New Year’s Drinking Games to Ring in the New Year

New Year’s Eve is the perfect time to gather with friends, celebrate, and make unforgettable memories as you count down to midnight. Adding drinking games to your party lineup can amplify the fun and keep everyone entertained until the clock strikes twelve.

Here’s a list of exciting New Year’s drinking games to try, along with instructions for how to play them. Cheers to a night of laughter and good times!

1. Countdown Shots

Overview: A simple but thrilling game that’s perfect for getting everyone in the celebratory mood.

How to Play:

1. Starting 10 minutes before midnight, take a shot every minute leading up to the New Year.
2. For a lighter version, replace shots with sips of your drink or divide the group to alternate.
3. Celebrate with a final toast when the ball drops!

2. New Year’s Resolution Guessing Game

Overview: A fun icebreaker that combines guessing with drinking.

How to Play:

1. Have each guest write down a New Year’s resolution on a slip of paper and place them in a bowl.
2. Draw one resolution at a time and read it aloud.
3. Guests guess whose resolution it is. If guessed incorrectly, the guesser takes a drink. If guessed correctly, the person whose resolution it is drinks.

3. Midnight Movie Drinking Game

Overview: Pair your favorite New Year’s-themed movie with some playful drinking rules.

How to Play:

1. Choose a New Year’s movie like New Year’s Eve or When Harry Met Sally.
2. Create rules like:
   • Take a sip whenever someone says “resolution.”
   • Drink whenever there’s a countdown scene.
   • Finish your drink if the characters kiss at midnight.
3. Watch, drink, and enjoy the cinematic celebration.

4. Champagne Pong

Overview: A classy twist on beer pong, using champagne for a bubbly experience.

How to Play:

1. Set up a standard beer pong table with plastic cups filled with champagne or a sparkling wine substitute.
2. Players take turns tossing ping-pong balls into the opposing team’s cups.
3. If the ball lands in a cup, the opposing team drinks its contents.
4. Continue until all cups on one side are empty. Cheers to the winners!

5. Time Capsule Truth or Drink

Overview: A reflective and hilarious game that looks back on the past year.

How to Play:

1. Prepare a list of questions about the past year (e.g., “What’s the most embarrassing thing you did this year?” or “What’s your biggest accomplishment?”).
2. Players take turns answering. If someone doesn’t want to share, they take a drink instead.
3. Add a twist by asking players to predict what they’ll accomplish in the coming year.

6. New Year’s Trivia

Overview: Test everyone’s knowledge about New Year’s traditions and history with a drinking twist.

How to Play:

1. Prepare trivia questions related to New Year’s (e.g., “Which country celebrates New Year’s first?” or “When did the ball drop tradition in Times Square begin?”).
2. Divide players into teams.
3. Award points for correct answers. The losing team drinks for every wrong answer.
4. Bonus round: The team with the fewest points by midnight takes a celebratory group shot.

7. Resolution Roulette

Overview: A game that encourages sharing and silliness, paired with plenty of drinks.

How to Play:

1. Write common New Year’s resolutions on slips of paper (e.g., “Go to the gym more,” “Eat healthier”).
2. Place the slips in a bowl and have players draw one at random.
3. Players must act out or explain how they’d achieve the resolution. If they refuse, they take a drink.

8. Kings: New Year’s Edition

Overview: A classic drinking card game with holiday-themed rules.

How to Play:

1. Use a deck of cards and assign New Year’s-specific rules to each card. Examples:
   • Ace: Waterfall – Everyone starts drinking in a chain.
   • 2: “You” – Pick someone to drink.
   • Queen: Question Master – Anyone who answers your questions drinks.
   • King: Make a rule – Add a New Year’s twist like “Drink every time someone says midnight.”
2. Place cards in a circle around a cup. Draw cards and follow the rules.
3. The game ends when all cards are drawn.

9. Sparkling Shot Roulette

Overview: A suspenseful game that’s perfect for adding excitement to your celebration.

How to Play:

1. Fill shot glasses with different clear liquids (e.g., vodka, water, sparkling water, or champagne).
2. Arrange the shots in a circle.
3. Spin a bottle to determine who takes the next shot.
4. The player drinks and tries to guess the liquid. Wrong guesses lead to an additional sip of their main drink.

10. Midnight Toast Bingo

Overview: A fun way to keep track of New Year’s Eve conversations and moments.

How to Play:

1. Create bingo cards with squares like “Someone mentions a resolution,” “A drink gets spilled,” “Someone talks about last year’s party,” or “Midnight kiss happens.”
2. Players mark off squares as the events occur.
3. The first player to get bingo shouts “Happy New Year!” and everyone takes a celebratory drink.

Final Thoughts

These New Year’s drinking games are designed to bring joy and camaraderie to your celebration. With options ranging from competitive games to reflective activities, there’s something for every party vibe. Just remember to pace yourself, look out for your friends, and prioritize safety while you ring in the New Year. Cheers to a fantastic celebration and an even better year ahead!