Get the party started! A roundup of perfect playing card games for drinking parties
A fun drinking party with everyone together!
If we’re going to make the most of it, it’d be great to have games we can all play together, right?
When you think about that, the first thing that probably comes to mind is a deck of cards.
This time, I’m going to introduce lots of card games—from ones that get big groups pumped up to ones that make a two-person drink really exciting!
I’ve put together a wide range, from classics to lesser-known games.
If you bookmark this article, it might come in handy not just for drinking parties, but in all kinds of situations!
- [From small to large groups] Drinking games recommended for college students
- Punishment games that liven up drinking parties and banquets
- Party Games That Spice Up Your House Drinks Night
- Games for two people to enjoy. A roundup of party games that liven up drinking gatherings.
- Types of playing cards and how to play
- Recommended card game. Easy! Fun! Adults get hooked too!
- Put a penalty on the line! A roundup of party games that get everyone hyped
- Party games that liven up group dating events
- Drinking party crowd-pleasers: party and banquet games
- A fun penalty game recommended for men
- Simple but intense! A quick-and-easy penalty game that hypes everyone up
- Recommended for college students! Punishment game ideas that will make everyone laugh and hype things up
- Ideas for team-based games to enliven a party
Get the Party Started! A Roundup of Perfect Playing Card Games for Drinking Parties (1–10)
Ikkyu-san
Introducing a playing card game called “Ikkyu-san” that you can enjoy right away even without knowing the rules! Shuffle the deck well and lay the cards face down in a ring (donut shape).
Then, players take turns flipping one card at a time, placing it face up in the center, while saying “Ikkyu-san.” Whenever a number that matches the wordplay for “Ikkyu-san”—that is, 1, 3, or 9—appears, quickly place your hand on the pile of cards.
The player who is the slowest to place their hand takes all the cards in the center.
If you make a false touch (place your hand when you shouldn’t), you must also take the cards there.
Continue until all the cards laid out in the ring are gone.
In the end, the player with the most cards in hand loses.
29
29 is a game whose appeal lies in bluffing and strategy, similar to blackjack.
Players take turns playing cards to the table, aiming for a total of 29.
The person who plays the last card wins the cards on the table.
The cards you collect can be used in the next round as well.
It’s a slow-paced game that lets you think as you go, making it perfect for playing between bites and sips.
There’s also a rule that lets you play a Joker as any number, so feel free to adopt it if you like.
High & Low
With the simple High & Low rules—guessing whether the next number is higher or lower—you’re sure to have fun even with people unfamiliar with card games! Shuffle and split the deck well.
The first dealer flips the top card face up and places it in the center.
The other player places their top card face down in the center, declares whether it’s higher or lower than the opponent’s card, then flips it face up.
If the declaration is correct, they take both cards; if it’s wrong, or if the numbers are the same, both cards go to the discard pile.
In the end, the player who has collected the most cards wins!
Get the Party Started! A Roundup of Perfect Playing Card Games for Drinking Parties (11–20)
Napoleon
It’s a competitive game where players split into the Napoleonic army and the coalition.
To put the rules super simply: each card has an assigned strength.
You play cards from your hand to the table and compare strengths, deciding a win or loss each round.
When a face card is on the table, there’s a rule that lets you take it.
After a set number of rounds, the final outcome is: if you’re on Napoleon’s side, you win if the number of face cards you hold exceeds the number you declared before the match began; otherwise, you lose.
You can look up the details, but the fun of this game is kind of like a “Werewolf” social deduction vibe.
Definitely give it a try!
Splash
The playing card game that UNO is based on is American Page One.
This game adds a rule called “Dobon.” Dobon means you can go out if the number on the card your opponent plays equals the sum of the numbers of the cards in your own hand.
For example, if your opponent plays a 6 and you have two 3s, you win.
You can also Dobon even when your opponent plays their final card; in that case, the player who Dobons wins.
This rule keeps the excitement going until the very end, so give it a try!
Pig’s tail
Buta no Shippo tests not only your brain but also your reflexes.
In this game, cards are arranged in the shape of a pig’s tail, and players flip them over; when a specific card appears, everyone must place their hand in the center.
The player who is the slowest to place their hand has to take all the cards on the table, and the more cards you collect, the closer you are to losing.
Things can get heated, so be careful not to get too forceful.
By the way, there are advanced techniques in this game—like feinting as if you’re going to place your hand to provoke a mistake.
Give them a try!
Doubt
If you want to enjoy psychological mind games, Doubt (a.k.a.
Cheat/BS) is recommended.
In this game, you try to determine whether the card your opponent plays actually matches the number they claim.
If you think they’re lying, you call “Doubt.” It’s similar to the popular Werewolf game, isn’t it? However, compared to Werewolf, Doubt is fun because you get more chances to catch your opponent’s lies.
By the way, in standard Doubt anyone can make the call, but there’s a variant called Cheat where you can only challenge the cards played by the player next to you.