Drinking games without anything have to work on the train, in the car or in the queue outside the festival — no room for cards, no table for dice. They're purely verbal drinking games with no equipment at all, and can still be explained in full so new players get the hang of it straight away.
💡 By the way: that's exactly why we built the Hangover Bottle Holder — the mini-ski glass holder for any bottle. More on that below ↓
What are drinking games without anything? Purely verbal games with no cards, dice or other props — they work on the train, in the car or standing in line just as well as sitting at a table.
Word games with nothing to bring
The alphabet game
Agree on a category beforehand (cities, animals, food). Going around the group, each person names a word from that category — the first letter of the new word has to match the last letter of the previous one ("London" → "Norwich" → "Hull"). Anyone who hesitates too long, can't find a matching word, or repeats one already used, takes a drink. Then the round starts again with the next player.
The word chain game
Similar to the alphabet game, but without a fixed category: each new word has to start with the last letter of the previous one ("car" → "radio" → "orange" → "elephant" …). Anyone who can't find a word within 5 seconds drinks. Because any category is fair game, the chain quickly gets creative and sometimes absurd.
Categories as a drinking game
The classic categories game with the usual rounds (city, country, river, animal, name), but timed: a letter is called out loud, and everyone has 10 seconds to give a matching word out loud for each category. Anyone who can't fill a category takes a sip for every blank line.
Product walkthrough of the modular Swigski Shotski – @apresallstars
On a smaller budget: the Hangover Bottle Holder clips a mounted mini-ski glass onto any bottle — turning the one you brought along into a ski-themed gift.
Number games with no equipment
Number guessing
One person thinks of a number between 1 and 100 without revealing it. Everyone else guesses a number in turn — the person who's thinking of the number says "higher" or "lower" each time. Whoever guesses it last (i.e. takes the longest) drinks. Then the next person thinks of a new number.
Buzz (the rule of seven)
Counting starts at 1 and goes around the group. On every number that's divisible by 7 or contains a 7 (7, 14, 17, 21, 27 …), the person says "Buzz" instead of the number. Anyone who slips up — saying the number instead of "Buzz" or hesitating the other way round — drinks, and the round restarts at 1. Perfect for a traffic jam or a station platform, because it's playable straight away and needs no preparation.
Observation and reaction games (verbal drinking games without props)
Most likely to …?
Going around the group, each person asks a "Most likely to …?" question ("Who's most likely to miss the train?", "Who's most likely to take on a dare?"). On the count of three, everyone points at the same time to the person they think fits best. Whoever gets the most fingers pointed at them drinks. A brilliant game for gently ribbing each other — and it's played entirely in your head.
I spy — the drinking edition
The childhood classic as a drinking game: one person picks a visible object (out the train window, in the car, in the queue) and gives a hint about its colour. The others guess in turn. Whoever guesses right hands out a sip; whoever's still wrong after an agreed number of rounds drinks themselves. Ideal for long car rides — one of the better car drinking games out there — because the changing scenery keeps serving up new objects.
21 — the counting game
Going around the group, each person says one, two or three consecutive numbers; whoever has to say 21 drinks and gets to introduce a special rule ("from now on 7 is called 'cheers'", "at 13 the direction reverses"). No equipment needed, just concentration — and that becomes a real challenge after a few drinks.
The humming guessing game
One person hums the melody of a well-known song, and the others take turns guessing the title. Whoever gets it right hands out a sip; if nobody can guess the song, the hummer drinks for hitting the notes so badly. Perfect in the car or on the train, because all it needs is a voice and it's guaranteed to get laughs.
The round-robin story
Together, the group tells a story — but each person can only add one sentence before it's the next person's turn. Anyone who loses the thread, thinks too long, or bursts out laughing and can't continue, drinks. The stories get more absurd with every sip — a game that basically runs itself on long journeys.
Once you've arrived
As soon as you've got a table and more room to work with, card and dice games are worth breaking out, as described in Drinking games for three, including the option of using the mini-ski roulette to make fair random decisions instead of laboriously spinning a bottle.
Tips for drinking games with no supplies
- Keep public transport in mind: adjust your volume and be considerate of other passengers.
- Never behind the wheel: car drinking games are for passengers only, never for the driver.
- Keep a non-alcoholic alternative on hand: topping up is often tricky on the go — small amounts are usually plenty anyway.
FAQ
Which drinking games work without anything while you're travelling?
The alphabet game, the word chain game, categories, number guessing and Buzz are purely verbal — some of the best bar games to play, no equipment needed, for the train, car or a queue.
Are you allowed to play drinking games in the car?
Only as a passenger — the driver never drinks, no matter what the game is.
How many people do you need?
It works with as few as 2 people; from 4 upwards it gets more varied, because word games get a bigger mix of categories.
Are drinking games allowed on the bus or train?
Drinking alcohol is allowed on many forms of public transport, but always mind the volume and be considerate of other passengers.
What if there's no alcohol available?
All the games work just as well with soft drinks or as a plain points game with no drinking consequence.
Which game works best for short waits?
Buzz and number guessing are the quickest to explain and playable right away, ideal for a spontaneous 10-minute round.
Related articles:
Drinking games for three ·
Drinking games without equipment ·
Festival drinking games