Throughout every adult’s life, there are times of happiness and sadness, moments of listlessness and sprightliness. These generally make for the less interesting tales in a persons life… very generic with room for little surprise. However, there are all also more colorful moments when soberness turns to drunkenness. These are the times when inhibitions are let free, and regrets are created.
Mostly though it generally creates a fun time with friends and loved ones. But sitting around drinking isn’t all that fun for anyone, which is why drinking games are so prevalent. But there are a few drinking games which rise above the rest, at least as far as their prolific use and enjoyability are concerned. What is to follow here are the top 5 drinking games based on my investigative deducing powers and humbly biased opinion.
#5 Liquor Chess: The game of chess is over 2000 years old and is the second oldest game in the world, second only to Chinese GO. However, it can well be assumed that drinking with chess has always gone hand in hand. Though it may have taken some time for the pieces themselves to actually turn into liquor.
The game is the remains identical, same board, same rules, and even the same pieces in principle. The only difference is that the pieces themselves are represented by shot glasses, each filled with liquor that corresponds to a specific piece type.
Point System/Liquor Type
-Pawn 1 Point: Beer
-Knight 2.5 Points: Whiskey
-Bishop 3 Points: Vodka
-Rook 5 Points: Tequila
-Queen 10 Points: Absinth
-King (Checkmate) Game Over Everclear
The drinking part of the game is very simple, if you lose a piece; you drink the content of the liquor inside the shot glass. Obviously the chosen liquor can be changed to suit preferred tastes, the only bit is the higher the point value, and the less desirable the drink should be. Certainly shouldn’t be rewarded for losing…
#4 Battle Shots: Many of you will have played the game Battleship as a child, well this pretty much brings it up to an adults standard. The rules are the same; you have a grid of letters and numbers, the size of which is determined by the participants. You then set your shot glasses into the chosen squares and hope they don’t get struck.
You can play with as many shot glasses as you would like, and this can also be a team game if the board is big enough. Rather than having shot glasses that cover multiple squares, the higher value “ships” could essentially be harsher and stronger liquors. All the while you’re really just hoping the worst shots don’t get struck, and that you can knock your opponent out before you do.
#3 Flip Cup: This is a team racing game, which involves drinking, flipping, and the necessary cheering when you have teammates failing miserably. The idea is simple, the teams are divided up into 4 or 5, each possessing a trusty cup. This cup is then filled with whatever concoction the night requires, either shots, mixed drinks, or beer.
Once everyone is ready, with their cups sitting in front of them the race begins. The first person in line drinks as fast as they can, then sets the cup with a portion of the bottom sticking over a tables end. You then try to flip the cup upside down in a single swipe. You continue trying to flip the cup until this is achieved, which then allows the next person in line to do the same as you. The first team with all their liquor consumed and cups having been flipped upside down win the game.
# 2 Quarters: Any number of people can play quarters at a time, so it makes for a great group game. Everyone sits around a hard table, and decides on who goes first. The first shooter tries to bounce a quarter off of the table and into a glass. Taller ones are obviously harder, while shorter ones such as shots glasses are a bit easier.
Once the quarter makes it into the glass, the content of the glass is consumed and the glass is flipped upside down. If you miss your shot, you keep shooting till you make it. The last person to make their quarter in and drink, loses. Any number of additional rules can be added on to this in the end to make it more interesting.
#1 Beer Pong: For some reason this has become the staple of entertainment for countless parties and shindigs across the country. Everyone knows it, everyone has either played it or seen it played, and it is perhaps the most disgusting game that can be played (Just because you douse a filthy ball in filthy water doesn’t make it clean… at all). That rant aside the rules are quite simple.
You need 2 ping pong balls and 20 plastic cups, and a 6-8 foot table The cups are to be formed in the same shape as bowling pins are when they’re set, with the tip pointing toward your opponents. You then fill the cups with your desired drink and decide who shoots first. If you shoot and make the ping-pong ball into a cup, that cup has to be removed and the contents consumed. If you bounce the ball off the table and make it into a cup, two cups have to be removed and consumed. Though, if your opponent catches you bouncing the ball, they can block it.
This continues until all the cups are gone and a winner is declared. Any number of additional rules can be applied, and often house rules make this game significantly more enjoyable. But just as evolution naturally occurs with anything, so it does with this as well.
By now you should be ready with a few games to throw at your next party. The only thing that has to be remembered is to drink responsibly and have fun. Remember, drinking shouldn’t be a sprinting race, but more of a marathon… so pace yourself.