Okay, card games can be fun for all the family. It’s inexpensive and easily accessible.
The truth is, though, times are moving, and generations are changing.
These days, people (especially the younger generation) looking for drinking games might think of a card game as some prehistoric pastime. Sad but true.
So, what about drinking games without cards?
I’ve compiled a list of my all-time favorite drinking games that don’t require a deck of cards but still bring competition, challenges, and some that command strategy and skill. (Not too much, though, drink and craft doesn’t usually work too well).
10 Fun Drinking Games Without Cards
Let’s top up those glasses and see how you can keep your party guests entertained with these ten fun drinking games without cards.
1. Never Have I Ever
Kicking off with an absolute classic, and my favorite drinking game is Never Have I Ever.
This game gets those drinks flowing, and also you get to know more about your fellow players. It is an excellent team-building game or game for gatherings where guests might need to become more familiar with each other.
The idea of Never Have I Ever is simple. There are no complicated rules, and there are certainly no skills required other than the ability to handle your liquor.
Here’s an example.
One person will make a statement starting with Never Have I Ever. It can be anything. For example, “never have I ever been on television,” or, if you like, you can make them a little riskier, “never have I ever gone commando at work,” or “never have I ever joined the mile high club”?
Do you get the gist?
Once a statement like this has been made, all the players in the group who HAVE done the action must take a sip of their drink.
The more venturesome your life has been, the tipsier you’ll be.
Now, I know you’re looking for games without cards. Still, if you wanted some inspiration for statements, this Never Have I Ever set on Amazon will ensure your game doesn’t encounter awkward silences.
2. I Drink, And I Know Things
Did you see the quote? Anyone who hasn’t seen Game of Thrones may still be aware of this famous quote from Tyrion Lannister.
But did you know that this is also a fun drinking game?
It’s a trivia game that tests the players’ knowledge of certain subjects. Of course, the more intoxicated people become, the less they tend to know, and the funnier the answers become, making this entirely amusing.
You can download the entire rules sheet online or make the questions yourself. Just be sure to have them prepared in advance to avoid a lull.
Why not make the game even better with these themed shot glasses?
3. Mr and Mrs
It’s an excellent game for duos, so it works best if you’re having a couples night with friends.
The concept is simple. One couple at a time takes turns sitting back to back and answering questions about the other such as “who is the boss in the relationship” or “which one of you is the best cook.”
The idea is to answer as many questions as possible. For every question a person gets wrong, they must gulp a drink.
Careful, though; too many wrong answers combined with ample alcohol could turn sour. So it’s fun to play at the earlier stage of the evening.
4. Taboo
I love Taboo. It’s one of the first drinking games I ever played in my 20s, and it’s been part of my game nights ever since.
Okay, so the standard way to play Taboo is with a set of cards. However, the cards aren’t necessary if you’re creative enough to develop your words and ideas.
The concept is the same whether you may or may not choose to use the set. It would be best to get your teammate to guess your describing word. However, there’s a catch. There is a list of words you won’t be allowed to say.
For example, let’s say your word is “car.” You might be asked to describe the word car to your teammate without saying the words “drive, wheels, road, tires, or steer.” Not so easy, hey?
Of course, the alcohol comes in each time you slip up and accidentally say one of the banned words.
This game can end up hilarious, especially the more drinks that go down the hatchet.
5. Harry Potter Drinking Game
I may be biased by choosing this as one of the best drinking games out there, given my somewhat over-the-top obsession with anything to do with Harry Potter.
The best thing about the Harry Potter drinking game, is there’s no skill required, and you also get to watch Harry Potter, the most fantastic movie of all time, while you play.
The basics of the game are that you should all take a sip, shot, or down your drink each time something happens on screen. It is where the fun part comes in, as you can make your own rules.
Here are a few of my favorite examples:
Take a Shot
- when someone says Alohomora
- And Harry touches his scar
- Ron says, “Bloody Hell”
Finish Your Drink When
- Hermione rolls her eyes
- You see a ghost
- Malfoy threatens someone with his father
Take a Sip. When
- Neville forgets something
- Dumbledore points to Gryffindor
- Someone says, “He Who Must Not Be Named”
Of course, there are tons of choices here. Go crazy, and use your imagination.
