Do you enjoy having a drink while watching your favorite show? How about turning it into a game? Today, you’ll learn how to play the House of the Dragon drinking game.
When House of the Dragon premiered in 2022, an average of 29 million U.S. viewers sat down in front of their TV screens for each new episode. Were you one of them, or are you watching it for the first time now, at your own pace?
In any case, I am here to tell you that this terrific show can be even better if you turn it into a competition.
It’s easier than you’d probably think! Just like in any of the movie drinking games (my personal favorite these days is the never-ending Titanic drinking game), you simply enjoy the action and watch out for the prescribed signs to take a sip (or empty a cup).
What You’ll Need to Play House of the Dragon Drinking Game?
To play this fun game, all you need is:
- House of the Dragon series (or at least one episode) on any type of media
- A device to play the show (if you’re outside, it can even be your phone)
- Alcoholic drinks of your choice (beer cans, glasses of wine, shots, etc.)
- At least one friend who is up to the challenge
- A comfortable place to sit and watch the show
Why House of the Dragon?
Whenever I hear about some new drinking game inspired by a movie or a TV show, I am curious why and how this particular game was invented.
In the case of House of the Dragon, though, it’s pretty logical. First of all, the show is full of characters with a warm relationship to alcohol:
- Daemon: Played by Matt Smith, is a well-known hedonist who is often seen with a goblet in his hand.
- Rhaenyra: (Milly Alcock, Emma D’Arcy) gets famously drunk in one of the key scenes of the show, secretly sneaking into the peasants’ pub pretending to be a boy.
- Viserys: (Paddy Considine), the king who gradually succumbs to a terrible infection, even drinks a ‘milk of poppy’ to overcome pain and stress, and so on.
Correct me if I am wrong, but I am pretty confident that each of the 8 episodes contains at least some tiny glimpse of or a reference to drinking and alcohol.
Great Shows Make Great Games
The frequent appearance of alcohol onscreen in the show is, however, certainly not the only reason behind the invention of the House of the Dragon drinking game.
In my opinion, it’s only logical for a game like this to emerge when some movie or TV show gains so much popularity as the GOT prequel did. We’ve already witnessed the same happening with the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Jurassic Park, and many other iconic titles.
Moreover, the House of the Dragon has a substantial binge-watching potential, making it ideal for long hours of playing. Now, let’s move on to the game itself.
Setup
Preparation for this game is straightforward:
- Get the show ready
- Ensure every player sees the screen well and hears the sound clearly.
- Place the drinks somewhere where everyone can reach them easily
When you’re ready, press play and start watching.
How to Play House of the Dragon Drinking Game? Rules and Gameplay
If you’re already familiar with some other movie-inspired drinking game, the rules of this one won’t surprise you. The trick is to focus and wait for a specific phrase, situation, or sight that means you must have a drink.
First, here’s the list of the triggering sights to watch out for:
- A dragon appears on the screen
- A romance/intimacy occurs
- A royalty (king or queen) makes an official statement or issues a decree
- There’s a scene of sibling rivalry
- A new character is introduced to the show
These special sights mean you must have a double drink:
- Someone rides a dragon
- Someone dies
- There’s a battle involving dragons
- A dragon egg hatches
- A dragon breaths fire
Here are the phrases or quotes that trigger drinking:
- Someone says, “Dragon.”
- Someone says, “King/Queen.”
- Daemon says, “Rhaenyra”
- Someone says, “House Targaryen.”
- Someone says,” Seven Kingdoms.”
- Someone mentioned “Westeros.”
Of course, if it’s not your first time to watch the show, you can add some of your favorite moments or quotes to this list or replace/leave out some you don’t like.
Additional Tips
As with any drinking game, you should proceed thoughtfully and responsibly during the House of the Dragon game to ensure that it remains harmless fun for all the participants. Here are a few simple suggestions that can improve the experience:
- If you are not used to large amounts of alcohol, apply only a few of the recommended rules to avoid getting too drunk too fast.
- Instead of having a whole drink, you can simply sip from your glass. It definitely counts if you agree on this upfront with the other players!
- Don’t force or persuade anyone to continue drinking if their instincts (or stomach) tell them to stop. This game should be enjoyable and safe.
- Plan the game ahead for a day when you don’t have any more duties or plans. Also, make sure you won’t have to drive anywhere after the game.
- Keep various snacks and beverages at hand to balance the alcohol in your organism.
- Don’t play this game with strangers or at places you don’t know and feel safe at.
Who Wins?
In the movie/TV show-inspired drinking games, there are no winners or losers. The only prize you are all collectively after is enjoying the night together to the maximum while watching a great show.
Nevertheless, if you’d really like to make the game a bit competitive, you can penalize players whenever they forget to drink when they’re supposed to (or the other way around) by ordering them to squat, run, sing, etc. Alternatively, why not try out dynamic challenges like the Beer Pong or the King’s Cup?
