When you are chilling with a group of friends on a Friday or Saturday night, there is no better way to liven proceedings up than with a good old drinking game.
Traditionally ‘Never Have I Ever’, ‘Beer Pong’ and ‘Flip Cup’ have been the game of choice for many people, especially students.
But in recent times the Governor Drinking Game has really grown in popularity.
In this guide we will explain to you the rules of this fun and buzzy drinking game, to enable you to play it with your mates the next time you are all hanging out.
What is the Governor Drinking Game?
Popular with college students in the USA, the Governor Drinking Game is a fun and very social drinking game that requires nothing more than people, alcohol, and a fast, creative mind to enjoy.
The aim of the game is simple. To get drunk in as short a space of time as possible!
It’s a great way to get the party started and usually ends up with lots of giggles, banter and conviviality for all involved.
Essentially, the goal of the game is to count to 21. When you reach that number everyone takes a sip of their drink.
It sounds simple enough but it is most certainly not, as a number of ‘rules’ can be introduced during the game which makes things a lot more complicated.
In fact, the more rounds of the game you play, the more challenging and complex proceedings get as you try to remember all the rules to keep the counting going.
A test of your memory, acting prowess, and ability to hold your alcohol, it’s a great game that can often go on for a good few hours!
Rules to Governor Drinking Game
There is no limit to the number of players that can partake in the Governor Drinking Game, indeed the more the better. Although around 6 to 12 people is an optimum amount.
To play the game the rules are as follows:
1) Begin by sitting on the floor in a circle and make sure each participant has a drink in their hand.
2) To kick proceedings off, the first person needs to say the number ‘1’.
3) Moving in a clockwise direction, the next player says ‘2’, the one after ‘3’ and so on as you count towards the number 21.
4) Each player yells out the next number in order from 1 to 21 making sure everyone can hear them
5) However, things start to get a little complicated when the ‘rule of 7’ applies. When it comes to the turn of the person in the 7th spot, instead of saying the number ‘7’, they have to say the number ’14’ instead. The person immediately after them, however, must continue the numeric sequence from ‘8’. This carries on in order until they get to the person who is due to say ’14’, at which point they need to say the number ‘7’. The person after them then has to say ’15’ and the counting carries on as normal.
To clarify, the counting should go ‘1, 2 , 3, 4, 5, 6, 14, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 7, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21’.
6) When everyone in the circle has successfully counted from 1 to 21, as outlined above, without any mistakes, the person who says ’21’ should then lead a collective shout of ‘Cheers to the Governor!’. At which point you should all take a drink of at least 2 fingers of alcohol, before commencing the next round of counting begins.
7) If a player messes up at any time during the counting, they must drink at least 2 fingers’ worth of alcohol. Play will then continue with the person to their left starting again at number ‘1’.
8) When a round has been successfully completed, the player who is at the ’21’ spot is required to add an extra rule to the game, in place of one of the numbers in the sequence. For instance, you could replace the number “5” with ‘name a type of fruit’.
9) The ultimate goal is to replace all numbers with a different set of rules and successfully manage to complete a round of them without messing up!
Ideas for rules to add
As a general rule, the more creative and interactive your rule is the more fun and challenging the game becomes.
To give you some ideas of what rules to replace the numbers with why not consider any of the following?
– Do a dance
– Sing a verse from a particular song
– Make an animal noise
– Say the number in French
– Say the number in a foreign accent
– Name your favourite food item
– Quote a line from a movie
– Compliment someone in the group
– Roast someone in the group
– High 5 someone in the group
– Simulate an orgasm
– Take a selfie and post it to your social media account
– Wear an item of your clothing backwards
– Do a handstand
– Do your best impression of someone else in the group
Remember, the success of this game is all about the creativity of the rules. The more crazy and creative the rules are, the harder it will be for people to successfully remember them.
Additional tips to remember
1. Always remember to top up people’s drinks. This game works best when people are tipsy and have loosened up a little.
2. This game is all about fun and inclusivity, so don’t be aggressive or overly abusive to others. If someone is being like that be sure to keep them in check.
3. Be considerate of others in the group when it comes to inventing rules and don’t create rules that might pressurise participants into doing something sexually-orientated, that they might not want to do.
So there you have it! Our guide on how to play the Governor Drinking Game.
If you decide to give this game a go you will be in for a fantastic time, because when it is played in the right spirit, it really is a fabulous way to enjoy some quality time with your friends.