H1 Drinking Games for Two: Spice Up Your Night In
Looking for a fun and engaging way to spend an evening with your significant other or a close friend? Ditch the typical movie night and turn up the excitement with some drinking games designed specifically for two! These games are a fantastic way to bond, laugh, and create memorable moments, all while enjoying your favorite beverages. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a variety of drinking games perfect for two players, complete with detailed instructions and variations to keep things interesting.
Before we dive in, remember to drink responsibly. Know your limits and always prioritize your safety and well-being. These games are meant to be fun, so pace yourselves and don’t feel pressured to drink more than you’re comfortable with. Also, ensure both participants are of legal drinking age.
h2 Games Requiring Minimal Setup
These games are perfect when you want to jump right into the fun with minimal preparation. They often rely on simple rules and readily available materials.
h3 Never Have I Ever (For Couples or Close Friends)
This classic game takes on a more intimate and revealing twist when played between two people who know each other well. It’s a fantastic way to learn new things about each other and share some laughs.
* **Materials:** Your chosen drinks.
* **How to Play:**
1. Players take turns making statements starting with “Never have I ever…” followed by something they have never done.
2. If the other player *has* done the action mentioned, they take a drink.
3. For example, Player 1 might say, “Never have I ever gone skinny dipping.” If Player 2 *has* gone skinny dipping, they take a drink.
4. Continue alternating turns. The game can get increasingly revealing and hilarious depending on the statements made.
* **Variations:**
* **Point System:** Assign points for each drink taken. The first player to reach a predetermined number of points loses.
* **Truth or Drink:** If a player doesn’t want to reveal whether they’ve done something, they can choose to take two drinks instead.
* **Category Rounds:** Designate a category for each round, such as travel, relationships, or embarrassing moments, to keep the game focused and interesting.
h3 Most Likely To (For Couples or Close Friends)
This game reveals how you perceive each other and can lead to some lighthearted banter. It requires a little imagination and a good sense of humor.
* **Materials:** Your chosen drinks.
* **How to Play:**
1. Players take turns asking “Most likely to…” questions. For example, “Most likely to win the lottery and spend it all in a week?”
2. Each player secretly points to the person they think the question best describes.
3. Reveal your answers simultaneously.
4. If you both point to the same person, that person takes a drink. If you point to different people, both take a drink. The laughter is guaranteed!
* **Variations:**
* **Specific Scenarios:** Create specific scenarios, such as “Most likely to accidentally set the kitchen on fire while cooking.” This can make the game even funnier.
* **Consequence Drink:** If both players point to the same person, that person must take *two* drinks.
* **Justification Round:** After each round, the players must justify their choices, adding another layer of amusement.
h3 21 Questions (Drinking Edition)
This is a simple yet surprisingly engaging game that can lead to interesting conversations and unexpected revelations.
* **Materials:** Your chosen drinks.
* **How to Play:**
1. One player thinks of a person, place, or thing.
2. The other player has 21 yes/no questions to guess what the player is thinking of.
3. For every question the guessing player asks, the thinking player takes a sip of their drink.
4. If the guessing player fails to guess correctly within 21 questions, they finish their drink. If they guess correctly, the thinking player finishes their drink.
5. Switch roles and repeat.
* **Variations:**
* **Category Restriction:** Limit the topic to a specific category, like movies or music, to make the game more challenging.
* **Number of Sips:** Increase the number of sips the thinking player takes per question to escalate the drinking pace.
* **Incorrect Guess Penalty:** If the guessing player makes an incorrect guess, they take a drink.
h3 Categories
This word association game tests your knowledge and quick thinking while adding a drinking element.
* **Materials:** Your chosen drinks.
* **How to Play:**
1. One player chooses a category (e.g., types of beer, breeds of dogs, countries in Europe).
2. Players take turns naming items that fit into that category.
3. If a player hesitates for too long, repeats an item, or names something that doesn’t fit the category, they take a drink.
4. The game continues until one player makes a mistake.
5. Switch who chooses the category.
* **Variations:**
* **Time Limit:** Implement a time limit (e.g., 5 seconds) for each answer to increase the pressure.
* **Drink Increment:** Increase the number of drinks for each mistake as the game progresses.
* **Challenge Round:** After each mistake, the other player can challenge the answer. If the challenger is correct, the player who made the mistake takes an additional drink. If the challenger is wrong, they take a drink.
h2 Games Involving Cards
Adding a deck of cards to the mix opens up a whole new range of drinking games. These games often involve strategy, luck, and a good dose of anticipation.
h3 Kings Cup (Simplified for Two)
While traditionally played with more people, a simplified version of Kings Cup can be adapted for two players. It involves drawing cards and following specific rules associated with each card.
* **Materials:** A deck of cards, your chosen drinks, a central cup or glass.
