Caps Drinking Game

Sit across the room and land a bottle cap in your rival's cup.

Also known as: Beer Caps · Cap Toss

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Players 4-8

You needBottle caps, cups, two chairs, drinks

DrinkBeer

Intensity

Time20-40 min

Caps is beer pong's laid-back cousin: two teams sit on the floor facing each other, a cup of beer planted between each player's feet, and the whole contest comes down to lobbing a bottle cap across the gap into the enemy's cup. Land your cap in their cup and they drink - Simple as that. There's no table to buy and no elaborate rack to build, just a handful of caps, a couple of cups and a stretch of floor. It's the game that starts the moment someone cracks the first bottle.

Because it uses the caps you'd otherwise throw away, Caps is the ultimate low-budget classic - A backyard, dorm-room and tailgate staple that needs almost nothing to play. If you love the toss-and-sink thrill of beer pong but want something you can set up in ten seconds, this is your game, and it sits comfortably among the best cup drinking games. Sit down, find your range, and let the caps fly.

What you need & setup

Sit facing your opponent - Teammates sit on the floor or in two chairs, legs out, directly across from the other team, usually 8-10 feet apart.
Place a cup between your feet - Each player sets their cup of beer on the floor between their outstretched feet, roughly a third to half full.
Grab your bottle caps - Each throwing team needs one or two clean bottle caps to toss; metal twist-off caps work best.
Set the throwing distance - Agree on the gap between teams; shorten it for beginners, lengthen it for a real challenge.
Decide serve order - Pick which team throws first, then players alternate throws with their partner.

How to play Caps

Set the field

Two teams of two sit on the floor facing each other, partners side by side, with the opposing team a fixed distance across from them. Each player has a cup of beer positioned between their feet, presenting two targets per side. Confirm the distance and make sure every cup is filled and stable before the first throw.

Take aim and toss

On your turn, flick or lob a bottle cap underhand toward one of the opponents' cups. Most players use a gentle arc with a bit of backspin so the cap drops in rather than skips out. You're aiming for a soft landing right in the mouth of the cup.

Score a make

If your cap lands and stays in an opponent's cup, that's a make - The player whose cup it landed in must drink. Depending on your house rules, they drink a set amount (a few gulps, half the cup, or the whole thing) and then refill for the next round.

Alternate throws

Throwing passes back and forth: your team throws, then the other team throws, partners taking turns. Some groups let both teammates throw each round; others alternate one throw at a time. Settle on a rhythm and stick with it so the game stays fair.

Retrieve and reset

After each round, caps are collected and passed back, drained cups are topped up, and play continues. Keep a hand towel nearby - Caps that miss tend to skitter across the floor, and the occasional cup gets knocked over.

Play to a target

Games usually run to a set number of makes - First team to sink, say, five caps wins, and the losing team finishes what's left in their cups. Agree on the winning number before you start so everyone knows what they're playing for.

The rules

Two teams of two sit facing each other, each player with a cup of beer between their feet.
Players toss bottle caps underhand, trying to land one in an opponent's cup.
A cap that lands and stays in a cup is a make - That player drinks the agreed amount.
Throwing alternates between teams; partners take turns within their team's throw.
Keep your seat and don't lean across the agreed throwing line when releasing the cap.
A cap that bounces out doesn't count - It has to come to rest inside the cup.
Cups are refilled after being made so there's always a target and a penalty in play.
Knocking over your own cup usually means refilling and drinking a penalty (house rule).
Play continues to an agreed number of makes, and the losing team finishes their beer.
No blocking or swatting the cap in flight - Let it land or miss on its own.
Agree on the drink amount per make before the game (a few sips, half a cup, or a full cup).

Variations & house rules

Chairs edition

Instead of sitting on the floor, each player sits in a chair with the cup on the floor between their feet or on the seat between their thighs. Raising the target changes the arc and is easier on the back for longer sessions - Hence the two-chairs setup many groups prefer.

Sink-and-win rebuttal

Borrowing from beer pong, when a team reaches the winning number the other team gets one last throw each to tie it up. Miss and the game ends; match the make and it goes to sudden-death overtime. Adds a dramatic finish to an otherwise casual game.

