New Year's Eve drinking games to get you to midnight
New Year's Eve games work best when they are about the year that is ending: a year-in-review Never Have I Ever, Most Likely To about next year's resolutions, a hot seat on the best and worst moments, and a countdown King's Cup that ends near midnight. Pace them: it is a long night, and the best part is at 12.
Quick picks
| Game | You need | When |
|---|---|---|
| Year-in-review Never Have I Ever | Nothing | Early evening |
| Resolution roast | Paper slips | Before 11 |
| New Year’s Most Likely To | Nothing | Anytime |
| Best and worst hot seat | Nothing | Anytime |
| Countdown King’s Cup | Deck, a cup | From 11pm |
| Midnight bingo | Printed cards | All night |
| Song-of-the-year Categories | Nothing | Quick rounds |
| Wrecked (app) | One phone | All night, 2 to 16 players |
1. Year-in-review Never Have I Ever
The usual rules, but only about the year that is ending. Start with:
- Never have I ever this year started a new hobby and quit within a month.
- Never have I ever this year cried at a film.
- Never have I ever this year been on a date that went badly.
- Never have I ever this year booked a trip I did not take.
- Never have I ever this year changed my hair and regretted it.
- Never have I ever this year forgotten someone’s birthday.
- Never have I ever this year sent a message to the wrong person.
- Never have I ever this year actually kept my resolution.
Then switch to never have I ever questions from the Wrecked deck.
2. Resolution roast
Everyone writes next year’s resolution on a slip of paper, folds it, and puts it in a glass. Read them out one at a time. The group guesses whose it is; wrong guessers sip. Then vote on how long it will last: a week, a month or all year. Keep the slips and read them next New Year’s Eve.
3. New Year’s Most Likely To
Point on three; the most-voted player sips:
- Who is most likely to break their resolution by Tuesday?
- Who is most likely to fall asleep before midnight?
- Who is most likely to kiss someone unexpected at midnight?
- Who is most likely to still be here at breakfast?
- Who is most likely to have the best year next year?
- Who is most likely to write the wrong year on something in February?
4. Best and worst hot seat
One player at a time takes the hot seat. The group asks about their year: best moment, worst moment, biggest surprise, who they want to see more of next year. Answer honestly or sip. Our hot seat questions have more.
5. Countdown King’s Cup
Start King’s Cup at 11pm. Normal rules, with one change: the game ends at the fourth King or at midnight, whichever comes first. If it is midnight, nobody drinks the cup; everyone toasts with it instead. The online deck on that page works on any phone.
6. Midnight bingo
Print bingo cards with things that will happen tonight: “someone counts down too early”, “a firework goes off at 11:58”, “someone texts ‘happy new year’ to an ex”, “the TV countdown is a minute off”. First line wins; the others sip. Make cards on our drinking bingo page.
7. Song-of-the-year Categories
Name a category from the year that is ending (songs, films, viral moments, things everyone bought), go round the circle, and the first to blank or repeat sips.
8. Let an app run the night
New Year’s Eve is long. Wrecked keeps one game going on one phone for 2 to 16 people: King’s Rules that stack, Hot Seat and Vote & Roast cards, and a mid-game event every five cards. End it at 11:50 and read out the verdicts before the countdown.
Pace the night
It is a long evening, and the part everyone wants to remember is at midnight. Eat before the games, play with sips, alternate with water, and keep the midnight toast as the one full glass. Book rides home early: they are hard to find after twelve. Our party drink calculator helps with the shopping, and the responsible drinking page has a few more tips.
Questions people ask
What games do you play on New Year's Eve?
Year-in-review games: Never Have I Ever about the past year, Most Likely To about resolutions, a hot seat on the best and worst moments, and a card game that runs until midnight, like King's Cup.
How do you make a drinking game end at midnight?
Use a countdown version of King's Cup: start at 11pm with a cup in the middle, and the fourth King, or the stroke of midnight, ends the game. Or stop every game at 11:55 for the toast.
What is a resolution roast?
Everyone writes their resolution on a slip of paper. Slips are read out one by one; the group guesses whose it is and votes on how long it will last. Wrong guessers sip.
How do you pace drinking on New Year's Eve?
Start late, play with sips, eat before the games and alternate with water. Keep the midnight toast as the one full glass, and plan the way home before you start: rides are hard to find after midnight.
Who's gettingwrecked tonight?
Wrecked turns all of this into one game on one phone: 1,800+ cards, rules that stack, chaos every 5 cards and a personal roast for everyone at the end.
