Whether the destination is a basketball game, concert or a night of bar hopping, pregaming is an integral part of every college student’s night out. For anyone who is not familiar with the term, pregaming is the action of drinking and socializing with a group of people prior to a party other event that involves alcohol. As important as pregaming is, it is a lost art. What has the potential to be a rowdy affair, rivaling the very party that it precedes, is often just kids standing around, sucking down their mixed drinks like they’re medicine. Games can liven up the party, but how many weeks in a row can you stand beer pong and flip cup?
Here are eight games to play at your next pregame:
1. Red or Black
Players: Two or more
Materials: One deck of cards, one drink per person
Directions: This is a deceptively simple card game, sure to punish losers and entertain spectators. Each round involves two people: a dealer and a player. The player starts by predicting whether the first card the dealer draws will be a red card (hearts or diamonds) or a black card (spades or clubs). The dealer reveals the card. If he/she guessed correctly, he/she must guess the color of the next card. The player must guess correctly three times in a row for the game to move on to the next person. If the player guessed incorrectly, he/she takes one drink and starts over, guessing the color of the next card. If he/she guesses incorrectly on the second card, he/she takes two drinks and starts over. If he/she guesses incorrectly on the third card, three drinks and start over. It’s harder than it sounds!
2. Jenga
Players: Two or more
Materials: One modified Jenga set, one drink per person
Directions: This is a change to get creative. On each block of the Jenga set, write a rule, game or challenge. The sky’s the limit! Some examples are: “Girls Drink,” “Take a Shot,” “Never Have I Ever,” et cetera. The Internet is full of fun ideas. Play Jenga with all the normal rules. When a player successfully removes a block, he/she must complete that challenge. The person who knocks over the tower must finish his/her drink, but this game is more about the journey than the destination.
3. Don’t Drink and Drive
Players: Two to four
Materials: Nintendo gaming console with Mario Kart game, one beer per person
Directions: This game is for two to four players and requires any version of the game Mario Kart for any system. The players must play one race of Mario Kart. When the race begins, each player cracks open his/her beer. Each player must finish the beer before he/she crosses the finish line after the third lap. But here’s the catch — the players cannot drink from the beer at the same time that their vehicle is moving. The player must come to a complete stop to be able to drink. Finishing the race while still having beer left results in disqualification.
4. Text or Drink
Players: four or more, but the more players the better
Materials: Each person’s cell phone, one drink per person
Directions: One person starts by yelling out the number “one.” Then any other person in the group continues by yelling out the number “two.” The group must continue counting up in this fashion. When two people yell the same number simultaneously, the counting stops, and they face off. They play one round of rock-paper-scissors. The loser is faced with a choice: take a drink (substitute with chugging or a shot if desired), or the winner takes the loser’s phone and can send one text message to anyone in the loser’s contacts. Yeah, this game can get dicey.
5. Bullmoose
Players: Large Group
Materials: One drink per person
Directions: Before everyone begins drinking and socializing, each person must announce what his/her dominant hand is. For the rest of the night, everyone must hold their drink with only his or her non-dominant hand. If a player catches another player holding his/her drink in the wrong hand, the layer yells “BULLMOOSE” and the loser must get down on one knee and chug his/her drink. Other can hold their hands up to the chugger’s head to imitate moose antlers (great photo op).
6. Cards Against Humanity
Players: Four or more
Materials: One Cards Against Humanity set, one drink per person
Directions: This adult card game is loved by all who have ever played it. It’s fun, raunchy and cringe-worthy. The game itself just livens up a party. If you wish to make it into a drinking game, impose some kind of rule like anyone who didn’t win the round drinks or best and worst from each round drink, et cetera.
7. Thunder
Players: Four or more, but preferably large group
Materials: Speakers, one drink per person
Directions: All players stand in a circle. Play “Thunderstruck” by AC/DC as loud as your speakers can handle. As soon as the song starts, the first person in the circle starts drinking. Every time the word “thunder” is said in the song, the person who is drinking stops and the person to his/her right starts drinking. Continue around the circle until the song is over.
8. Irish Poker
Players: Two or more
Materials: Deck of cards, one drink per person
Directions: This is played one person at a time. A player is dealt four cards face-down in a line on the table. The player must guess something about each card in sequence: suit, higher/lower, outside/in-between, number. The player must guess what suit the first card is. The card is then flipped over. If the guess was incorrect, the player drinks. Next the player must guess whether the second card is higher or lower than the first card. Wrong guess drinks. Next, the player must guess whether the third face-down card is within the range of the two revealed cards or outside the range (for example three would be outside six and Jack, and eight would be inside.) Wrong guess drinks. For the last card, the player must guess what number the card is (suit doesn’t matter). You guessed it: wrong guess drinks.
Have a blast and drink responsibly!
