16 Drinking Games to Play with 3 People

Best drinking games for trios, with or without cards

Co-authored by Karim McLaren and Cheyenne Main

Last Updated: February 25, 2025 Fact Checked

Whether you’re pregaming before a party or looking for something to do with your friends at your local bar, these drinking games are super simple and fun to play with just 3 people. Some of them require a deck of playing cards or a couple of dice, while others need nothing at all except your favorite drink. Keep reading to see them all!

Best Drinking Games for 3 People

Cheers to the Governor
Three Man Dice
7/11 Doubles
Screw the Dealer
Never Have I Ever
King’s Cup
Truth or Drink

1

Cheers to the Governor

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Try to count to 21 successfully in this tricky drinking game. All 3 players sit in a circle and take turns saying a number, counting from 1 to 21. When you reach 21, all the players raise their drinks, yell “Cheers to the Governor!”, and take a sip. Whoever says the last number gets to make a rule to make the game more complicated next turn.^{[1]
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- A common rule is to switch two numbers, like 2 and 11. When counting, the group has to say “1, 11, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 2, 12…”
- Whoever messes up the sequence or breaks one of the rules has to take a drink. The next person has to start off from “1” again.
- You can have the rules stack on top of each other, or switch rules each game.

2

Three Man Dice

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Play this simple drinking game with just 2 dice. Roll a die until someone gets a 3—that person is the “Three Man.” The only way that a Three-Man can stop being the Three-Man is by rolling a 3 in any combination on their turn. Once the Three-Man is chosen, the players take turns rolling 2 dice. Follow the instructions down below, depending on what each person rolls:^{[2]
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- Any roll that equals 3 or either die is a 3: Three-Man drinks.
- Any roll that equals 7: The person to the right takes a drink.
- Any roll that equals 9: This is called a “social”—all players take a drink.
- Any roll that equals 11: The person to the left takes a drink.
- Any doubles (like 2 and 2): Pass out both dice or divide them evenly to the other players. The other players roll the dice and follow the instructions as normal. If they roll a double, the person who passed out the dice has to drink the total of that roll.
- For extra fun, give the Three-Man a hat to wear to signify their role.

3

7/11 Doubles

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Take turns chugging until someone rolls a 7, 11, or double. Players sit around a table and fill the cup in the center with their drink of choice. The first player rolls 2 dice—if they roll a 7, 11, or two of any number, they choose another player to drink. That player then chugs the cup in the center until the roller rolls a 7, 11, or double again.^{[3]
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- If the roller doesn’t get any of those numbers the first time, they pass the dice to the player on their left.
- If the drinker finishes the drink before the roller gets a 7, 11, or double, the cup is refilled and placed back in the center. The player to the roller’s left gets the dice next.
- If the roller gets a 7, 11, or double before the drinker finishes the cup, the drinker stops and the cup is refilled and put in the center of the table.

4

Screw the Dealer

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Guess the value of the top card in the deck or take a drink. Have the dealer shuffle a deck of standard playing cards and look at the top card. The player to the left tries to guess the top card. If they’re incorrect, the dealer says if the card is higher or lower than their guess. If they’re incorrect again, the player has to drink the difference between the card and their guess.^{[4]
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- For example, if the player guesses “7” on their second turn and the card is actually a “9,” the player has to take 2 sips of their drink.
- If the player guesses correctly on the first try, the dealer has to take 4 sips of their drink. If the player guesses right on the second try, the dealer only has to drink twice.
- Once the dealer beats 3 people in a row, the person to the dealer’s left becomes the new dealer.
- Aces equal 1, Jacks are 11, Queens are 12, and Kings are 13.

5

Never Have I Ever

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Level up your group hang with this slumber party classic. Players take turns saying “Never have I ever” followed by an experience they have had (or have never had). If the other players have had the same experience, they take a sip of their drink. If no one in the group has had the same experience, then the person who said “Never have I ever” takes a drink instead.^{[5]
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- “Never have I ever met a celebrity.”
- “Never have I ever gone to a party I wasn’t invited to.”
- “Never have I ever overdrawn my bank account.”
- “Never have I ever slid into someone’s DMs.”
- “Never have I ever fallen asleep at work or school.”
- “Never have I ever lied to a police officer.”

