Cards
Kings Cup
The king of card drinking games - every card is a rule.
Card Drinking Games
A single deck of 52 cards powers the most famous drinking games on earth. Kings Cup rule-chaos, Ride the Bus gauntlets, dealer duels and race-night bets - shuffle up and deal.
All 17 card drinking games
Cards
Ride the Bus
Guess wrong, drink, repeat - and pray you never drive the bus.
Cards
Circle of Death
Kings Cup's meaner cousin - break the circle, face the card.
Cards
Screw the Dealer
Outguess the dealer or put them out of their misery.
Cards
Horse Race
Four aces, one track - bet your sips and scream your horse home.
Cards
Higher or Lower
The simplest bet in cards: call it right or drink.
Cards
Presidents
Climb the table hierarchy - or serve drinks at the bottom of it.
Cards
Drunk Uno
The family card game, with consequences for every +4.
Cards
Irish Snap
Slap the pile, count the cards, and never blink.
Cards
Irish Poker
Four guesses, four cards - call them right or drink them wrong.
Cards
Indian Poker
Everyone can see your card except you.
Cards
Bullshit
Lie beautifully or drink honestly.
Cards
Pyramid
Every flipped row raises the stakes - bluff your way up.
Cards
Give and Take
Truths, dares and drinks dealt from a pyramid of fate.
Cards
Screw Your Neighbor
One card each, one chance to dump your dud on your neighbor.
Cards
Electricity
Match a card and the current flows - everyone connected drinks.
Cards
Sociables
A whole deck of quick rules - flip, react, and drink round the table.
Quick picks: which one tonight?
Easiest way in
Horse Race
The gentlest game on this shelf (intensity 2/5) - teach it in one round and let 4-12 players settle in.
The heavyweight
Ride the Bus
Rated 4/5 - the most intense pick here. Save it for the night's main event and pace accordingly.
Best with 2-3 people
Higher or Lower
Works from 2 players up, so a quiet night still gets a real game.
Compare every cards game
| Game | Best for | Players | Intensity | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kings Cup | The king of card drinking games - every card is a rule. | 4-10 | 30-60 min | |
| Ride the Bus | Guess wrong, drink, repeat - and pray you never drive the bus. | 3-8 | 20-40 min | |
| Circle of Death | Kings Cup's meaner cousin - break the circle, face the card. | 4-10 | 30-60 min | |
| Screw the Dealer | Outguess the dealer or put them out of their misery. | 3-8 | 20-40 min | |
| Horse Race | Four aces, one track - bet your sips and scream your horse home. | 4-12 | 10-20 min | |
| Higher or Lower | The simplest bet in cards: call it right or drink. | 2-8 | 10-30 min | |
| Presidents | Climb the table hierarchy - or serve drinks at the bottom of it. | 4-8 | 30-60 min | |
| Drunk Uno | The family card game, with consequences for every +4. | 3-8 | 20-40 min | |
| Irish Snap | Slap the pile, count the cards, and never blink. | 3-8 | 15-30 min | |
| Irish Poker | Four guesses, four cards - call them right or drink them wrong. | 2-10 | 15-30 min | |
| Indian Poker | Everyone can see your card except you. | 3-10 | 10-25 min | |
| Bullshit | Lie beautifully or drink honestly. | 3-8 | 20-40 min | |
| Pyramid | Every flipped row raises the stakes - bluff your way up. | 3-8 | 20-40 min | |
| Give and Take | Truths, dares and drinks dealt from a pyramid of fate. | 3-10 | 20-40 min | |
| Screw Your Neighbor | One card each, one chance to dump your dud on your neighbor. | 4-10 | 15-30 min | |
| Electricity | Match a card and the current flows - everyone connected drinks. | 4-10 | 15-30 min | |
| Sociables | A whole deck of quick rules - flip, react, and drink round the table. | 3-10 | 20-40 min |
How to run a great cards night
One deck of cards is the cheapest party upgrade in existence, and this shelf proves it. The trick to a great card night is sequencing: open with something forgiving that teaches the table to pay attention - Higher or Lower or Irish Poker both work in under a minute of explanation - then graduate to a centerpiece game like Kings Cup or Ride the Bus once everyone's warmed up. Save the grudge games (Screw the Dealer, Presidents) for the hour when the table has opinions about each other, because that's when they're funniest.
A few quartermaster notes from experience: use a cheap deck you don't love, because cards meet spilled beer eventually. Sleeve the center cup inside a second dry cup for Kings Cup so the 'gross cup' finale stays theatrical rather than genuinely grim. And agree before dealing whether face cards are high or low in your house - half of all card-game arguments trace back to that one sentence nobody said out loud.
Card Drinking Games FAQ
What is the best card drinking game?
Kings Cup is the most played card drinking game in the world - every card rank triggers a different rule, so no two rounds feel the same. Ride the Bus is the go-to when you want higher stakes, and Horse Race is the best pure spectator moment you can get out of one deck.
How many people do you need for card drinking games?
Most card drinking games work best with 4-8 players sitting in a circle, but Higher or Lower and Screw the Dealer play fine with as few as 2-3. For big parties, Horse Race and Kings Cup scale comfortably past ten players.
Do I need anything besides a deck of cards?
Just drinks and cups. Kings Cup traditionally uses one large center cup, and Circle of Death spreads the deck around it. Everything else - rules, penalties, comebacks - lives in the cards.
Can I play these games without alcohol?
Yes. Every game on this site works with water, soda or juice, or by swapping sips for points, push-ups or dares. The card mechanics are the fun part; what is in the cup is up to you.
Want something different? Browse all 108 drinking games, jump into Quick Play, or check the party guides for picks by group size and occasion. And whatever you play, read the drink-responsibly guide first.