The bigger the group, the trickier it gets: with twelve people, the wrong game leaves eight standing around bored while only four are actually playing. Good drinking games for large groups keep everyone involved at once — through teams, circle rounds, or games where anyone can get called on at any moment. This collection is built for large groups of eight or more, all with full instructions.
💡 By the way: that's exactly why we built the SwigSki3000® — four people, one ski, one shot in sync. More on that below ↓
What makes a good group drinking game? A good group drinking game scales with headcount without anyone having to wait. That works either through teams competing against each other, a circle where everyone is involved, or games where any moment can land on anyone. That keeps the whole crowd in the game even at twelve or more.
Team vs. team: the classics for large groups
The easiest way to keep a lot of people busy: split the group into two teams.
Flip Cup
The single best drinking game for large groups. Two teams line up on opposite sides of a table, everyone with a cup holding one shot. On "go", the first person drinks up, sets the cup on the table edge and flicks it with a finger so it lands upside down — only then does the next person start. The team that finishes first wins. Because every single link in the chain is needed, the whole group is in the game at the same time.
Beer Pong Tournament
One-on-one, beer pong is a duel — as a tournament, it becomes a group event. Form several two-person teams, run a knockout bracket and keep a scoreboard. Between matches, everyone else cheers on, and the team at the bottom of the overall standings buys a round at the end. That way everyone is involved, no matter how many people are playing.
Boat Race
The loud team classic: two lines, everyone with a filled cup. One after another, each person drinks up and turns the empty cup upside down on their head before the next one can start — a relay race with a drink. The team whose last person is first to hold up an empty cup wins. Scales effortlessly with group size.
Sharing a Shotski at the festival, no bands in sight … – @apresallstars
Practical side effect: because the SwigSki3000® is made of four modules that come apart individually, it goes straight into the dishwasher after the round instead of gathering dust in a corner.
Circle drinking games for the whole group
When you're sitting in a circle, everyone is automatically in — ideal for the large round at the table.
Kings Cup
The reliable staple for large groups. Cards lie face down in a circle around a cup, and each value triggers an action — waterfall (everyone drinks), "you decide", make a new rule, King's Cup on the fourth king. Because everyone can be caught out at any moment and the group makes its own rules, nobody stays a spectator.
Medusa
The perfect game for a lot of people with zero equipment: everyone stands in a circle, heads down. On "three", each person looks up at anyone they choose. If your eyes meet, you both shout "Medusa!" and drink. The bigger the circle, the more eye pairs and the bigger the thrill.
Buzz (21)
The group counts up out loud, one number at a time, but every number containing a seven and every multiple of seven gets replaced with "Buzz". Whoever slips up or says the seven drinks — and the counting direction reverses. In large groups, it gets gloriously chaotic once the drinks start kicking in.
Thumbs
Ideal when a lot of people are sitting around a table: everyone puts a fist on the table. Going round the circle, each person calls out a number, guessing how many thumbs will be up in total — when hands open, everyone shows zero, one or two thumbs. Whoever calls the right total takes a fist out of the game and is on their way to winning; whoever still has fists left last drinks. The bigger the group, the harder the guess — a subtle bluffing and mental-math game that needs zero equipment and still keeps everyone involved at once.
SwigSki3000 Shotski by Apres Allstars
For a toast the whole group shares at once: the modular wooden ski, expandable to six glasses and beyond. Perfect for the waterfall moment with a crowd. From €29.50.
View the Shotski →Icebreakers for mixed large groups
When not everyone in a large group knows each other, games that pull stories out of the crowd help.
Never Have I Ever
The classic that gets better with every extra person. Going round the circle, each person names something they've never done — anyone who has done it drinks. In large groups, every single round guarantees someone starts sweating, and the group gets to know each other fast.
Most Likely To
"Who among us is most likely to …?" — after the question, everyone points at once to whoever fits best. Whoever draws the most fingers drinks. A game that gets large groups laughing and arguing and pulls everyone in immediately.
Who Am I?
Everyone gets the name of a famous person stuck to their forehead and has to guess who they are with yes/no questions. Works just as well in large groups, because the whole crowd can always join in guessing and answering. Whoever guesses wrong drinks.
Running large groups the right way
- Think in teams: From eight people up, team games run smoother than solo rounds — nobody waits.
- Enough supplies: Flip Cup and Boat Race need one cup per person, plan accordingly.
- Always have a non-alcoholic option: With a lot of guests, an alcohol-free version is a must — every game here works with soft drinks too.
For smaller rounds, check out drinking games for three, and for a fully planned party night, party drinking games. For the full overview of every category, see the big drinking games guide.
Partying safely in a large group
The bigger the group, the easier it is to lose track of who's had how much. Keep plenty of water and alcohol-free options on hand, look out for each other, and don't pressure anyone into joining in. Team games with small sips keep the group together longer than hard one-on-one duels.
FAQ
What are the best drinking games for large groups?
Team games like Flip Cup, Boat Race and a Beer Pong Tournament get a lot of people involved at once. Circle games like Kings Cup, Medusa and Buzz also work brilliantly from eight people up.
How many people counts as a group?
The games here are built for large rounds of roughly eight people or more. Team and circle games scale easily to twelve, sixteen or even more people.
Which group drinking game needs no equipment?
Medusa, Buzz, Never Have I Ever and Most Likely To need nothing but the group and drinks — no equipment and no prep.
How do I get everyone involved in a large round?
Through team games where every single person in the chain is needed (Flip Cup, Boat Race), or circle games where any moment can land on anyone (Kings Cup, Medusa). That way nobody just sits there waiting.
Can group drinking games be played without alcohol?
Yes, every game here works with soft drinks or as a pure points game. In large, mixed groups, an alcohol-free option is especially important.
Which game works best for really large parties?
Flip Cup and a Beer Pong Tournament scale best, because several teams can play in parallel while the rest of the group cheers them on.
Related articles:
Drinking games for a party ·
Drinking games for three ·
Good drinking games ·
All drinking games at a glance