6

King’s Cup

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Draw a card from the ring of fire to decide your fate. Place a cup in the center of a table, then shuffle a deck of playing cards and spread them out so they circle the cup. The first person draws a card and performs whatever rule corresponds to it. The game ends when all the cards have been pulled from around the cup.^{[6]
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- 2 = You. The player who drew the card picks someone to drink.
- 3 = Me. The player who drew the card takes a drink.
- 4 = Floor. Everyone has to touch the floor—the last one to do so takes a drink.
- 5 = Guys. All men in the group take a drink.
- 6 = Chicks. All women in the group take a drink.
- 7 = Heaven. Everyone has to point to the sky—the last person takes a drink.
- 8 = Date. The player who drew the card chooses another person to be their “date.” Their date has to take a drink any time they do until someone else draws an 8.
- 9 = Rhyme. The player who drew the card chooses a word. Each player takes a turn saying a word that rhymes with it without repeating anyone’s answer—whoever does takes a drink and the game ends.
- 10 = Categories. The player who drew the card chooses a category of items (like clothes or famous rap artists) and everyone takes turns saying a word within that category. Whoever repeats someone else’s answer takes a drink and the game ends.
- Jack = Never Have I Ever. Play Never Have I Ever with the rest of the group—the person who has done the statement the person who drew the card chooses takes a drink.
- Queen = Question Master. The player who drew the card is the Question Master until someone else draws a queen. Anyone who answers a QM’s question has to take a drink.
- King = All Hail the King. If a player flips a king, they must dump part of their drink in the cup in the middle and come up with any rule they’d like. Whoever draws the 4th king has to drink the middle cup.
- Ace = Waterfall. Starting with the player who flipped the ace, everyone starts chugging their drink. Once the person who flipped the ace stops drinking, the player to their left can also stop. Players must wait until the person to their left stops drinking until they can.

7

Drunken Artists

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Draw out a word and have everyone guess what it is. Have one person be the “time-keeper” and another person be the “artist.” The time-keeper whispers a word to the artist and starts a stopwatch. The artist has to draw the word as the other player guesses. When they guess what the word is, the time stops and the artist drinks for every 20 seconds on the clock.^{[7]
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- For example, if it took 2 minutes and 20 seconds (140 seconds in total) for the word to be guessed, the artist takes 7 sips of their drink.

8

Two Truths and a Lie

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Break the ice with this tipsy spin on the getting-to-know-you game. Choose a person to start—the first person has to say three statements or facts about themselves, but one of them is false. Everyone else in the group has to pick which statement is the lie. Take turns guessing or have everyone hold up 1, 2, or 3 fingers that correspond to their chosen statement.^{[8]
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- “I used to live in Kentucky.”
- “I’m left-handed, just like my mom’s cousin Dave.”
- “My nephew has a twin.”
- “My dad has my name tattooed on his left knee.”
- “I’m a vegetarian.”
- “I’ve gotten every job that I’ve interviewed for.”

9

I’m Going on a (Drunken) Picnic

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Watch the fun unravel as you try to remember everyone’s items. The first player begins the game by saying “I’m going on a picnic and I’m bringing” and says an item. The next player has to say the same sentence, followed by the last player’s item plus their item. Everyone keeps adding items until a player messes up—when they do, they take a drink!^{[10]
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- For example, you might say “I’m going on a picnic and I’m bringing an octopus,” and the next person has to say “I’m going on a picnic and I’m bringing an octopus and a water bottle.”
- Switch out the “picnic” part for whatever event you want. You could be going “to the bar” or “to a costume party.”

10

Land Mines

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Spin a coin and drink until it lands on its side in this easy game. Give each player a full drink (preferably in a can). The first player spins a coin on its edge and tries to chug their drink before the coin lands on a side. When they finish their drink, they can slam their can (or cup) on the coin on another player’s turn. The cup or can stays on the table for the rest of the game.^{[11]
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- If the coin lands before you finish chugging your drink, you must stop drinking. On your next turn, finish the rest of the drink in your cup.
- The empty cans or cups are “landmines” that other players have to avoid when spinning the coin.

