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TV Show Drinking Game
Catchphrases, cold opens and cliffhangers - drink on cue.
TV Show Drinking Game
Stranger Things Drinking Game
The **Stranger Things Drinking Game** turns any episode - or a full-season binge - into a trip back to Hawkins. You...
You watchStranger Things
You needDrinks + friends
Triggers14 drink rules
Best with2-15 players
The Stranger Things Drinking Game turns any episode - or a full-season binge - into a trip back to Hawkins. You pick a short list of drink when triggers before the Netflix logo fades, then sip together every time one hits the screen. Because the show leans hard on repeating beats (bikes, walkie-talkies, Eleven's nosebleeds), the triggers fire often enough to keep the whole couch locked in without emptying the cup in the first ten minutes. It runs like any good TV show drinking game: no equipment, no turns, just eyes on the screen.
Play one episode at a time or settle in for a season-long binge. For a single episode, use the full trigger list below. For a long binge, drop the high-frequency triggers (every bike ride, every 'Eggo') so the pours stay small - the later seasons run feature-length episodes, so per-episode pacing matters far more across a marathon than in one sitting.
How to set it up
- Queue up your episode (or the whole season) and pour everyone a drink they can nurse - a longer pour beats a shot for an hour-plus episode.
- Read the trigger list aloud and cut any rule that will fire too often for your group. Fewer, well-chosen triggers beat a giant list nobody can track.
- Assign one person to call out easy-to-miss triggers - a background string of Christmas lights or a quick Upside Down shot slips by fast.
- Agree that a 'drink' means a sip, not a gulp, and keep water on the table before you press play.
Stranger Things drinking game rules: drink when…
The heart of the game. Agree on these before you press play - pick the ones your group likes, and remember a "drink" means a sip.
| When this happens… | …you drink |
|---|---|
| The Upside Down appears on screen | Sip |
| Eleven's nose bleeds after using her powers | Sip twice |
| Someone eats or mentions Eggo waffles | Sip |
| The kids ride off on their bikes | Sip |
| Dustin references Dungeons & Dragons or shouts a curse | Sip |
| A character uses a walkie-talkie and says 'over' or 'do you copy' | Sip |
| Hopper loses his temper, smokes, or grabs a drink | Sip twice |
| Steve fusses over his hair or babysits the kids | Sip |
| Joyce panics about Will or strings up Christmas lights | Sip |
| A Demogorgon, Mind Flayer, or monster appears | Sip |
| The Hawkins Lab or government agents show up | Sip |
| Someone names a creature after a D&D monster (Demogorgon, Vecna) | Sip |
| An 80s song drops on the soundtrack | Sip |
| Eleven unleashes her full power with a scream | Drink for 3 seconds |
How to play
Choose your trigger list
Use the full list for a single episode. For a binge, keep about six triggers and cut the ones that repeat constantly (bike rides, Eggos) so the game lasts all season instead of one episode.
Watch together and drink on cue
Whenever a trigger happens, everyone takes the listed sip. No turns and no scoring - the fun is spotting the moments together and the groan when Steve fixes his hair again.
Handle the big moments
Save the multi-second 'drink' rule for the rare payoff - Eleven unleashing her full power with a scream - so it lands as a moment rather than another routine sip.
Pace for the finish
For a binge, take a real break between episodes - water, food, a walk. The goal is to reach the finale, not to peak during episode three.
Variations & house rules
Binge mode
Watching a full season? Use six low-frequency triggers only, and make every 'drink' a single small sip. Add one season-specific rule (for example, drink whenever the Mind Flayer is mentioned in Season 3) to keep long stretches fresh.
Party teams
Split into teams and assign each a character - Eleven, Dustin, Steve, Hopper. Your team drinks whenever your character gets a hero moment or a big line. Whoever's character saves the day gets to hand out one sip to everyone else.
Kids vs adults
One team follows the kids (bikes, D&D, walkie-talkies), the other follows the adults (Hopper, Joyce, the lab). Drink whenever your side is driving the scene - it splits the room and keeps both storylines in play.
Pro tips
Episodes run roughly an hour and the later seasons stretch well past that - keep pours small and alternate every round with water.
Season 1 and Season 4 are the best single-episode picks: dense with recurring beats without the slower mid-season setup of Season 2.
Turn captions on so quick catchphrases and needle-drops are easy to catch when the room gets loud.
Drink responsibly: A single episode means dozens of sips, and a full-season binge multiplies that many times over. A movie-length game adds up fast, so keep the pours small, water between drinks, and swap any trigger for a sip of water whenever you like. See our safety guide.
Stranger Things drinking game FAQ
What are the rules of the Stranger Things drinking game?
Everyone agrees on a list of 'drink when...' triggers - such as the Upside Down appearing, Eleven's nose bleeding, or someone eating Eggos - then sips together each time one happens on screen. There are no turns and no equipment; you just watch and drink on cue. Use the full trigger list for one episode and a shorter list for a season binge.
Which Stranger Things season is best for a drinking game?
Season 1 and Season 4 are the sweet spot - packed with recurring moments to trigger sips without the slower stretches of Season 2. Season 1 also has the tightest, shortest episodes, which makes it the easiest single-sitting pick.
Can you play the Stranger Things drinking game for a whole binge?
Yes, but drop the high-frequency triggers or you will not make it past the second episode. Keep about six low-frequency rules, make every drink a small sip, and take real breaks between episodes with water and food. A full season can top eight hours, so pacing is the whole game.
Can we play without alcohol?
Absolutely. Swap every sip for water, soda, or a point tally and the game plays exactly the same - spotting the triggers together is the fun. This makes it easy to include friends who are not drinking.