6. Fuzzy Duck
Fuzzy Duck is a popular drinking game without cards which is simple, easy, and quick.
It’s always a good one to save for toward the end of the night when everyone’s attention span has started to dwindle.
Gather your group, and get everyone to sit in a circle. Moving around the circle, each person says, “Fuzzy Duck.” At any given time, one person might say, “Does He?” At this point, the words are reversed, and instead, everyone should say “Ducky Fuzz.” Anyone who fails to do this, or says it is unfortunately wrong (highly likely after a few scoops), should take a sip of their drink.
The game can reverse back to Fuzzy Duck when someone says, “Does He?”
It shouldn’t be played by anyone who may get easily offended by foul language because they can come out quite unsavory when the words get muddled up.
7. Party Tower
I know, I know. This game has some cards involved. But hear me out because this differs from your regular drinking card game.
The Ultimate Party Tower is a much more fun-packed, thrilling version of the popular stacking game Jenga.
Instead of just removing bricks and trying to prevent the tower from collapsing, you face challenges on the way.
The blocks are in four colors, and each color correlates with a card. Each color card has a different category which goes as follows:
- Red: Action
- Green: Challenge
- Purple: Rule
- Blue: Drink
Whichever color block you remove is the card you must pick and the challenge or action you must perform. Some of the challenges in this game are so risky and unusual that they’ll keep everyone on their toes and certainly keep the group talking for a long time.
There are so many combinations to be played in this; it’s like a whole new game, no matter how many times you play.
8. The International Drinking Game
It’s an excellent game choice if you’ve got a large party to entertain or people who prefer to avoid sitting down and listening to lengthy rules.
All you have to do is to set some simple guidelines at the beginning of the night and then continue with the evening as usual, socializing, chatting, mingling, and getting to know one another.
However, these guidelines mean you must watch what you say because the wrong words might catch you.
You can pick your own list of words, actions, sayings, or questions that aren’t allowed at night’s start, and everyone should be aware of them. If anyone, at any point, says one of these phrases or sentences or commits an offense, they’ll have to drink.
Here are a few of my ideas you could use. However, feel free to get creative.
- Don’t put your drink down without a coaster
- Don’t ask anyone, “how are you?”
- Don’t put your left hand on your hip
- Don’t mention the weather
- Don’t check your social media
This game also means you must be on guard to ensure your fellow party guests aren’t breaking the rules. Feel free to challenge them at any time.
9. The Alphabet Game
The Alphabet Game is often considered a children’s game. Still, it makes for pure entertainment as a drinking game for adults.
Start by choosing a category; this can be anything you want, movies, food, songs, or kitchen items wherever you want.
The game starts with the first person thinking of a word belonging to the chosen category, beginning with the letter “A.” The following person then does the same for the letter “B.”
For example, let’s say the category is food; the person in the circle might say “an apple,” the next “bacon,” and the other “carpaccio.”
Get the gist?
If at any time someone falters and takes longer than 5 seconds to answer, they must take a shot or a sip of a drink, whichever you’ve set the rules
10. Truth or Dare
Lastly, I couldn’t list my top 10 best drinking games without talking about Truth or Dare. Let’s face it, it’s a classic, and no game night is complete without it.
I’m sure you’re already familiar with this game, but have you tried the drinking version? Well, I think so. It’s so much more fun.
The rules are the same as the original game of Truth or Dare. Each person can choose whether to answer a truth question from their fellow players or to take part in a risky dare set to them.
You can go crazy here with the questions and dares. For example, daring someone to neck a full drink or challenging someone to drink an unknown cocktail put together by another player.
There are no rules, and you incorporate drinking as you see fit.
Summary
That’s a good selection of fun drinking games without cards for you to enjoy at your next party.
Once you’ve worked through these games, try Korean drinking games, and bring a bit of culture to game nights.
