Best Dice Drinking Games to Try Tonight

There’s something timeless about gathering around a table, a few drinks in hand, and letting chance decide your fate for the night. Dice drinking games have existed in some form for centuries. Simple, unpredictable, and often hilariously chaotic, these games are the unsung heroes of parties, college dorms, and game nights around the world.

Whether it’s a raucous pregame or a chilled evening with friends, the clatter of dice hitting the table has a way of waking up the room. But where did it all begin? Why do dice fit so perfectly into drinking culture? And finally, what are the best dice drinking games to try, both classic and modern?

Let’s roll into it.

Table of Contents

• Why Dice and Alcohol Go So Well Together and Golden Rules
• Classic Dice Drinking Games You Need to Try
• The Smarter Way to Play Your Favorite Dice Drinking Games
• Drinking Games with Cards and a Dice Twist
• Quick Match Guide to Find the Right Dice Game
• The Global Language of Fun Starts with a Dice Roll

Why Dice and Alcohol Go So Well Together and Golden Rules

Dice are pure chance. There’s no strategy. No practice. No experience required. This makes them the perfect vehicle for lighthearted competition, especially in settings where everyone is already a few drinks in.

Alcohol lowers inhibitions, and dice ensure everyone has an equal shot—whether it’s to sip, chug, or challenge someone else. The games often escalate in intensity, and the simplicity of dice keeps them accessible. There are also endless variations, ensuring things never get boring. Plus, let’s be honest, rolling the dice just feels good. That tactile moment of anticipation before the roll is irresistible.

However, before starting the game, there are a few simple rules to keep in mind:

1. Know Your Limits
These dice games are meant to be fun, not a direct path to blacking out. Drink responsibly. It's totally fine to modify rules based on alcohol tolerance.

2. Hydration Is Key
Drinking water between rounds makes the night last longer and reduces next-day regrets.

3. Use Real Dice or Smart Dice
While regular dice work fine, products like GoDice bring tech into the mix. GoDice pairs with an app and offers 20+ games, including drinking-friendly options. It tracks rolls, automates scorekeeping, and introduces party modes that make things even smoother.

4. Everyone Plays
The magic of dice games lies in inclusion. Keep the rules clear and make sure no one’s left out.

5. Alcohol is not mandatory 
Let’s be real, some people just don’t tolerate alcohol, so what? Should they just sit around and scroll their feed? Not at all! It is perfectly fine to drink juice or anything that meets your diet or is good for your liking. 

Classic Dice Drinking Games You Need to Try

These games don’t require anything more than dice, drinks, and good company, but they can keep a party going for hours.

1. Sixes

Players: 3 or more
What You Need: One standard die
How to Play:

• Players sit in a circle and take turns rolling the die.
• Roll a 6? Choose anyone at the table to drink.
  
• Roll a 3? Bad luck—you drink.
  
• Roll anything else? Nothing happens; pass the die to the next person.
  

Optional House Rule: If you roll the same number as the person before you, you both drink.

2. Mexican (a.k.a. Liar’s Dice Lite)

Players: 3 or more
What You Need: Two dice and an opaque cup (like a Solo cup)
How to Play:

• The first player shakes the dice under the cup and looks at their roll without revealing it. They then declare a number (e.g., “54” means one die was a 5, the other a 4).
  
• The next player can either:
  
• Believe the number and roll themselves, then announce a higher combination (e.g., 61 or 65).
  
• Or call BS. If the original player was lying, the liar drinks. If the original player was truthful, the caller drinks.
  
• The declared number must always be higher than the previous. Once you call someone out, a new round begins.
  

Note on Dice Values:
The highest possible roll is “21” (called Mexican), and it beats everything. If someone calls “Mexican,” the next player must call BS—they cannot top it.

3. Three Men

Players: 4 or more
What You Need: Two dice
Setup: Designate one person as the “Three Man” at the start of the game. This unlucky soul is about to do a lot of drinking.
How to Play:

• Each player takes turns rolling both dice. The outcomes trigger different effects:
  
• Any roll totaling 3 (like 1 + 2), or showing a 3 on either die: the Three Man drinks.
  
• Doubles: The roller chooses someone else to drink twice (or split it between two people).
  
• Total of 7: The player to the left drinks.
  
• Total of 11: The player to the right drinks.
  
• If you roll a combination that includes a 3, and you're currently the Three Man, you can assign the role to someone else.
  

Optional Rule: If the Three Man forgets they’re the Three Man and fails to drink when required, they must take an extra drink as punishment.

4. Ship, Captain, and Crew

Players: 3 or more
What You Need: Five dice per player
How to Play:
This game has a bit more structure than the others and plays like a mini-challenge round for each player.

Each person gets three rolls of the five dice to try and secure:

• A 6 – This is the ship
  
• A 5 – This is the captain
  
• A 4 – This is the crew
  

Important: You must roll the ship before the captain, and the captain before the crew. So, you can’t keep a 5 unless you already have a 6. You also can’t keep a 4 unless you have both 6 and 5 locked in.

Once you have the ship, captain, and crew locked in, the remaining two dice become your “cargo”. Their sum is your score.

Example:

• First roll: 6, 5, 4, 3, 1 → You lock in 6, 5, 4 (ship, captain, crew). Cargo = 3 + 1 = 4
  
• Someone else rolls 6, 5, 4, 6, 6 → Cargo = 6 + 6 = 12. They win.
  

After everyone has played a round, the player with the highest cargo wins. Everyone else drinks.

Optional Rule: Tied cargo scores lead to a roll-off, where the loser drinks double.

The Smarter Way to Play Your Favorite Dice Drinking Games

Modern tech has transformed even the most analog experiences. Enter GoDice, a set of smart, connected dice that sync with an app to run 20+ games, including drinking variants, trivia, and math-based party challenges. With this simple yet innovative dice, there’s no need to carry your heavy board game boxes since you have all of them in one app for free.

