Whether you’re meeting someone new for the first time, trying to plan a date, or even just getting together for drinks with your best friend, figuring out fun drinking games for two inevitably builds some hefty pressure. The conversation itself might not flow as well between only two people, and you’ll both end up drinking a lot (and fast) if you’re not careful.
One way to make sure the night stays interesting and the conversation stays fresh is to play drinking games for two. While lots of drinking games are designed to be played in groups, we’ve collected a handful that can work for two this Valentine’s Day or the next time you’re sipping on something with a friend. Most of these can be as intimate or as platonic as need be.
Never Have I Ever
A playground classic. Never Have I Ever is a great game to play with someone you’re getting to know better, it can be a very interesting way of learning some pretty obscure details about your opponent.
The rules are as follows. The game is based in turns. One person claims, “never have I ever…” then proceeds to name something that he or she has never done. If the other person has done that thing, then he or she must take a drink. The roles then switch and the same process repeats. Some takes on this game allow the person asking the question to lie, which then requires him or her to take a drink as well.
Truth or Drink
An alcoholic take on Truth or Dare can make for a great drinking game for two. This is also another good game to get to know someone.
How do you play? The rules are pretty straightforward. It’s basically Truth or Dare, except your opponent always “chooses” Truth. You can ask whatever question you’d like. Then, they either have to answer the question truthfully, or take a drink. This can be extended easily to include dares, too. After choosing either truth or dare, you can choose to go through with the dare or with telling the truth, otherwise you’d have to take a drink. Turns are rotated and secrets revealed!
Two Truths and a Lie
Much like Never Have I Ever, Two Truths and a Lie is a great way to learn very specific things about the person you’re playing with. When it’s your turn, you tell three things about yourself, often stories from your life. Two of them have to be true and one of them has to be a lie. The other person then has to guess which of the three stories is a lie. If they guess correctly, you have to take a drink. If they don’t guess correctly, they take the drink. Again, roles switch every turn.
The game works best when all three stories are equally credible every turn. Often, the best way to make sure this works is by writing down stories beforehand and reading them aloud when your turn comes.
TV Show Drinking Game
This is one we all know. Put on a TV show or a movie that both you and your playing partner know well. Before you start watching, write down your favorite catchphrases, your favorite clichés, and anything that happens often during the show. Every time one of these things happen, take a drink. With the right show, the right companion, and the right things to look out for, this can make for an incredibly fun night that lasts for hours.
Beer Pong
Another timeless classic. Of course, beer pong is normally played at parties, but just because the table is usually surrounded by a crowd doesn’t change this fact: the game often involves only two players. Just arrange six cups in a triangle formation on either side of a long table. Fill each cup up about halfway with beer (or whatever your drink of choice might be), and take turns tossing the ball across the table into the other person’s cups. If the ball lands in one of your cups, you have to drink the contents. The game continues until somebody has lost all of their cups, which in turn makes them the loser.
There are countless variations on the rules to beer pong, but many state that the loser has to drink the winner’s remaining cups as well. Changing up the rules is a matter of preference and allows for a large variety of ways to play the game. You could even play with different rules every time.
As you may know, drinking games, even when you’re only playing with 2 people, can get out of hand pretty quickly. Zipps Liquor encourages all readers to drink responsibly and does not encourage binge drinking.