Drinking games for 5 people, odd number included

Why five is different

Five is the first number where a group really feels like a party, but it is odd, so anything that needs two even teams gets awkward. The fix is easy: pick games where everyone plays for themselves, or where the fifth player has a job.

Quick picks

Game	You need	Why it suits five
King’s Cup	Deck of cards, a cup	Rules land on everyone, turns come back fast
Ride the Bus	Deck of cards	Five hands make a good pyramid
Higher or Lower	Deck of cards	Simple, quick, anyone can drop in
Most Likely To	Nothing	Five votes, never a tie
Paranoia	Nothing	Enough people to keep the secret
Cheers to the Governor	Nothing	Counting to 21 goes round four times
Thumper	A table	Five signs to keep track of, just enough
Two Truths and a Lie	Nothing	Four guessers per story
Beer Pong, winner stays	Table, cups, balls	The fifth player challenges the winners
Wrecked (app)	One phone	Alliances, votes and events with no admin

Card games

King’s Cup

Cards face-down around a cup, every card a rule, the fourth King drinks the cup (a splash each, so keep it small). With five, everyone draws about ten cards, which is just right. Our King’s Cup page has the rules card by card and a deck you can play on one phone.

Ride the Bus

Four guesses each (red or black, higher or lower, inside or outside, suit), a pyramid where you hand out drinks for matches, and a bus ride for whoever ends up with the most cards. With five, the pyramid round has real tension. Full Ride the Bus rules.

Higher or Lower

Flip a card, guess whether the next one is higher or lower, drink if you are wrong. Three right in a row and the deck moves on. The best warm-up game there is. Higher or Lower rules and variations.

No-equipment games

Most Likely To

Read “Who is most likely to…”, count to three, everyone points. The most-voted player drinks. With five there is always a clear result, which is the whole fun. The most likely to generator deals real cards.

Paranoia

Whisper a “who here…” question to the next player, who answers out loud with only a name. The named player can drink to hear the question. With five, there are enough people to make every name a surprise. Start with these paranoia questions.

Cheers to the Governor

Count to 21 round the circle; on 21, everyone sips and whoever said it adds a rule to a number. Wrong number, sip and restart. Five people means the count goes round four times, so everyone gets caught by the rules. Full rules and 15 rules to add.

Thumper

Everyone picks a hand sign, drums the table, and passes the turn by doing their own sign then someone else’s. Miss your turn, sip. How to play Thumper.

Two Truths and a Lie

Each player says three things about themselves; the other four guess the lie. Wrong guessers sip. If nobody catches it, the storyteller hands out a sip.

Team games with an odd number

• Beer Pong, winner stays on: two pairs play, the fifth player joins the losing pair’s spot next game. Beer Pong rules.
• Flip Cup, 3 vs 2: the team of two has one player flip twice. Flip Cup rules.
• Charades: teams of 3 and 2, and the team of two gets an extra 15 seconds.

Or let the app run it

Wrecked works for 2 to 16, and with five every card type has enough people: votes always have a winner, alliances can be betrayed, and a mid-game event every five cards hits the whole table. One person reads the cards out loud, the app decides who drinks and keeps count.

Keep it a good night

Five people drink a little faster than a big group, because every round involves you. Play with sips, keep water on the table, and let anyone swap in a soft drink. More on our responsible drinking page.

One fewer? See drinking games for 4 people. One more? See drinking games for 6 people.