Kings is a popular Drinking Game involving playing cards. The name comes from the special role of the King card in the game; see below.
Requirements:
- A table
- Copious amounts of beer or other alcoholic drinks
- One or more decks of playing cards - the more players, the more decks are advised.
- A Gargle Blaster - creativity is encouraged!
To play, gather your buddies around the table and give everyone a glass of beer. Put the Gargle Blaster on the table and lay all the cards out in a circle around it, face down. The players then take turns drawing a random card, and have to take some kind of action depending on the card they drew. Drawn cards are not put back into the circle. There are so many different rulesets in existence that a game of Kings almost always starts with a short discussion on the rules for each card, but here are some common ones. (If you have enough beer and want to get everyone drunk fast, replace "sip" with "entire glass").
- Ace - "Waterfall". The player who draws the ace begins chugging, and all other players must chug as well. The drawer of the ace may stop anytime, when this happens, either player next to them (typically the player to the right) can stop. A player can stop chugging only if one of the players next to them (typically the one to the left) has stopped as well.
- Two - "You". Select another player. He or she must take two sips. Another variation is to give two drinks to two different players, the chosen players only take one sip.
- Three - "Me". Take three sips yourself.
- Four - "Floor". The player keeps the card until the next four is drawn. At any time, the holder can get down and touch the floor, at which if anyone notices, every other player must race to get down as well. The last player to touch the floor will have to take a sip. This feat may also be done instantly, without any holding of cards.
- Five - "Guys". Every male player in the table drinks.
- Six - "Chicks". Every female player in the table drinks.
- Seven - "Heaven". The player keeps the card until the next seven is drawn. At any time, the holder can either point up to the sky or raise their hands, at which if anyone notices, every other player must race to put their finger or hands up as well. The last player to have their hand(s) up will have to take a sip. This feat may also be done instantly, without any holding of cards.
- Eight - "Make a Date". Select another player to be your "date". Whenever you take a sip, your date has to drink as well, until the next eight is drawn.
- Nine - "Bust a Rhyme". The player who draws the nine says a word, and players take turn saying words that rhyme with the starting word. If a player takes too long, says a word that doesn't rhyme, or says a word that's already mentioned, they have to take a sip.
- Ten - "Categories". You pick a category (car brands, Iron Maiden songs, rivers in France, you name it) and name a member of that category. Everyone takes turns calling out other members of the category, until someone can't think of one or says an already mentioned member and has to take a sip.
- Jack - "Never Have I Ever". Every contestant puts up three fingers. Starting from the player who holds the jack, each player mentions something that they have never done, and anyone who has done said activity must put down one finger. Once a player has all three fingers down, they take a sip.
- Queen - "Question Queen". Hold this card until the next queen is drawn. The player holding this card becomes the "Question Queen". When the Question Queen asks you a question, you're only allowed to answer with silence or with another question. Actually answering the question costs you a sip. Of course, a good Question Queen will deviously trick players into answering her questions, e.g. by asking questions about the rules ('Hey, what did the seven do again?').
- King - The game's namesake. Each king, when drawn, is put on top of the Gargle Blaster in the middle; the player who draws the last king must drink the thing. In one gulp. A common variation is to build up the Gargle Blaster as the game progresses, with each player who draws a king adding an ingredient of their own choosing. Additionally, some versions of the game can opt to add a new rule that will take place for the rest of the game whenever a king is drawn, and whoever breaks the new rule will have to take a sip. Some examples:
- You have to say 'For Great Justice' whenever you take a sip.
- You're not allowed to call any of the other players by any name except "Steve".
- In each sentence you speak, you have to say the last word backwards.
- Joker - Typically removed from the game; depends on the group.
Other variations for card rules are as follows:
- "Social". Often used for the Jacks. Simply put, everyone in the table takes a sip.
- "Safe/You are Fine". Everyone in the table drinks except for whoever draws the card.
- "Thumb Master". Often used for the Fours, Fives, or the Jacks. Hold this card until the next card of the same rank is drawn. The player holding the card becomes the "Thumb Master". Whenever the Thumb Master puts his thumb on the edge of the table - and he'll be sure to do so as inconspicuously as possible - all players must follow suit. Last one with his thumb on the table must take a sip. The Thumb Master may do this as often as he likes for as long as he remains Thumb Master.
- "Bust a Jive". Usually used for the Fives. The player who draws the card starts with a dance move. The next player copies the previous player's dance moves and adds a new one afterwards. Anyone who screws up the dance routine will have to take a sip.
- "Give and Take". Usually used for the Fours. The players take a 2 sips and assigns 2 other players to drink.
- "Sentence". The player who draws the card says a word, and the next players have to say a word that can follow the previous word to make a coherent sentence (it can be as long as the players want to). Anyone who says an "incorrect" word will have to take a sip.
- "I Dare You". The player who draws the card may assign a dare to another player in the table. If that player succeeds in the dare, the drawer drinks, but if the player fails or refuses, then they have to take a sip.
- "Piss Card". Often used for the Fours. Similar to the "Get Out of Jail Free" card in Monopoly, this card allows players to go for a bathroom break (leaving the table without this card costs you a sip). You hold the card until you use it.
- "Game of Sevens". Usually used for the Sevens (because of the name). A Mini-Game which is also often played as a Drinking Game in its own right. Players take turns calling out numbers, but numbers which contain 7, as well as any multiples of it, are taboo and must be replaced by something else. As with the previously mentioned Mini Games, the first player to screw up - by calling out a "taboo" number, or simply the wrong number - must take a sip, after which the Mini-Game ends.
- "Snake Eyes". Hold this card until the next card of the same rank is drawn. The player who holds the card becomes "Snake Eyes". Anyone who makes eye contact with Snake Eyes must take a sip.
- "Most Likely To". The player who draws the card says "Who is most likely to..." followed by a random activity or situation that may or may not be embarrassing. Every player points to a player on the table, and each player drinks for the number of players pointing at them.
- "Shuffle". Every players change their seating positions.
- Some variations use the "Guys drink" and "Girls drink" rules for the Jacks and Queens, or the Sixes and Fours.
- In some variations, the "New Rule" rule is used for the Jacks, and the Kings are exclusively for pouring to the Gargle Blaster.
The game usually continues until all the kings have been drawn and the Gargle Blaster has been downed. Oh, and the player who "breaks" the circle when he draws a card - which is going to happen sooner or later - must take a sip as well.
Have fun.
This game provides examples of:
- Drinking Game: It's a game intended to get people drunk.
- Gargle Blaster: It's encouraged to use a potent drink that people have to consume during the game.
- No Unified Ruleset: There are so many rulesets about what the cards do that the game often starts by the players agreeing on just that.
