Forget quarters and those other old school drinking games of yesteryear. Today’s kids and millennials have gotten way more creative, figuring out fun ways to play games outdoors that also include a modicum of libations. Below is a sampler of a few you might find yourself joining in on in someone’s yard, garage, or on the river.
Rage Cage
WHAT YOU NEED: Two ping pong balls, 10 or more Solo cups, a table, three or more players, several beers.
SET UP: Place cups in center of table; fill each one-third, and center one all the way; place players round the table; pick two across from each other to start.
GAMEPLAY: The two starting players each take a cup closest to them and drink it. They then try to quickly bounce their ping pong ball into their empty cup. Once completed, they pass the cup and the ball clockwise to the next person to do the same. If someone makes it on the first try, they can pass the cup to anyone who’s not currently bouncing a ball. This continues until a player makes a ball into their cup while the next person is still bouncing. Once this happens, the player will stack their cup onto the next one and the losing player will pass their stack clockwise, pick a new cup, drink it, and continue bouncing. NOTE: If a player accidentally bounces their ball into one of the center cups, they must drink it, stack it on top of theirs, and continue playing.
HOW TO WIN: The game ends when all the cups have been consumed – and whomever gets the last cup must chug it (no matter what it contains).
Beer Pong
WHAT YOU NEED: Two ping pong balls, 10 or more Solo cups, a table, two players, several beers.
SET UP: Line cups up in a 3-2-1 triangle format, with two payers standing on opposite ends of the table.
GAMEPLAY: Throw a ping pong ball across table to get into cup. If you get it in the cup the other team drinks the beer from it and puts it aside.
HOW TO WIN: Whoever scores most cups wins (there are other rules for trick shots, bouncing cup, balls back, etc.)
SPECIAL NOTES
TRICK SHOT: If the ball misses but bounces off a cup back to the shooter’s side and the shooter’s team recovers it, a trick shot can be taken (i.e. a shot with the non-dominant hand, bouncing off a wall into cup, etc.) If the trick shot is successful, the team gets one point. BALLS BACK: If both players on the shooting team score, it is constituted as a “balls back”, where each player gets to shoot again. BITCH CUP: If the first cup to get hit is the center cup, the shooter must perform some pre-decided act (i.e. naked lap around the table).
Robo Pound
WHAT YOU NEED: Four Solo cups and a larger fifth cup (i.e. Super Big Gulp) in the middle.
SET UP: Distribute one can of beer equally amongst the four cups, with the largest amount in the large cup. Typically played with two people on each team.
GAMEPLAY: It’s like quarters, where you try to bounce a quarter off its edge into a cup. Each team starts with a quarter then countdowns “123 Go!” If both people hit the first shot, one person on each team drinks that cup, retrieving the quarter as quickly as possible. Whoever shoots first and makes the next shot gets the other team’s quarter. It’s a mix of being able to shoot well and drink quickly.
HOW TO WIN: Whoever hits the big cup first wins. If you accidentally hit the big cup before the four cups are hit, you lose.
Beersby
WHAT YOU NEED: A Frisbee, two to four players, two ski poles (or paddles), several beers (play can either be one-on-one or two-on-two).
SET UP: Weight down two empty beer cans with sand and place them on top of poles placed 10-20 yards apart from each other. If teams, place teammates by the same pole.
GAMEPLAY: Players take turns throwing their Frisbee at their opponents’ beer can on the post and trying to knock it down. Take turns throwing Frisbee, trying to hit the can or pole to knock the can off. The receiving team must try to catch the Frisbee and/or the beer if it gets knocked down (using only one hand).
SCORING: If you drop the Frisbee, the other team is awarded a point. If you knock the pole and the can hits the ground, you get two points. If you catch the falling beer can, your team gets a point. Other rules: you can only throw and catch with one hand (a beer must always be in your other hand); you must throw the Frisbee from behind your post; you can only catch the Frisbee once it is behind your post.
HOW TO WIN: The first team to 11 or 21 wins (depending on how many other teams are waiting in line to play).
Trout
WHAT YOU NEED: People and beer (and semblance of coordination).
SET UP: Everyone stands in a circle, ideally around mid-torso depth in the water (but it also works on a beach), with a beer in their dominant hand.
GAMEPLAY: An unopened beer (often floating in the middle of the circle) is thrown randomly around the circle (underhanded, with the thrower yelling “Live Trout!”) and whoever is closest must catch it one-handed above the water or else they get the letter “T” in route to spelling out “Trout.” Uncatchable tosses will result in the thrower getting the letter instead. When someone spells “Trout” they must chug the whole beer. (Variations: other players can splash them as they’re chugging; if it’s a questionable toss, the two players can have a “Trout-off” where they pass the beer between them until someone loses; players have to name a fish species (or other previously decided category) as they throw. Whoever gets the letter starts the next throw.
Cheers to the Governor!
WHAT YOU NEED: People and beer (and ability to count).
SET UP: Everyone stands in a circle.
GAMEPLAY: Everyone counts in a rotation up to 21 and the first rule is 7 and 11 are switched (5,6,11,8,9,10,7,12,13…). Once you make it to 21 that person says, “Cheers to the Governor!” and takes a drink and gets to make a new rule to add to the counting (i.e. at 4 everyone drinks; at 17 you must dance; 18 reverses order; etc.), kind of like the game Add-on on a trampoline.