* **How to Play:**
1. Shuffle the deck of cards and spread them face down around the central cup.
2. Players take turns drawing a card and performing the action associated with that card (see list below).
3. After performing the action, the player places the card face up in a discard pile.
4. The game continues until all the cards have been drawn.
* **Card Rules (Adapt these to your preference):**
* **Ace:** Waterfall. Both players start drinking at the same time, and neither can stop until the other one does.
* **Two:** You. Choose someone to take a drink.
* **Three:** Me. You take a drink.
* **Four:** Floor. Both players must touch the floor. The last one to do so takes a drink.
* **Five:** Guys. All males drink (doesn’t really work for two, make it “Thumb Master”). The player who drew the card puts their thumb on the table. The other player must notice and do the same. The last one to put their thumb down takes a drink.
* **Six:** Chicks. All females drink (same as above, make it “Story Time”). The player who drew the card starts a story with one sentence. The other player adds the next sentence, and so on. The first person to hesitate or break the story takes a drink.
* **Seven:** Heaven. Both players must point to the sky. The last one to do so takes a drink.
* **Eight:** Mate. Choose someone to be your mate. Whenever you drink, they must drink too (and vice versa) until another eight is drawn.
* **Nine:** Rhyme. The player who drew the card says a word. The other player must say a word that rhymes. Continue alternating until someone can’t think of a rhyme or repeats a word. That person takes a drink.
* **Ten:** Categories. The player who drew the card chooses a category (e.g., types of cars). Players take turns naming items in that category. The first person to hesitate, repeat an item, or name something that doesn’t fit the category takes a drink.
* **Jack:** Make a Rule. The player who drew the card makes a new rule. This rule must be followed for the rest of the game. If a player breaks the rule, they take a drink. Examples of rules: You can’t say “drink,” you must speak in an accent, etc.
* **Queen:** Questions. The player who drew the card asks the other player a question. The other player must answer. If they don’t answer, they take a drink.
* **King:** Pour a drink into the King’s Cup. The person who draws the fourth King has to drink the contents of the King’s Cup.
* **Variations:**
* **Custom Rules:** Create your own card rules to personalize the game.
* **Progressive Drinking:** Increase the number of drinks taken for each card as the game progresses.
h3 Higher or Lower (Drinking Edition)
This simple guessing game is easy to learn and play, making it a great choice for a casual night in.
* **Materials:** A deck of cards, your chosen drinks.
* **How to Play:**
1. One player is the dealer. They shuffle the deck and deal one card face up.
2. The other player must guess whether the next card dealt will be higher or lower than the face-up card.
3. If the player guesses correctly, the dealer takes a drink.
4. If the player guesses incorrectly, they take a drink.
5. The dealer then deals the next card face up, and the player guesses again. This continues for a set number of rounds or until the deck runs out.
6. Switch roles and repeat.
* **Variations:**
* **Suit Prediction:** Add an extra layer of difficulty by requiring the player to also guess the suit of the next card.
* **Multiple Guesses:** Allow the player multiple guesses per card, but increase the number of drinks taken for each incorrect guess.
* **Ace High/Low:** Determine whether Aces are high or low before starting the game.
h3 War (Drinking Edition)
This classic card game gets a boozy twist, adding some extra stakes to each battle.
* **Materials:** A deck of cards, your chosen drinks.
* **How to Play:**
1. Divide the deck of cards evenly between the two players.
2. Players simultaneously reveal the top card from their deck.
3. The player with the higher card wins the battle and takes both cards, placing them at the bottom of their deck.
4. If the cards are of equal value (a tie), it’s “War!” Each player places three cards face down and then reveals a fourth card. The player with the higher fourth card wins the war and takes all ten cards.
5. The player who runs out of cards first takes a drink. The game continues until one player has all the cards or a predetermined time limit is reached.
* **Variations:**
* **War Penalty:** The loser of each “War!” takes a drink.
* **Ranked Drinks:** Assign a different number of drinks to each card rank. For example, Aces are worth 4 drinks, Kings are worth 3, Queens are worth 2, and Jacks are worth 1. The loser of each battle takes the number of drinks corresponding to the winner’s card.
h2 Games Involving Dice
Dice games add an element of chance and unpredictability to your drinking experience. They’re simple to set up and can be incredibly exciting.
h3 Farkle (Simplified Drinking Version)
Farkle is a dice game involving rolling dice to score points. We can adjust the game to be more of a drinking game.
* **Materials:** Six dice, a cup, your chosen drinks.
* **How to Play:**
1. Players take turns rolling all six dice.
2. After each roll, the player must set aside at least one scoring die or combination of dice (see scoring rules below).
3. The player can then choose to roll the remaining dice, attempting to score more points. Or, they can end their turn and bank the points they have accumulated.
4. If the player rolls the dice and doesn’t get any scoring dice, they “Farkle!” and the opposing player takes a drink.
5. If the player uses all six dice to form scoring combinations, they get to re-roll all six dice and keep building on their score or potentially Farkle.
