New Year's Eve has a catch: if the party never gets going, the wait for midnight drags on forever - and then everyone suddenly leaves. With the right New Year's Eve drinking games, that won't happen to you. We've collected the best games for the turn of the year, from spontaneous to planned.
What is a New Year's Eve drinking game? A New Year's Eve drinking game is a party game for the night of December 31st, where small drinking forfeits keep the group's energy up. Typical are references to the turn of the year - like the TV classic "Dinner for One," the countdown or different time zones. The goal isn't to drink as much as possible, but to fill the wait until midnight with fun.
💡 By the way: that's exactly why we built the SwigSki3000® — four people, one ski, one shot in sync. More on that below ↓
New Year's Eve Drinking Games with No Prep
Only decided to play at the last minute? No problem. These New Year's Eve games don't need any special gear that you have to go out and get - a few glasses and drinks are enough.
The Dinner for One Drinking Game
What would New Year's Eve be without "Dinner for One"? The cult sketch gives you the simplest drinking game of the night. Watch the film together, everyone with the same drink in hand, and agree beforehand on when to drink. For example: every time the butler trips, steps over the tiger head, or a guest is introduced. "The same procedure as every year" takes on a whole new meaning this way.
Russian Roulette with Glasses
With New Year's Eve roulette, nobody knows what's coming. Fill several identical shot glasses - some with clear schnapps, others with water - and mix them so nobody knows which is which anymore. Going around the circle, everyone picks a glass and downs it in one go. Who gets the schnapps, who gets the water? A perfect icebreaker for the start of the party that works without any equipment at all.
Practical side effect: because the SwigSki3000® is made of four individually removable modules, it goes straight into the dishwasher after the round instead of into a corner.
New Year's Eve Drinking Games That Need a Little Setup
If you've got a bit of lead time, these games are worth it - they can keep the group entertained for hours.
Looping Louie
Got the kids' game Looping Louie at home? Perfect, because it turns into a drinking game in no time. The goal is to avoid losing your chickens first. Whoever's chickens get knocked off the perch first has to drink. Just play as many rounds as you like - no other rules needed.
The Time-Zone Game
This game fills a whole day. Samoa celebrates New Year's Eve a full 13 hours before Germany does - at 11am German time. Every time a new time zone hits midnight, you toast together. One player googles that country's typical drink, and you try to get as close to it as possible. There are 24 time zones in total - who can make it through all 24 drinks (in moderation, of course)?
Frau Horst
In Frau Horst, concentration is everything, because the rules keep growing. You need two dice. Whoever's turn it is rolls: on a seven, the neighbor to the left drinks; on a nine, the neighbor to the right. Whoever rolls doubles becomes "Frau Horst" and may only be addressed by that name from then on - forget, and you drink. Every Frau Horst also picks a forbidden word. Chaos is guaranteed, and so are the laughs. On top of that, dice and drinks may only be picked up from the table, never handed directly - forget that, and you drink too. The longer you play, the crazier the rules get.
Resolution Roulette
A game that fits the turn of the year perfectly: everyone takes turns writing a New Year's resolution on a slip of paper and dropping it into a pot. Then one is drawn and read aloud - the group guesses who wrote it. Guess wrong, and you take a sip; guess your own resolution correctly, and the writer drinks. Guaranteed for plenty of laughs and the odd honest moment.
Countdown Chain
A quick game for in between: you count up out loud, one number per person, but any number containing a seven or divisible by seven gets replaced with "Cheers." Whoever slips up or hesitates too long drinks and the next round starts back at one. Sounds simple, but gets surprisingly tricky as the night goes on.
Mini-Ski Roulette: the New Year's Eve Classic with a Twist
The roulette principle from before can be turned up a notch. Line up small glasses on a wooden Mini-Ski, fill them randomly with schnapps or water, and the simple game becomes a real eye-catcher. Whoever takes a glass off the ski and drinks it never knows what's waiting for them - same tension, different style. As a variation, you can number the glasses beforehand and roll dice to decide who has to pick which one - so chance decides twice over.
The beauty of it: every game here works with completely ordinary glasses. But if you want to give the night a themed kick, swap them out for the ski-boot shot glasses or the Mini-Ski from Apres Allstars - an upgrade that turns any drinking game into a photo moment.
Recap reel from our Christmas-market stand in Salzburg on … – @apresallstars
The wooden Mini-Ski is especially well suited for the roulette game - line the glasses up on it like a little slope.
More Drinking Games for Any Occasion
Group still wants to play even though midnight is long gone? In our big overview of the best drinking games, you'll find the right game for every mood. If you like it harder on New Year's Eve, check out our drinking games with guaranteed alcohol. And for how to plan the perfect party around it, our guide to the New Year's Eve highlights shows you how. And if the office Christmas party comes before New Year's Eve, we have 14 games from the Norwegian julebord for that.
If the group grows, the Shotski simply grows with it via an extension set — four modules are the base, and every additional pair adds two more spots.
Safely and Responsibly into the New Year
Drinking games are most fun when everyone can still laugh at the end. So the rule is: water between rounds, alcohol-free alternatives for anyone who doesn't want to drink along, and never pressure anyone to drink. Every game here works just as well with juice or soda instead of schnapps. That way, NYE is a smooth ride for everyone - and the hangover on New Year's morning stays manageable.
Frequently Asked Questions About New Year's Eve Drinking Games
Which drinking games are best for New Year's Eve?
Games with a New Year's Eve theme work especially well: the "Dinner for One" drinking game, Russian roulette with glasses, the time-zone game and Frau Horst. They bridge the wait until midnight and get the group in the mood - from spontaneous to hours-long.
Are there New Year's Eve drinking games without any equipment?
Yes. "Dinner for One" only needs the film and some glasses, and Russian roulette just needs a few identical glasses with schnapps or water. Both work completely spontaneously, without having to get anything beforehand.
How does the Dinner for One drinking game work?
Watch the film together and agree on drinking triggers beforehand - for example, every time the butler trips, steps over the tiger head, or a guest is introduced. Everyone has the same drink in front of them and takes a sip at the agreed moment.
What is the time-zone game?
In the time-zone game, you toast throughout the day every time the new year begins somewhere in the world - from Samoa in the morning to Germany at midnight. For each time zone, there's a matching drink or snack from that country.
How can I make New Year's Eve drinking games safer?
Drink water between rounds, offer alcohol-free alternatives, and never pressure anyone to join in. Every game works just as well with juice or soda. That way the fun stays intact and the hangover on New Year's morning stays small.
What gear makes New Year's Eve drinking games special?
Basically, ordinary glasses are enough. For a themed kick, go for ski-boot shot glasses with bindings or a Mini-Ski to line the glasses up on. A Shotski, in turn, turns the shared midnight shot into the highlight, with everyone toasting at the same time.
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