Why are drinking games for college students so common?
Is alcohol just part of the fun of college?
What are some of the best drinking games college students can enjoy?
It’s almost a rite of passage for college students to enjoy playing drinking games together. Alcohol is often considered a major part of the college fun experience, and any college party—whether a frat party, sorority party, or just a party at someone’s house or dorm room—is not complete without alcohol of many varieties.
There are plenty of great drinking games for college students out there as well. Any students who are looking for a fun way to ramp up their party experience can find several good options without having to look very far.
And if you’re already out of college, you may want to relive the good old days by playing some of these drinking games as well. In this article, we’ll show you seven of the most popular college drinking games around.
Read on to find out how to play all your favorite college drinking games.
Option #1. Buffalo
Number of Players: 2 or more
Best Alcohol: Beer, or any
Materials Needed
- A drink for each player
How to Play
- In this fun college drinking game, players have to pay attention to each other’s drinking habits.
- Players agree to only drink alcohol with their non-dominant hand in a game of Buffalo.
- If they are caught drinking with their dominant hand, others who are playing the game must call “buffalo.”
- The player who drank with the wrong hand must then chug the remainder of whatever they are drinking at the time.
- This game can continue throughout a whole party. However, most players of Buffalo play for their whole lives, and this can be a great bonding game for fraternities and sororities.
Option #2. Beer Hunter
Number of Players: 2 or more
Best Alcohol: Beer in cans
Materials Needed
- Cans of beer
- A box
How to Play
- To set up this game, first shake one can of beer excessively.
- Put the beer can in the box with the other cans of beer and mix them up.
- Look away and have someone else mix them up as well.
- Each player then picks up a can and holds it near their head, at an angle.
- Players take turns opening their cans until one of them gets covered in exploding beer.
- Players who do not get the exploding can have to chug their beers.
Option #3. Edward Forty Hands
Number of Players: 2 or more
Best Alcohol: Malt liquor
Materials Needed
- Two 40-ounce bottles of malt liquor
- Duct tape
How to Play
- This basic drinking game is easy to set up and perfect for college parties.
- One player holds both bottles of liquor, one in each hand.
- The other person duct tapes the bottles to the player’s hands.
- The player cannot remove the bottles or the tape until both bottles have been completely finished.
- If the player is successful in chugging both bottles, that player earns the right to pick the next player.
- The game continues throughout the night as long as players are willing to join and are capable of finishing both bottles.
Option #4. Power Hour
Number of Players: 2 or more
Best Alcohol: Beer
Materials Needed
- Shot glasses
- Timer
How to Play
- Players start off by deciding who will be playing, who will be keeping time, and what the rules of the game are.
- Although there are many variations, the most common is to take a shot for every minute of one hour consecutively. This equals out to 60 shots in an hour.
- Some people choose to use one-minute song playlists instead of a timer to dictate when to take a shot. Each time the song changes, players must take another shot.
- It is important to let everyone know they can back out of this game if they need to, as sixty shots in an hour is a lot of alcohol and can be dangerous.
Option #5. Tour de Franzia
Number of Players: 2 or more
Best Alcohol: Box wine
Materials Needed
- Unboxed box wine
- Optionally, stationary exercise bikes
How to Play
- To begin with, players must decide on whether or not they will be playing the exercise bike version of this game.
- Players must unbox their box wine and hold the bag up above their heads while chugging it.
- The players must continue pedaling their exercise bikes throughout the chugging process.
- This game can be played in tag teams of two to make it more competitive and less dangerous as well.
Option #6. Pass the Pitcher
Number of Players: 5 or more
Best Alcohol: Beer
Materials Needed
- Large beer pitcher
How to Play
- Fill the pitcher of beer. Players can pour from their own glasses into the community pitcher or fill it with fresh beer, depending on house rules.
- Each player takes a turn chugging. If they must stop or if they get interrupted for any reason, their turn is finished and they pass the pitcher to the next player.
- The person who finishes the last sip is the winner.
- The person who drank before the winner is the loser. The loser must either give one of their own beers for the next game or pay for the next pitcher.
Option #7. Dizzy Bat
Number of Players: 2 or more
Best Alcohol: Beer
Materials Needed
- Wiffle bat
- Lots of beer
- Knife or scissors and power drill (for use before drinking begins)
How to Play
- For this game, you will need to prepare the bat by cutting the end of the handle off. You should also drill a choke hole in the bat, a few inches from the top.
- Have one player plug the choke hole while another fills the bat with beer.
- The first player must then chug the beer in the bat. After finishing all the beer, that player stands up, bends over to touch their forehead to the bat’s handle, and spins around it ten times.
- Another player then throws an empty beer can. If the first player hits it, play continues to the next person. If they do not hit it, they must take another turn.
Conclusion
You may be surprised that you don’t see some old favorites like Quarters or Beer Pong on this list. Just remember that there are plenty of classics out there to try, and these are a little more unique or lesser-known. Of course, there’s no reason why you can’t bring even more games into your next college party, too.
Here are a few tips to help keep everyone safe while playing these drinking games:

- Do not allow any minors to join you in drinking. This can be challenging to accomplish at a big and crowded college party, but it is important to keep in mind.
- Do not allow any guests to drink and drive. Do not drink and drive yourself.
- Do not participate in reckless behaviors while under the influence. Stay indoors or at the party until you have sobered up.
- Do not leave the party with someone you don’t know or just met that night.
- Never leave your drink unattended at a party for any period of time. If you must do so, get a fresh drink when you return and do not continue the same one.
Keep these safety tips in mind to make sure everyone has a good experience at your next party. Whether you’re the host or a guest, always drink responsibly!