Turning 21 is a huge milestone, so it’s only fitting that you celebrate it in style. But no matter if you’re hosting a big bash or a cozy night in with a few of your loved ones, having the right games to play will make or break your big night. To help you celebrate, here are 20 21st birthday party games, divided into drinking and non-drinking games.
21ST BIRTHDAY PARTY DRINKING GAMES
If there’s ever a night to play some drinking games, it’s your 21st, of course! Check out these 21st birthday party drinking games.
1. BEER PONG
For your 21st, the most fitting game to play is Beer Pong. Set up ten cups in a pyramid formation at each end of a long table, fill them with your drink of choice, and grab two ping-pong balls. Players take turns tossing balls into the opposing team’s cups. If a ball lands, the other team drinks and removes the cup from the pyramid. First team to clear the table wins!
You can play singles or doubles, add “re-racks” for strategic cup rearranging, or even turn it into a mini-tournament if you’ve got a bigger party! Add more house rules if you want to amp it up a bit as well.
2. FLIP CUP
For a fast-paced drinking cup game that’s just as entertaining as Beer Pong, try Flip Cup. In this relay game, first, split everyone into two teams. Then, line up cups filled with a little drink, and race down the table. Each player chugs their drink and has to flip their cup upside down before the next person can go.
3. KING’S CUP
If your party has a big group, King’s Cup (also called Ring of Fire) is perfect. All you need is a large cup and a deck of cards. Spread the cards face down in a circle around a large empty cup (the “King’s Cup”). Players take turns drawing cards, with each card corresponding to a rule, as illustrated above.
When the fourth King is drawn, that unlucky player has to chug the entire King’s Cup, which will be a mysterious mix of everyone’s drinks at this point!
4. NEVER HAVE I EVER
One of the easiest drinking games ever invented is Never Have I Ever. In this simple game, everyone says something they’ve never done before, such as:
- Never have I ever been skinny dipping.
- Never have I ever been kicked out of a bar.
- Never have I ever run a marathon.
You can find more Never Have I Ever examples here.
If you have done it, you put a finger down and drink. It might start tame but don’t worry. It gets juicy fast, so choose your questions wisely!
5. DRUNK JENGA
What’s more fitting to play on your 21st birthday than a drinking game twist of a childhood classic game like Jenga? You play Drunk Jenga just like normal Jenga, but before you stack the tower, you have to write dares or drinking rules on each block, such as:
- Take two sips
- Swap shirts with someone
- Make a rule
- Truth or dare
Every time someone pulls a block, they have to follow whatever’s written. And whoever knocks it over needs to finish their drink!
6. SHOT ROULETTE
Feeling lucky? Play a round or two of Shot Roulette for the 21st birthday party. Set up a circle of shot glasses that are half filled with alcohol, half with something completely random. Think pickle juice, soy sauce, or milk (gross but funny). Players spin a bottle or use a roulette wheel app to see which shot they take! It’s simple, hilarious, and will have everyone nervously laughing every round.
7. PICOLO
If you want a drinking game that requires zero setup and all laughs, download Picolo. This app gives you drinking game prompts and challenges. It’s a fast-paced you can play literally anywhere (including at a bar) and a big hit with everyone.
8. MOST LIKELY
To play Most Likely, go around and ask “Who’s most likely to…” questions like:
- Who’s most likely to end up on a reality show?
- Who’s most likely to text their ex tonight?
- Who’s most likely to win the lottery but lose the ticket?
- Who’s most likely to get drunkest?
At the count of 3, everyone points to whoever they think fits the question best. Each finger pointed equals one sip for that person!
9. PARANOIA
Don’t mind being a little paranoid for your 21st birthday? Why don’t you play Paranoia? To play, one person whispers a question to the player next to them. Here are some examples to get your started:
- Who’s the most likely to cry at their own birthday?
- Who do you think is the most beautiful in the group?
- Who do you think is dressed the worst tonight?
- Who’s most likely to get drunkest tonight?
- Who would you like to hook up with tonight?