11

Chandelier

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Keep the party going with just 3 ping pong balls and plastic cups. Place a bowl upside-down in the middle of a table, then place a plastic cup on top and fill it completely with your drink of choice. Each player fills their own cup ⅓ of the way with a drink and puts it around the bowl. Take turns trying to bounce a ping pong ball into other players’ cups.^{[12]
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- If a ping pong ball lands in your cup, drink its contents, refill it ⅓ of the way, and continue playing.
- The game continues until a ball lands in the middle cup—this means all players have to drink their cup, then place it on the edge of the table upside-down and try to flip it right-side-up.
- The last player to successfully flip their cup has to finish the cup in the middle.

12

Friend Trivia

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Learn something new about your friends while you drink. In this getting-to-know-you game, each person gets 3 slips of paper. On each one, players write 3 facts about themselves or someone else in the group. All of the slips go into a bowl. 1 player reads a slip, counts to 3, and everyone points to the person they think the fact is about. Whoever loses takes a drink!^{[13]
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- If everyone guesses the person right, then the person the fact was about takes a drink instead.
- Once the guesses have been made and the losers have taken a drink, pass the bowl to the player on the left to start the fun again.

13

Rage Cage

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Bounce a ping pong ball into your cup in this competitive game. Place at least 10 cups together in the middle of a table. Fill the center cup with your drink, then fill the rest of the cups ⅓ of the way. 2 players drink from 2 of the cups at the same time, then try to bounce a ball into it. When the ball lands in the cup, the player passes both to the person on their left.^{[14]
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- If a player lands their ping pong ball into the cup on the first try, they can pass it to any player.
- If a player bounces their ball into the cup while the player to their left is still trying to make their shot, the first player stacks their cup onto the other player’s cup.
- The second player then has to pass the stacked cup and call to the left, grab a new cup, drink all of its contents, and continue bouncing in the new cup.
- The cup in the middle is the “king’s cup” and players only drink it when all the other cups are gone or if someone bounces their ball into it accidentally. The game ends when all the cups are empty.

14

Drunk Waiter

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Balance a tray of drinks while you race to the finish line. Set 8-10 cups filled with water on a tray, then choose a referee. Have the other 2 players spin around 10 times, then immediately grab a tray of drinks and run to a marked spot (like the other side of the yard or room). The first person to get to the finish line without spilling their drinks wins! The other player takes a drink.^{[15]
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- We recommend taking this one outside to prevent water from getting spilled on your floors.
- Alternatively, take a drink before you start racing. You can also fill the cups with your drink of choice—if a player spills a cup, they have to drink whatever’s inside after they get to the finish.

15

Truth or Drink

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Decide whether to answer a fun question or take a drink. Gather a list of questions, then read one aloud and have the first player choose “truth” or “drink.” If the player chooses “truth,” they must answer the question. If they choose “drink,” then they have to take a sip (or down their drink if the questions aren’t too spicy).^{[16]
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- “Have you ever been in a bar fight?”
- “What was the worst injury you’ve ever had?”
- “Who is the funniest person out of all of us?”
- “Who is your secret crush?”
- “What’s the most embarrassing music you listen to?”
- “When was the last time you lied?”

16

Drunk Jenga

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Try the boozy version of this nerve-wrackingly fun game. Write down a fun activity or rule on each Jenga block, then set up your Jenga blocks as normal (3 blocks in each row, alternating directions each layer). Pull a block from the tower without knocking it over, then do whatever the block says. The first player to topple the tower has to finish their entire drink!^{[17]
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- For example, you might write “Two Truths and a Lie” on a block. When a player pulls it out of the tower successfully, all 3 players play a quick round of Two Truths and a Lie.
- Other rules include “You” (choose someone to take a drink), “Guys” (all men take a drink), “Heads or Tails” (flip a coin and guess what side it lands on—if you lose, you take a drink), or “Historian” (share the last 5 results from your search history).

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Tips

Choose a weaker drink to play these games with, like a beer or seltzer.

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You can also make this game non-alcoholic by substituting the drinks for soda, juice, water, or whatever you’d like!

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Warnings

Make sure to drink responsibly. Never drink and drive, and have a snack or meal before and while you drink.^{[18]
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