Not every game night happens in the same room — friends in another city, a long-distance relationship, or just a spontaneous video call are all you need for a round of online drinking games. Most classics work with a few adapted rules straight over Zoom, Discord or FaceTime. Here are the best drinking games online, complete with full rules and ready-made example questions, so the round never stalls.
What are online drinking games? A classic drinking game played over video call — with adapted rules, so it still works despite the camera, the lag and the distance. You might also see these called internet drinking games or virtual drinking games — same idea, different name. Instead of sitting round the same table, everyone's in front of their own screen, but you still raise a glass together.
💡 By the way: that's exactly why we built the wooden Miniski — combined with a glass and binding, it becomes the original wearable ski. More on that further down ↓
Apres Allstars was born in the middle of the pandemic — out of the experience of friends and family suddenly not being able to raise a glass together. The idea behind it: to toast as one, even across screens. That's exactly why the wearable Miniski exists — on a video call, everyone wears their own around their neck, and when everyone raises it at once, the distance feels a little smaller for a moment.
Online Drinking Games: The Best Games for a Video Call
Truth or Dare Online
Works one-to-one just like offline — the questions just come through the camera. Taking turns, one person asks another: "Truth or dare?" For truth, you have to answer honestly; for dare, you complete a task. Refuse both and you drink. Example dares that work online: "Show the last thing you ordered online." · "Sing the next line of a song the group gives you." · "Show your camera background chaos, unfiltered." More questions: Truth or Dare for Adults.
Never Have I Ever
Taking turns, everyone says a statement following the pattern "Never have I ever …". Whoever has actually done it drinks, visibly, into the camera. Online this even has an advantage: you see every face at once, and no one can hide in the group. Examples: "… secretly done something else during a video call." · "… overslept and dialled into a meeting without being properly awake." · "… googled someone from this call before."
Buzz (Fizz Buzz) / The Counting Game
Take turns counting upward; on every number that contains a 7 or is a multiple of 7, you say "Buzz" instead of the number. Whoever slips up drinks, and the round starts over. Over video, a clear turn order is essential — agree one in advance (alphabetically by name, say), so nobody talks over anyone else.
Most Likely To …?
One person asks a question ("Who's most likely to oversleep and miss the call?", "Who's most likely to emigrate?"). On the count of three, everyone holds up the name of the person they mean to the camera, or shouts it at the same time. Whoever gets named most often drinks. A guaranteed hit for gently winding each other up.
Categories
Agree on a category (TV shows, countries to visit, cocktails, car brands). Taking turns, everyone names something without hesitating — whoever slips up, repeats an answer, or takes longer than three seconds drinks, visibly, into the camera. Over video call, the agreed turn order matters again.
The Confessional
Taking turns, the group asks one person three short questions they have to answer honestly — or drink for every answer they dodge. Online it's especially good, because the close-up shows every reaction. After that, the next person is "in the confessional."
Product demo and explanation of the Miniski with Ski Roulette and … – @apresallstars
Good to know: the wooden Miniski only really comes into its own with a glass and binding — that's what turns it into the original wearable ski.
How to Adapt the Rules to Play Drinking Games Online
- Use drinks with an unbroken seal: Otherwise, in guess-the-drink games, anyone can cheat, because nobody's watching anyone else's glass.
- Agree the number of rounds in advance: Especially important if someone's playing alone at home, with nobody keeping an eye on the pace.
- Build in the lag: Camera latency makes fast reaction games unfair — better to play a little slower with a clear turn order.
- Clear moderation: One person runs the game and calls out whose turn it is — that replaces the natural seating order around a table.
Good to know: the wooden Miniski only really comes into its own with a glass and binding — that's what turns it into the original wearable ski.
When You're Back in the Same Room
For the in-person version with more variety: Drinking Games Without Equipment. For a small round at home, Drinking Games for 2 People is a good fit.
As tabletop decor, the Mini-Skis work solo too: four to a set, and the table's got mountain theming instantly.
Tips for an Online Game Night
- Make sure of a solid connection: Nothing kills the mood like the call dropping out every few minutes.
- Keep everyone visible: Choose gallery view, so everyone can see all the other players at once.
- Alcohol-free is fine: Anyone playing solo at home shouldn't be pushed into drinking.
FAQ
Which drinking games work best online?
Truth or Dare, Never Have I Ever, Buzz, Most Likely To, Categories and The Confessional all play easily over video call without much extra effort.
Can you play these over FaceTime or on the phone?
Yes — any platform with a group view works, including FaceTime, Zoom, Discord and Teams. A voice-only phone call limits you to games that don't rely on everyone being visible at once, like Never Have I Ever or Categories, rather than reaction games like Most Likely To.
How do you stop people cheating when playing online?
Use drinks with an unbroken seal, and for guessing games, look closely into the camera — you can never rule out cheating online completely, but you don't need to either.
Does it still work if someone's playing alone?
Yes, but the number of rounds should be capped in advance for solo players, so nobody alone ends up drinking too much.
How many people fit into an online round?
Up to around 8 people, it stays manageable — beyond that, the tile view gets cluttered and the turn order gets hard to keep track of.
Why does Apres Allstars make a wearable mini ski for online rounds?
The brand was born during the pandemic, when celebrating together was only possible through a screen. The wearable Miniski was built for exactly that: raising a glass together, even when you're not in the same room.
Related articles:
Truth or Dare for Adults ·
Drinking Games Without Equipment ·
Drinking Games for 2 People