Christmas party drinking games for adults add an extra layer of fun and excitement to festive gatherings, especially during evening celebrations. These games often combine humor, friendly competition, and lighthearted rules centered around holiday themes. Common ideas include taking a sip whenever certain Christmas words are mentioned, such as “Santa,” “reindeer,” or “snow,” during conversations or movies. Christmas movie drinking games are also popular, where players drink when familiar clichés appear, like someone learning the true meaning of Christmas or a town saving a holiday event. Dice or card-based drinking games can be adapted with Christmas-related challenges, making each round unpredictable and entertaining.
While these games encourage laughter and bonding, responsible drinking is essential to ensure everyone remains comfortable and safe. When played in moderation, Christmas drinking games can enhance the festive mood, helping adults unwind, socialize, and enjoy the holiday season cheerfully and memorably.
Christmas Party Drinking Game Ideas for Adults
Santa’s Naughty or Nice
Credit@miracletoronto
Description (3 lines):
A hilarious truth-or-drink game that reveals who’s been naughty or nice this year.
Perfect for breaking the ice and starting laughs early.
Best played with close friends who don’t mind a little embarrassment.
How to Play (Detailed Steps):
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• Sit everyone in a circle and choose one person to be Santa, who reads prepared “naughty or nice” questions related to the past year, such as secrets, funny mistakes, or bold confessions.
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• Each player must honestly answer the question; if they refuse or hesitate longer than five seconds, they must take a full drink.
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• If the group decides the answer sounds fake, they can vote to make the player drink anyway.
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• Rotate the Santa role every five questions to keep everyone involved.
Reindeer Relay Shots
Credit@karaspartyideas.com
Description:
A fast-paced team drinking game with holiday energy.
Encourages movement, cheering, and friendly competition.
Great for larger parties with enough space.
How to Play (Detailed Steps):
- • Divide players into two or more teams and line them up behind a starting point with shot glasses at the finish line.
- • One player from each team races to the finish, drinks their shot, and runs back to tag the next teammate.
- • If someone spills their drink, they must refill and drink again before tagging the next player.
- • The first team to finish all shots wins, while the losing team drinks an extra round together.
Christmas Movie Bingo (Drinking Edition)
Credit@army.mil
Description (3 lines):
A relaxed game perfect for couch-based parties.
Combines classic Christmas movies with drinking cues.
Ideal for mixed groups who want something low effort.
How to Play (Detailed Steps):
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• Create bingo cards filled with common Christmas movie moments like “someone learns the true meaning of Christmas” or “snow starts falling dramatically.”
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• Start a Christmas movie and give everyone a drink when a square happens on screen.
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• When someone completes a row, column, or diagonal, they must shout “Ho Ho Ho” and assign drinks to others.
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• Keep playing until the movie ends or drinks run out.
Elf Flip Cup
Credit@theawesomer.com
Description (3 lines):
A festive twist on the classic flip cup game.
High-energy and perfect for competitive drinkers.
Works best with upbeat Christmas music.
How to Play (Detailed Steps):
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• Divide players into two teams standing on opposite sides of a table with cups filled evenly.
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• The first player drinks their cup, places it upside down, and attempts to flip it successfully.
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• Only once flipped can the next teammate begin drinking.
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• If a flip fails, the player must retry until successful.
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• The first team to flip all cups wins, while the losing team drinks again.
Christmas Carol Roulette
Credit@freedesignfile.com
Description (3 lines):
A musical drinking game full of laughter and chaos.
Great for outgoing groups who enjoy singing.
No good singing voice required.
How to Play (Detailed Steps):
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• Write Christmas song titles on slips of paper and place them in a bowl.
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• Each player picks a song and must sing at least ten seconds of it.
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• If they mess up lyrics, repeat a line, or go silent, they take a drink.
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• The group can challenge singers to perform in funny voices or accents.
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• Rotate turns until all songs are used or voices are gone.
Stocking Stuffers Challenge
Credit@Hannah Victoria
Description:
A guessing game with mystery and surprises.
Easy to set up and endlessly customizable.
Perfect for table-based parties.
How to Play (Detailed Steps):
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• Fill Christmas stockings with small random items like ornaments, candy, or toys.
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• Blindfold one player at a time and let them feel an item inside the stocking.
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• They get three guesses to identify it correctly.
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• For each wrong guess, they take a sip; if they fail completely, they finish their drink.
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• Pass the stocking until everyone has had a turn.
Ugly Sweater Sip
Credit@bookelevent.com
Description (3 lines):
Celebrates terrible fashion choices with alcohol.
Simple rules make it easy for everyone to join.
Great throughout the entire party.
How to Play (Detailed Steps):
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• Everyone wears an ugly Christmas sweater or accessory.
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• One person acts as the judge and randomly points out sweaters during the night.
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• The owner of the sweater must take a sip whenever chosen.
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• At the end of the night, the group votes on the ugliest sweater.
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• The winner assigns drinks; the loser finishes their drink.
Mistletoe Madness
Credit@bestlifeonline.com
Description (3 lines):
A flirty and funny party game for adults.
Encourages interaction and spontaneous moments.
Best for open-minded groups.
How to Play (Detailed Steps):
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• Hang mistletoe in a central area of the room.
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• Whenever two people accidentally stand under it together, they must either toast and drink or complete a playful dare.
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• Refusing a dare means finishing your drink.
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• The group can intentionally lure others under the mistletoe for laughs.
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• Continue throughout the party for surprise moments.
Christmas Trivia Shots
Credit@theunionhotel
Description:
A knowledge-based drinking game with a holiday twist.
Balances thinking and drinking.
Great for mixed personality groups.
How to Play (Detailed Steps):
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• Prepare Christmas-themed trivia questions in advance.
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• One person reads questions while others write or shout answers.
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• Wrong answers result in a sip; correct answers allow players to assign drinks.
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• Bonus questions can require shots instead of sips.
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• Rotate quiz master roles to keep it fair and fun.
Twelve Drinks of Christmas
Credit@Will Gilbert
Description:
Inspired by the classic Christmas song.
Gradually increases drinking as the game progresses.
Perfect as a main event game.
How to Play (Detailed Steps):
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• Create twelve numbered cards, each with a drinking challenge or rule.
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• Players draw cards in order, completing the challenge before moving on.
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• Challenges can include group drinks, dares, or assigning sips.
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• As numbers increase, the drinks become stronger or larger.
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• The final round is a celebratory group toast to end the game.