It has been an eventful year and a half for humanity. Virtually everywhere in the world, the norms of life have effectively changed; the way we interact with one another, how we work, our eating habits, and more. Nearly every activity in our life has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
One aspect of life that has been altered drastically is drinking. Although the access to alcohol worldwide has remained relatively the same, social scenarios that call for drinking have essentially evaporated. Bars, parties, concerts, you name it. All of our favorite places to drink and have fun were closed until further notice. While things are beginning to open back up, a whole new genre of drinking games emerged in the process.
With limited interaction with our loved ones, it can get very lonely sipping your glass alone. Fortunately, we’ve come up with some virtual ways for you to have a blast with your friends over some drinks.
If you haven’t been living under a rock in the past 18 months, then you’ve probably heard of a little application called Zoom. This platform allows you to video call with groups of up to 1,000 people at a time. You know what that means: online drinking games with friends.
Whether you want to have a casual conversation over drinks with a few friends, or you want to have an all-out party, Zoom is here for you. We’ve put together a list of some of our favorite drinking games to play over Zoom.
Drink when you hear it
This is a game that works best when you’re watching a movie or TV show. You can also play it while having a general conversation or listening to music.
The rules are exactly what they sound like. Designate a word or phrase as the trigger word before you start watching.
Then, start watching. Whenever you hear that word or phrase, take a drink.
There’s an old-school rendition of this game as well. The rules of this game state to drink whenever you hear the word “Roxanne” while listening to the song by The Police. You can easily modify this version of the game with a different song or album of your choice.
You can even switch up the rules, so everybody has to take a drink when an event happens. For instance, if you’re watching a baking show, how about everybody takes a drink whenever a cake is made? Or every time somebody messes up their dish?
There are plenty of ways to get creative with this game. Play around and find what works best for you and your group of friends.
Would you rather?
Now, we have the classic, “Would You Rather.” This is a game in which users ask each other to choose between two actions. For the best results, create options that are very difficult to pick between.
The tone of this game can sway in all different directions. You can ask your friend if they’d rather work as a garbage man or a fast-food cashier. You can ask them if they’d rather marry Tom Hanks or Steve Carell. The options are limitless, and the answers are always hilarious.
To add some stakes to the game, you can keep score. Set a specific number of rounds per game. The team with the most answers at the end of the game wins. When you’re keeping score, this game really becomes intense, as you and your friends furiously try to embarrass each other and force a drink. It’s an absolute hoot.
Alternatively, you can also add a rule that the player with the best justification for their answer can choose someone to drink.
If you’re having trouble getting started, here are some starter questions to help inspire you: Would you rather work early in the morning or late at night? Would you rather marry a stranger or forget your best friend? Would you rather win the lottery or land your dream job?
Would you rather have bad breath or get caught with your fly down? Would you rather never have to clean again or never have to cook again? Would you rather live forever in poverty or be extremely wealthy and die at 30? Would you rather fight a bear or a gorilla? Would you rather have the power to become invisible or fly?
Most likely to
This game is a blast, but be careful; you may lose some friends.
Okay, we’re just kidding. But seriously, feelings can become sore in this one. To play this game, choose a “most likely to” category, then on the count of three, everybody in the group shouts their answer.
For instance, someone can nominate the category “most likely to text their ex during quarantine.” On the count of three, everybody would exclaim who they believe is most likely to do that action.
Things can get spicy very quickly in this game. Just make sure everyone knows that it’s all fun and games, and you should be fine.
You can also make this game a bit more professional by creating tags with each person’s name on them. Instead of everybody shouting the person’s name on the count of three, everybody holds up the name tag of the person they’re choosing. This method is more efficient over Zoom, as it prevents everyone from screaming over each other. It is a bit, however, less fun.
Never have I ever
“Never Have I Ever” is one of the easiest games to play virtually.
To play this game over Zoom, have everybody hold up ten fingers on the screen. Take turns sharing “Never Have I Ever” statements.
Any person who has performed the act stated must lower one of their fingers and take a drink.
The last person standing that still has fingers up is the winner of the game. Things can start to get really competitive when you’re on your last few fingers, and you’re trying to one-up your friends.
Here are some starter statements you can use:
- Never have I ever dated a coworker.
- Never have I ever stolen something.
- Never have I ever been jealous of an ex.
- Never have I ever failed a test.
- Never have I ever left the country.
- Never have I ever met a celebrity.
Safari
This one is hardly a game at all, but it’s a nice way of sprucing up a Zoom call with friends.
This game is called “safari” because it involves animals. One of the best parts about chatting with friends on Zoom is catching a glimpse of their pets.
The rules of this game are simple: whenever you see your friend’s pet walk by, take a drink. Obviously, some of the participants of this game will need to have an active pet for this to work.
As the game progresses, you can throw in some extra rules. For example, if a dog barks or a cat meows, you have to take two sips.
Zoom flip cup
You might be wondering how it’s possible to play flip cup over a screen. Well, it’s actually pretty easy.
To play:
- Place your phone or laptop on a flat, stable surface.
- Grab a separate table to flip your cups.
- Make sure your cup is in clear view for your audience.
Divide the Zoom party into two teams. Specify a drinking order. Decide who’s going first, who’s going after that, and so on. It’s important to have your drinking order memorized because you won’t have any physical cues that it’s your turn.
One by one, start flipping. The next player in line can’t start drinking and flipping their cup until the person behind them has done so.
The first full team to finish all their cups and successfully flip them is the winner. To make the game easier to follow, use two different colored cups for the different teams or mark your team name on your cups.
The takeaway
You don’t need to be out at a party or a bar to play some drinking games. With a little bit of technology, we can now enjoy the same scenarios from the comfort of our homes.
Don’t let yourself get down during these times. Things may be different, but that doesn’t mean we can’t still have some fun.
It’s been a difficult year for all of us, and we’ve all been affected in some way. Make sure to enjoy some time around your loved ones even if you can’t be with them physically.
For all your drinking game needs, visit Saucey. We carry various beers, wines, and spirits, and we deliver them straight to your door. Visit our site now to place your order.