6. Play goes to the next player.
* **Scoring Rules:**
* 1 = 100 points
* 5 = 50 points
* Three 1s = 1000 points
* Three 2s = 200 points
* Three 3s = 300 points
* Three 4s = 400 points
* Three 5s = 500 points
* Three 6s = 600 points
* A straight (1-6) = 1500 points
* Three pairs = 1500 points
* **Variations:**
* **Farkle Penalty:** Increase the number of drinks for each Farkle as the game progresses.
* **Scoring Threshold:** Before the game, establish a scoring threshold that players must reach before they can start accumulating points. If a player Farkles before reaching the threshold, they take an additional drink.
h3 Ship, Captain, and Crew (Drinking Edition)
This is a straightforward dice game with a nautical theme. It’s quick to learn and can be quite addictive.
* **Materials:** Five dice, a cup, your chosen drinks.
* **How to Play:**
1. Players take turns rolling all five dice, trying to roll a 6 (the Ship), a 5 (the Captain), and a 4 (the Crew) in that order. These dice need to be set aside for each roll.
2. Each player can roll up to three times per turn to try and get the Ship, Captain, and Crew. If one is not attained within the 3 rolls, then they take a drink, and the dice pass to the other player.
3. Once a player has rolled a 6, a 5, and a 4, they can use any remaining rolls to accumulate points with the remaining two dice. Add the final 2 dice together to calculate a total “cargo” amount.
4. The player with the highest cargo score wins the round and the losing player takes a drink.
5. If the dice reveal the ship, captain and crew on the first roll, the cargo value doubles.
* **Variations:**
* **Cargo Drink:** The losing player takes the number of drinks equal to the difference between the two cargo scores.
* **Ship, Captain, Crew Penalty:** The player who fails to roll the Ship, Captain, and Crew within three rolls takes an additional drink.
h3 Tenzi (Drinking Edition)
While Tenzi is typically a speed game, you can modify it for a more relaxed drinking experience.
* **Materials:** Ten dice per player, your chosen drinks.
* **How to Play:**
1. Each player starts with ten dice.
2. One player shouts “Go!”
3. Both players simultaneously roll all their dice.
4. The goal is to get all ten dice to show the same number.
5. After each roll, players can choose to keep any dice showing the same number and re-roll the remaining dice.
6. The first player to get all ten dice showing the same number shouts “Tenzi!” and is the winner of the round.
7. The losing player must take a drink.
* **Variations:**
* **Timed Rounds:** Set a time limit for each round. If neither player gets Tenzi within the time limit, both players take a drink, and the player with most dice showing the same number gets the losing player to take another drink.
* **Target Number:** Choose a specific number that players must roll to win (e.g., all dice must show a 3). This can make the game more challenging.
h2 Games with Apps
For a modern twist, there are many drinking game apps available that can simplify the rules and add extra fun to your night.
h3 Drinking Game Apps
There are countless drinking game apps available for both iOS and Android devices. These apps often include a variety of games, customizable rules, and even built-in challenges.
* **Examples:**
* **Picolo:** This app offers a wide range of drinking games, from simple icebreakers to more complex challenges.
* **Drink Roulette:** This app features a spinning wheel with different drinking-related tasks.
* **Never Have I Ever Apps:** Dedicated apps for the Never Have I Ever game with pre-written prompts.
* **How to Use:**
1. Download a drinking game app from your device’s app store.
2. Follow the app’s instructions to set up and play the game.
3. Many apps allow you to customize the rules and add your own questions or challenges.
* **Benefits:**
* **Variety:** Access to a wide range of games in one place.
* **Convenience:** Simplified rules and gameplay.
* **Customization:** Ability to personalize the games to your preferences.
h2 Tips for a Successful Drinking Game Night
* **Communicate:** Talk openly with your partner about your limits and preferences.
* **Stay Hydrated:** Drink plenty of water alongside your alcoholic beverages to avoid dehydration.
* **Eat Something:** Avoid playing drinking games on an empty stomach. Eating a meal or having snacks beforehand will help slow down the absorption of alcohol.
* **Pace Yourself:** Don’t feel pressured to drink quickly or excessively. The goal is to have fun, not to get drunk as fast as possible.
* **Know Your Limits:** Be aware of your alcohol tolerance and stop drinking when you feel like you’ve had enough.
* **Have a Safe Way Home:** If you’re planning on drinking, make sure you have a designated driver or a safe way to get home.
* **Most Importantly: HAVE FUN!** Remember, the goal is to enjoy each other’s company and have a memorable night. Don’t take the games too seriously and focus on laughing and creating positive memories.
With a little creativity and planning, you can transform a simple night in into a fun-filled adventure with these drinking games for two. Remember to drink responsibly and prioritize your safety and well-being. Cheers to unforgettable nights and lasting memories!