make another player drink.
- Jack: Everyone drinks.
- Ten: The player who drew this card chooses a category, and everyone else must name something within that category or drink.
Play continues until the circle is broken or players decide to end the game.
Easy-to-Learn Drinking Games with Cards
5. Screw the Dealer
Screw the Dealer is one of the best drinking games with cards.
The goal of this game is for the players to guess the card held by the dealer.
The dealer will take a card from the deck and hold it, then the player will make a guess.
If the player is wrong, the dealer will hint if the actual card is higher or lower.
Players will take turns guessing, and with each wrong guess, they’ll take a sip of their drink.
After three wrong guesses, the role of dealer rotates to the next person.
6. Across the Bridge
To play this drinking game, you’ll need a shuffled deck of cards and enough drinks for each player.
Create a bridge of eight face-down cards on the table.
Players will take turns flipping a card from the bridge, starting from one end and moving towards the other.
For numbered cards (two to ten), the player drinks the face value in sips (e.g., three sips for a three-card).
For face cards, the following rules apply:
- Jack: Take 11 sips
- Queen: Take 12 sips
- King: Take 13 sips
- Ace: Swap places with another player
7. Sotally Tober
To play Sotally Tober, deal seven face-up cards from the Sotally Tober deck that represent different actions.
Players take turns drawing a card from the remaining deck.
The drawn card must match one of the face-up cards, either in value or suit.
If there’s a match, the player performs the corresponding action and replaces the face-up card with the drawn card.
If no match, the player drinks and the turn moves to the next person.
Here is a suggested list of actions to use while playing this game:
- Two: Take two sips
- Three: Take three sips
- Four: Touch the floor (last to do so drinks)
- Five: Guys drink
- Six: Girls drink
- Seven: Point to heaven (last to do so drinks)
Remember to drink responsibly and know your limits while enjoying these easy-to-learn drinking card games.
Strategy and Bluffing Card Games
8. Bullsh*t
Bullsht is a classic card game that relies on players’ ability to bluff and read others.
That psychological element is why it’s one of the best drinking games that uses cards.
Each player takes turns playing a card or cards of the same rank face down while announcing what they’re playing.
The other players can either accept the claim or challenge it by calling “bullsht.”
If the challenged player was lying, they must pick up the entire pile of cards.
If they were honest, the challenger picks up the pile.
The goal is to get rid of all your cards first.
This game requires a good poker face and the confidence to convincingly lie when needed.
9. F*ck the Dealer
F*ck the Dealer is a guessing game that can involve a bit of gambling.
The dealer holds a deck of regular cards and the player to their left tries to guess the top card’s value.
The dealer indicates whether the actual card is higher or lower, and the player gets one more guess.
If they guess correctly, the dealer drinks, but if they’re wrong, the player drinks and the turn passes.
After each round, the dealer’s role rotates.
10. Do or Drink
Do or Drink is a twist on the classic game of Truth or Dare.
Each card in the deck is assigned an action, like performing a dare or taking a drink.
Players take turns drawing a card and must complete the action assigned to that card.
If you’re looking for a more specific theme, try a variant like “Drunk, Stoned, or Stupid” or the “Trunk of Drunk” drinking card game.
11. Screw Your Neighbor
Screw Your Neighbor is a fun drinking game with cards that requires a bit of strategy combined with luck.
Each player starts with a single card, and the goal is to have the highest card after each round.
Players can choose to keep their card or swap it with the person to their left (except for Kings, which are “safe”).
If someone receives a King, they drink.
Group and Party Drinking Games with Cards
12. Under the Influence
Under the Influence is a fantastic drinking game for groups and parties.
In this game, you use cards with various challenges or actions printed on them, suitable for both couples and large gatherings.
What sets this game apart is its clever mix of dares and trivia to keep everyone engaged.
13. Last Call
Last Call is a great drinking game for groups looking for both competition and fun.
It revolves around the concept of drinking while changing the suits of the cards being played.
Players take turns picking cards, and any card with a diamond or a specific suit may change the rules, like adding an electricity round.
14. Tipsy Chicken
In Tipsy Chicken, participants must take turns drawing cards and performing the corresponding actions or rules.
These rules could range from taking a drink for every odd number card drawn to starting a movie drinking game.
This card game is perfect for friends looking to unwind while enjoying a little fun and friendly competition.
15. Loaded Kings
Loaded Kings is a popular drinking game that involves a deck of cards spread in a circle on a table.
Players take turns drawing cards, and each card has a unique rule or action tied to it, such as “cut the deck” or “play quarters.”
One of the best aspects of Loaded Kings is the “King’s Cup” rule, where a player drawing a king card pours some of their drink into a central glass.
The last player to draw a king card must then drink the central glass.
This game can become quite intense, with players strategically plotting their moves and forming alliances.
Entertaining Card Games With a Twist
16. Horse Race
Horse Race is an exciting drinking card game that can be played with a minimum of two people.
Using a standard deck of cards, the game consists of players betting on “horses” represented by the four aces from the deck.
The race is set up by laying cards face down on the table, with clubs and spades representing the track.
As cards are drawn, the “horses” advance, and the first player whose ace reaches the finish line wins.
17. Kemps
Kemps is an entertaining card game where players work in pairs to try and create a four-of-a-kind hand
Once a player achieves that goal, they signal their partner, who calls out “Kemps!”
Everyone else tries to guess the signal and counter with “counter-kemps” before the correct call is made.
You can choose to use traditional playing cards or spice it up with a deck designed for beeropoly or fear pong.
18. You Laugh, You Drink
You Laugh, You Drink is a funny card-based drinking game.
Participants take turns drawing cards with funny phrases, jokes or actions, and attempt to hold back laughter while saying it.
If you laugh, you drink.
This goofy game is so versatile and open-ended, which is why we think it’s one of the best drinking games out there.
19. Incohearent
Incohearent puts a twist on traditional wordplay and language games.
Players draw card with jumbled phrases or words and attempt to decipher them while their friends guess.
It’s always a good time witnessing your friends struggle to make sense of incoherent sentences.
To make the game more entertaining, you can add a penalty for incorrect guesses, such as taking a drink or performing another kind of action.
20. Never Have I Ever Card Game
The Never Have I Ever Card Game takes the classic drinking game to a new level with a variety of pre-written scenarios on the cards.
Players take turns drawing cards, revealing what they have never done.
If you’ve done the action stated on the card, you take a drink.
This game is perfect for uncovering hidden stories about your friends, and with the variety of cards provided, no two games are the same.
Frequently Asked Questions About Drinking Games with Cards
What are some easy card drinking games for couples?
If you’re looking for some simple and entertaining card drinking games to enjoy with your significant other, consider games like High or Low or Give and Take.
These games have easy-to-understand rules and can be played with just a standard deck of cards, making them perfect for a fun night in with your partner.
What are the top drinking card games for small gatherings?
When hosting a small gathering, some of the top card drinking games to consider include Toepen, Pyramid, and Ring of Fire.
Which online platforms allow playing card-based drinking games?
You can play many classic drinking games using online card game platforms or video conference tools.
Websites like PlayingCards.io offer options for playing traditional card games that can be easily adapted for drinking games.