If you ask most people whether they enjoy going to a bar with their friends or family, it is highly likely that the answer coming back will be a resounding ‘YES!’
However, if it is an activity that you have done on a regular basis, you will no doubt have hit that moment where the conversation runs dry. That is were drinking games come in!
There are loads of fun mind games you can play in bars, most of which require nothing more than human interaction, a strong sense of humour and a steady flow of alcohol.
Without further ado, here is our handy guide to some of the best drinking games you can play the next time you visit your local bar.
Bar Bingo
It is fair to say that playing bar bingo is exactly the type of activity that drinking games were invented for – it is fun, involves lots of drinks and is really easy to play!
All you need to play is a bingo card containing 25 squares and then substitute the numbers for things that you might see on your night out.
This might include spotting someone drinking a cocktail, hearing a particular song playing on the jukebox or successfully chatting up the ‘hot guy or girl’ at the bar.
The first person to complete a horizontal, vertical or diagonal line wins the round and has shots bought for them by the rest of the group.
Once the player has downed the shots the process starts again until someone manages to complete another line, and another and so on.
Ibble Dibble
This tongue-twisting drinking game requires around four to six people and something you can use to make a mark on someone’s face, such as a lipstick.
You start by assigning a single number to each player around the table and then the first person starts by passing play onto somebody else with the following statement:
‘This is number 1 ibble dibble with no dibble ibbles calling number 3 ibble dibble with no dibble ibbles.’ Player 3 then must respond in similar fashion, passing the statement to who they choose.
If a player hesitates in any way or gets any part of the statement wrong, they receive a mark on their face (a dibble ibble) with the lipstick and must drink a shot.
Later statements could be along the lines of: ‘This is number 5 ibble dibble with 6 dibble ibbles calling number 4 ibble dibble with 10 dibble ibbles.’ Make sure you have enough lipstick!
I’m Going on a Picnic
This is another game that lends itself extremely well to four or more players and can truly liven up a night out with friends or family in your favourite bar.
Someone starts off with the statement such as: ‘I’m going on a picnic and I’m bringing a picnic basket’ (or something else picnic related).
The next person then says: ‘I’m going on a picnic and I’m bringing…’ and adding in their own item followed by the original item.
Each person follows this pattern until someone makes a mistake or the group decides that what someone is bringing to the picnic isn’t appropriate. That person must then take a drink.
The game can be played under different themes such as going on holiday, going to the zoo, going to a restaurant, going to a bar and so on.
Never Have I Ever
This game starts with each person holding out their hand with four fingers and a thumb up. One person starts by saying “Never have I ever” and finishes it with something they have not done before.
Anyone who has done the specified thing during their life must put a finger down and take a drink. The game has a similar vibe to ‘Truth or Dare’ and can lead to some truly revealing moments.
‘Never have I ever lied to get out of going to work’ and ‘Never have I ever used someone else’s toothbrush’ are amongst the tamer statements that this game could generate.
However, comments such as ‘Never have I ever stalked an ex’s new partner on social media’ might send out a few alarm bells about the people in your social circle.
And if one of your group puts a finger down after hearing ‘Never have I ever slept with someone whose name I don’t know’, you may suddenly have a whole new insight into their morals and character.
Kings
This drinking game requires a standard pack of cards and, perhaps more importantly, a strong constitution when it comes to drinking.
Moving in a clockwise direction, each player is required to take the top card off the deck. When someone picks the first king, they must choose a liquor.
The game continues and the second person to get a king must pick a mixer to go with the liquor – this is where things could get messy.
The third person who picks a king has to go to the bar and pay for the mixed drink containing the first two ingredients.
The round concludes when a player gets the fourth king and has to knock the drink back in one. The process then starts all over again!
Drunken Artists
This is similar to Pictionary, but has the added bonus of getting you really drunk if your drawing skills are not up to scratch.
At the beginning of each round in the game, one person whispers a word into the artist’s ear and then starts the clock.
As the artist draws the word, the rest of the players try to guess what they think the picture is supposed to be. When someone gives the correct answer, the timer stops.
The artist has to take a gulp of their drink for every 20 seconds that passed before someone worked out what they were drawing.
If the group were unable to guess what was being drawn, the artist has to finish their original drink and down a shot.