Speed caps

No turns - Both teams throw as fast as they can retrieve their caps, firing continuously at the opposing cups. It's frantic, sloppy and hilarious, and it turns a mellow game into a caffeinated one. Best with a padded floor and drinks you don't mind spilling.

Trick-shot bonus

A cap sunk off a bounce, behind the back, or with your non-dominant hand counts double - The victim drinks twice, or two separate players drink. Rewards showboating and keeps skilled players engaged once the basic throw gets easy.

1v1 duel

No teams - Just two players, one cup each, trading throws until someone reaches the target. Perfect when you only have two people and a couple of beers, and it makes for a fast, personal grudge match.

Pro tips

Use a soft, high arc with a touch of backspin - A cap that drops straight down stays in far more often than a flat throw.

Aim for the back rim of the cup; a cap that catches the far edge tends to settle in rather than bounce out.

Find your range early with a few practice tosses before you start playing for real drinks.

Metal twist-off caps fly truer than bent or dented ones - Keep a small stash of clean, flat caps.

Sit up straight and throw from the shoulder, not the wrist, for a more repeatable arc.

Only fill cups a third to half full; a shorter pour is a bigger target and means less spillage on a miss.

Where Caps fits on the shelf

Caps is one of the gentler picks on the shelf - 14th of 14 cups games by intensity, rated 2 out of 5.
The sweet spot is 4-8 players - enough for chaos, few enough that every turn matters.
A typical session runs 20-40 min - a solid middle act for the evening.
Browse the full pong & cup games shelf to compare all 14 games side by side.

A little history

Caps is a longstanding American college and fraternity drinking game, closely related to beer pong and other toss-into-a-cup games, with no single documented origin - It grew up wherever bottled beer and boredom met a bare floor. Its enduring appeal is its sheer simplicity and cost: any bottled beer supplies the ammunition, so the game costs nothing beyond the drinks themselves. That accessibility has kept it a dorm-room, basement and tailgate staple for decades, passed down as folk knowledge rather than any official rulebook.

Drink responsibly: Caps is a slow, social game, but the drinks can add up if every make means a full cup, so keep pours small - A few sips per make is plenty. Play the water-cup version if you want to control the pace: water in the game cups and your own drink on the side. Watch out for caps flying near faces, keep the floor clear of spills so nobody slips, and rotate out anyone who's had enough. Eat before you play, sip water between rounds, and the game stays fun all night. See our safety guide for pacing tips and alcohol-free versions.

Caps FAQ

How do you play the Caps drinking game?

Two teams of two sit on the floor facing each other, with a cup of beer between each player's feet. Players take turns tossing a bottle cap underhand, trying to land it in an opponent's cup. When a cap lands and stays in a cup, the player whose cup it is drinks the agreed amount and refills. Throwing alternates between the teams, and the first team to reach a set number of makes wins, with the losers finishing their beers.

What do you need to play Caps?

Very little, which is the whole point. You need bottle caps to throw - Metal twist-off caps are ideal - A cup of beer for each player, and a floor or two chairs to sit on facing each other. That's it. No table, no special balls, no board. Since the caps come off the bottles you're already drinking, the game effectively costs nothing to set up.

How far apart do you sit in Caps?

There's no official distance, but most groups sit around eight to ten feet apart - Roughly two people's leg-lengths across. Move closer for beginners or a faster game, and farther apart for a real test of aim. The key is that both teams agree on the same distance and keep it consistent, so nobody has an unfair angle.

What's the difference between Caps and beer pong?

Both are toss-into-a-cup games, but Caps is simpler and cheaper. In beer pong you stand at a table and throw ping pong balls at a pyramid of ten cups; in Caps you sit on the floor and toss bottle caps at a single cup between each opponent's feet. Caps needs no table and no balls, just the caps off your bottles, which makes it the go-to when you want beer pong's thrill with none of the gear.

Can you play Caps without beer?

Yes. Fill the cups with water or any drink you like and keep the same rules - When your cup is made, take an equivalent sip of whatever you're actually drinking. The game is really about the toss and the tiny target, so it's just as fun with soda or water, and it lets players who aren't drinking alcohol compete on equal footing.

Caps Drinking Game

What you need & setup