How I Met Your Mother Drinking Game
Ted goes off on a tangent, Barney praises his suit, the gang sits in their usual bar: in the How I Met Your Mother drinking game you drink at every running gag.
Also known as: HIMYM drinking game
How do you play How I Met Your Mother Drinking Game?
Pick one or more episodes of the sitcom and agree on the rules before you press play. Take a small sip whenever one of the show’s typical moments happens – Ted’s detours while telling the story, Barney’s schemes or another night at the bar. The list works with every season.
All you need is a screen, the show and a drink each. People who haven’t seen it can join in too: the rules give nothing away about the plot.
One sip when …
- the gang sits at their usual table in the bar downstairs.
- the narrator from the future corrects himself or retells a scene differently.
- the story jumps into a flashback.
- Barney sings the praises of a suit or pushes someone to dress up.
- Barney raises his hand for a high five.
- Ted lectures about architecture.
- Ted corrects someone like a know-it-all.
- Marshall raves about Minnesota.
- Lily and Marshall call each other by pet names.
- someone makes a joke about Canada because Robin is from there.
- Barney accepts a challenge, no matter how ridiculous.
Two sips when …
- Barney pulls a move out of his book of pickup schemes.
- Ted is already planning the future after a first date.
- someone in the gang makes a bet.
- Barney recites one of his self-made rules.
- a running gag from an earlier episode comes back.
Finish your glass (or three sips) when …
- the narrator drops a hint about the mother.
- a slap from a bet is finally delivered.
Variations
- Light version: only use the two- and three-sip rules. From the one-sip list, keep just the bar and the suit.
- Alcohol-free version: play with lemonade, iced tea or alcohol-free beer – or keep a tally instead of drinking. Whoever has the most marks at the end picks the next episode.
- Pick a character: everyone takes one of the five main characters and only drinks for their rules.
- Marathon: from the third episode on, only use the two- and three-sip rules.
Tips
Barney-heavy episodes add up fast – drop the suit and high-five rules for those. An episode runs just over 20 minutes, so two or three are plenty for a relaxed evening.
Warning: The characters drink constantly, so the rules come up a lot. Small sips only, alcohol-free is fine – and take breaks if you watch several episodes.
Agree on drinks and amounts before you start. The game works just as well without alcohol.
How I Met Your Mother Drinking Game: FAQ
How many players do you need for How I Met Your Mother Drinking Game?
How I Met Your Mother Drinking Game is played with 2+ players.
What do you need for How I Met Your Mother Drinking Game?
For How I Met Your Mother Drinking Game you need: TV, an episode of How I Met Your Mother, plus drinks of your choice.
How hard are the rules of How I Met Your Mother Drinking Game?
Rule difficulty: Easy. The instructions above are all you need to start.
Can you play How I Met Your Mother Drinking Game without alcohol?
Yes. How I Met Your Mother Drinking Game works just as well with water, soft drinks or alcohol-free beer. Agree on drinks and amounts before you start.