Why is this a game-changer?

• No Rule Book Needed: The app explains everything.
  
• Automated Scoring: Less arguing over points.
  
• Dynamic Games: Many mini-games incorporate physical actions, brain challenges, or speed tasks, some of which include drinking penalties or dares.
  
• Educational Twist: If you’re into puzzles, quizzes, or brain teasers, GoDice adds a layer of intelligence that’s often missing in traditional drinking games.
  

Plus, as someone who played with GoDice multiple times, it’s just cool. The dice light up, track movement, and bring a sleek, interactive feel to your night. Whether you're playing trivia or a fast-paced tap challenge, it turns casual drinking into a full-on event, and you best believe your friends will be obsessed with them. 

Drinking Games with Cards and a Dice Twist

Sometimes the most fun comes from mixing elements. Here are a few creative combos to try:

1. King’s Cup + Dice (Chaos Edition)

Players: 4+
What You Need: A Deck of cards, one die, a cup (the King’s Cup), and drinks
How to Play:
In traditional King’s Cup, each card drawn triggers a specific rule (e.g., 2 = "You", 7 = "Heaven", King = pour into the cup). Here’s how to hybridize it:

• Each card draw is followed by a die roll.
  
• The die determines how intense the card's action becomes. For example:
  
• Roll a 1: Half the original effect.
  
• Roll a 6: Double trouble. Double drinks, double dares.
  
• Roll an even number: Pick someone to do the card’s action with you.
  
• Roll an odd number: Do it alone.
  
• You can also assign numbers to mini-games:
  
• 1 = Dare, 2 = Truth, 3 = Make a Rule, 4 = Waterfall, 5 = Give 3 Drinks, 6 = Take a Shot
  

Why It Works: Adds unpredictability to an already chaotic classic. Perfect for groups that already know King’s Cup and want to level up.

2. Drunk Quest: Dice Edition (Fantasy Role-Play with Shots)

Players: 2–6 (best with 4+)
What You Need: Dice, a few index cards, pens, drinks, imagination
How to Play:
Turn your night into a fantasy RPG-lite drinking game.

• Everyone creates a character class (e.g., "Barbarian of Bourbon", "Shotgun Sorcerer", "Wine Witch").
  
• Assign everyone a special drinking-related ability (e.g., reroll dice once per game, skip one drink, force others to toast).
  
• Set up encounters with index cards:
  

• "You enter a dungeon... Roll to escape. 1–2: Take 2 drinks. 3–4: Take 1. 5–6: You escape."
  

• "You fight a dragon. Roll 4–6 to defeat. If not, drink until the song playing ends."
  

• "Find a magic flask. Pick someone to drink with you."
  

• Level up by surviving each round (no blackout = level up).
  
• Add boss battles where everyone rolls. The lowest roller drinks the most.
  

Why It Works: Mixes storytelling, dice mechanics, and group participation. Absurd character names and improvised events make for hilarious memories.

3. Dice Poker (Classic Hands, Boozy Stakes)

Players: 3+
What You Need: 5 dice per player, drinks
How to Play:

• Each player rolls 5 dice to create “poker” hands:
  
• Five of a Kind = Royal privilege: Assign drinks
  
• Four of a Kind = Choose someone to finish their drink
  
• Full House = Choose two players to split a drink
  
• Straight (1–5 or 2–6) = Everyone drinks
  
• Three of a Kind = Give out 3 drinks total
  
• Two Pair = Trade your next drink with someone
  
• One Pair = Safe
  
• No Pair = Chug for 5 seconds
  
• The best hand gets to invent a rule for the next round.
  

Why It Works: Adds stakes and strategy. Also great as a mid-game switch-up to slow things down while still keeping the drinks flowing.

4. High Card, High Die

Players: 2+
What You Need: A Deck of cards, one die
How to Play:

• Each player draws a card and rolls a die.
  
• Whoever has the highest combined score (card value + die roll) wins and hands out drinks.
  
• Tie? Everyone involved in the tie drinks.
  
• Optional multiplier: If your card and die match in number (e.g., draw a 5, roll a 5), double your score and pick someone to finish their drink.
  

Why It Works: Quick rounds, easy rules, and pure chance. Ideal as a filler game between bigger rounds.

Quick Match Guide to Find the Right Dice Game

The Global Language of Fun Starts with a Dice Roll

There’s something universally connective about rolling the dice. It’s a shared moment. A mini-suspenseful event. Everyone leans in to see what happens.

Drinking games often get a bad rap, painted as juvenile or irresponsible. But when played with mutual respect, these games serve as icebreakers, laughter-starters, and memory-makers. Dice drinking games especially encourage group participation, light competition, and creativity across the globe. 

What’s fascinating is that different cultures have their own spins on dice games.

• Germany: In Bavarian beer halls, dice games often accompany card games and beer boots. Rolling doubles may mean buying the next round.
  
• Japan: While less common in traditional izakayas, modern bars are seeing digital dice games, like those in the GoDice app, become trendy.
  
• USA: From frat houses to tailgate parties, dice games like “Three Man” and “Buzz” remain iconic.
  
• UK: Pub dice games are often paired with trivia or darts, forming part of pub culture.
  

There’s a universal appeal to letting fate decide who drinks next.

Conclusion

At their core, dice drinking games are about joy. They're playful, communal, and entirely unpredictable. You don’t need to be good at them. You don’t even need to understand the rules at first. Just roll the dice, take a sip, and enjoy the journey.

Whether you're keeping it old school with classic games or introducing smart tech like GoDice for a modern spin, the result is the same: people having fun together.

So next time you're hosting, throw some dice on the table. It might just be the start of a legendary night.