Word & reaction drinking games

No equipment, just quick thinking. Whoever slips up drinks.

23 games

Word & reaction drinking games: 23 games

Bautzball

An imaginary ball, three calls, zero equipment: Bautzball is the fastest reaction drinking game for big groups.
No equipment Players:4–15 Rules: Easy
21 (Bizz Buzz 21)

Count round to 21 – whoever has to say 21 drinks and invents a new rule that trips everyone up.
No equipment Players:3–12 Rules: Easy
31 (Baskin Robbins)

Say one, two or three numbers in turn – whoever has to say 31 drinks. The Korean counting game sounds simple and is still devious.
No equipment Players:2–10 Rules: Medium
369 Game (Sam-yuk-gu)

Count around the circle, but clap instead of speaking for every 3, 6 or 9 – twice for 33. Slip up and you drink, then it’s back to 1.
No equipment Players:3–12 Rules: Medium
APT (Apateu)

The Korean hand-stacking game behind the hit “APT.” by ROSÉ and Bruno Mars: whoever lands on the called floor drinks.
No equipment Players:3–10 Rules: Easy
Brain Master

Count to 15, swap numbers for words, forget nothing: memory training with consequences.
No equipment Players:3–10 Rules: Medium
Bunny Bunny

The bunny nibbles, chants “bunny, bunny” and points at someone – their neighbours have to shout “carrot, carrot” right away. Too slow and you drink.
No equipment Players:4–12 Rules: Medium
Cheers to the Governor

Count to 21, toast, invent a new rule: Cheers to the Governor gets crazier every round – until nobody can count straight anymore.
No equipment Players:4+ Rules: Medium
Clap Numbers

Thighs, hands, your number, someone else’s – whoever loses the rhythm drinks.
No equipment Players:4–12 Rules: Medium
Cultura Chupística

“Cultura chupística pide …”: one category, one answer each – freeze or repeat yourself and you drink. The party classic from Spain and Latin America.
No equipment Players:3–12 Rules: Easy
Drink While You Think

Heidi Klum, Karl Lagerfeld, Lionel Messi: the surname sets the next first letter – and if you have to think, you drink until a name comes to you.
No equipment Players:3–12 Rules: Medium
Fuzzy Duck

The tongue twister from British pubs: “Fuzzy Duck” or “Ducky Fuzz” – whoever stumbles drinks.
No equipment Players:4+ Rules: Medium
I Went to the Bar

The drinks version of the suitcase game: forget the order and you drink.
No equipment Players:2+ Rules: Easy
Juffen

Count around the circle – but every multiple of 7 and every number with a 7 in it becomes “juf”. Then the direction flips. Slip up and you drink.
No equipment Players:3+ Rules: Medium
Matchstick Guess

Guess how many matches are in the fist – whoever is further off drinks.
Players:3 Rules: Easy
Medusa

Heads down, look up on three: if two people lock eyes, they shout “Medusa!” and drink.
Players:4–10 Rules: Easy
One Fat Hen

One fat hen, a couple of ducks, three brown bears: in One Fat Hen a tongue twister grows line by line – trip over your words and you drink.
No equipment Players:3–10 Rules: Tricky
Ping Pong Pang

From Japan: take turns saying “Ping”, “Pong”, “Pang” – whoever loses the rhythm drinks.
No equipment Players:5+ Rules: Easy
Suitcase Game

The kids’ memory game for grown-ups: forget something from the suitcase and you drink.
No equipment Players:2–10 Rules: Easy
Thumper

Everyone drums on the table and has their own hand sign – miss your sign or make the wrong one and you drink.
No equipment Players:4+ Rules: Medium
Vijven

Fist or open hand, all at once: call the right total and you're out. Whoever is left at the end drinks.
No equipment Players:3–8 Rules: Easy
Yamanote Line Game

Two claps, one word, next: in the Japanese Yamanote Line Game you take turns naming things in a category – lose the beat and you drink.
No equipment Players:3–12 Rules: Easy
Zoom Schwartz Profigliano

Three made-up words, one circle, lots of eye contact: say the wrong word, look the wrong way or hesitate in Zoom Schwartz Profigliano and you drink.
No equipment Players:4–10 Rules: Medium

These games work anywhere – at the pub, on the train or around the campfire. Bautzball and Clap Numbers test your reactions, the Suitcase Game and I Went to the Bar test your memory. The later the night, the harder they get.

Drinking games with no equipment

Word and reaction games need nothing but yourselves, which makes them perfect for train rides, bars or the moment the cards go missing. Hesitate, slip up or react wrongly and you drink.

The right game for every mood

The Suitcase Game tests memory, 21 tests concentration, Bautzball and Ping Pong Pang test reactions. The later the night, the funnier the mistakes.

Keeping it fair

Pick a referee who decides whether an answer counts, and take breaks between fast rounds – reaction games are more tiring than they sound.

The most popular word & reaction games

Bautzball – An imaginary ball, three calls, zero equipment: Bautzball is the fastest reaction drinking game for big groups.
21 (Bizz Buzz 21) – Count round to 21 – whoever has to say 21 drinks and invents a new rule that trips everyone up.
31 (Baskin Robbins) – Say one, two or three numbers in turn – whoever has to say 31 drinks. The Korean counting game sounds simple and is still devious.
369 Game (Sam-yuk-gu) – Count around the circle, but clap instead of speaking for every 3, 6 or 9 – twice for 33. Slip up and you drink, then it’s back to 1.
APT (Apateu) – The Korean hand-stacking game behind the hit “APT.” by ROSÉ and Bruno Mars: whoever lands on the called floor drinks.

Which word & reaction games are the most popular?

Especially popular are Bautzball, 21 (Bizz Buzz 21), 31 (Baskin Robbins), 369 Game (Sam-yuk-gu). You’ll find all the rules above.

Which word & reaction games are quickest to explain?

Explained in a minute: Bautzball, 21 (Bizz Buzz 21), APT (Apateu), Cultura Chupística.

Word & reaction drinking games