The player points at the person they think best applies. If the person who is pointed to wants to hear the original question, they must take a shot. Then, if the person who answered the question wants to keep the answer a secret, they must take a shot. If not, the answer is revealed.
10. RIDE THE BUS
If you love drinking card games, buckle up! To play Ride the Bus, layers are dealt four face-down cards one at a time and must guess them one at a time:
- Red or black?
- Higher or lower?
- Inside or outside the previous two cards?
- What suit?
Each wrong answer means a drink. Once everyone has their four cards, lay out a pyramid of cards. Match your cards to the pyramid to give drinks to others. Then, the player with the fewest matches “rides the bus,” repeating all four guessing rounds in one go, drinking every time they’re wrong and starting from the first question again. This means, when riding the bus, they might be drinking again and again until they finally get all four questions right in one go!
11. CIVIL WAR BEER PONG
Imagine Beer Pong… times three. Civil War Beer Pong is one of our favorite Beer Olympics games and perfect for a 21st birthday party. To put it simply, this Beer Pong game is 3 vs 3, with six balls in play at once and no turns. That means everyone’s shooting, ducking, and yelling at the same time. Chaos, right?
21ST BIRTHDAY PARTY GAMES FOR NON-DRINKERS
Don’t worry. Even if you’re not drinking, you can have just as much fun at a 21st birthday party with the help of these awesome games.
12. CHARADES
Let’s start off wit a total classic that never fails: Charades. You know the drill. Write prompts on slips of paper, and take turns acting them out. You can either play this as a team or individual game.
13. PICTIONARY
Pictionary is another party game classic that is bound to be a hit even at a 21st birthday party. Grab some paper or a whiteboard, set a timer, and get drawing. Players try to sketch their assigned word or phrase while their team guesses within an allotted timeframe. The fun part? Half the time, the drawings are completely unrecognizable, which somehow makes the game even better!
14. CODENAMES
One of our favorite large group games is Codenames. A perfect option for slightly more chill parties or game nights. In this game, two teams compete to uncover their secret words on a grid, guided by clever one-word clues from their “spymaster.” It’s part strategy, part mind-reading, and very competitive once everyone gets into it.
15. SCAVENGER HUNT
For something a bit more active, why not organize a scavenger hunt around your house, neighborhood, or even a nearby park? Create a mix of clues, dares, and tasks, such as:
- Find something blue
- Take a selfie with a stranger
- Bring something back that reminds you of high school
It’s creative, social, and perfect for getting everyone moving (and laughing).
16. TRUTH OR DARE
Truth or Dare might be old-school, but there’s a reason it’s still a classic. If you need a reminder of how to play, all you need to remember is that everyone takes turns choosing “truth” or “dare.” Here are some truth or dare ideas to get you started.
17. WHO AM I?
To play Who Am I, start by grabbing some sticky notes and pens. Each person writes down a celebrity, fictional character, or famous person, and sticks it on someone else’s forehead without them seeing it. They have to ask yes-or-no questions until they guess who they are.
You can also turn this into a drinking game and have players drink for every “no” answer they get.
18. TABOO
Taboo is another great game to play at a 21st birthday party. Each card in this board game has a word you need your team to guess. But the twist is that you can’t say the five “taboo” words listed underneath.
It sounds easy enough… until the timer’s running and you realize you can’t say any of the words you want to. Expect lots of yelling, laughing, and accidental slip-ups!
19. HOT SEAT
Want to get a little deeper (or just stir up some drama)? Put one person in the “hot seat” while everyone else fires off questions. Here are some ideas to get you started:
- What’s your biggest goal for this year?
- What’s the worst text you’ve ever sent?
- Is there anyone you have a crush on right now?
20. MINUTE TO WIN IT
Whether it’s a 30th birthday or 21st birthday party, minute to win it games are a hit. Each challenge lasts 60 seconds, and you can compete solo or in teams.
Here are some fun minute to win it games for adults to play:
- Move a cookie from your forehead to your mouth (no hands)
- Stack plastic cups into a pyramid and back down again
- Thread as many needles as you can
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