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)
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.
four-leaf cloverNEW!
Shuffle a standard 52-card deck well, removing the jokers.
Lay out four cards face up in a horizontal row.
Beneath them, lay out three more rows the same way, for a total of four rows.
Keep the remaining cards as a draw pile.
Now, from the 16 cards on the table, remove cards according to these rules: “Make 15 using cards numbered 1–9 of the same suit,” and “Three face cards of the same suit.” Refill any empty spaces from the draw pile.
If you clear all the cards on the table and the draw pile, you succeed in the challenge!
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!
Get the Party Started! A Roundup of Perfect Playing Card Games for Drinking Parties (11–20)
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!
No CardNEW!
It’s a game where players exchange cards with each other to make sets of four with the same number or suit.
The player who makes the most sets wins.
First, deal the cards evenly and decide the turn order.
Starting with the first player, they declare a number to another player, like “Give me 3s,” and if the other player has any, they add them to their hand.
If the other player says “No cards,” meaning they don’t have any, the turn passes to the next player.
Repeat this until everyone’s hands are empty.
In this video, instead of directly declaring the desired card, players pick one from a central pile and communicate it.
If you want to add an element of luck, this variation can make the game more interesting.
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!