Top 5 Strategic Online Drinking Games + 1 Sober

Drinking games aren't your typical board games dragged onto the screen - they're clever, engaging, and designed to bring people together with a click and a clink. With a simple click to join and a metaphorical clink to commence, these games are becoming the go-to for individuals seeking to enjoy the camaraderie of group activities from afar.

1. Major League Baseball

The MLB Drinking Game brilliantly marries two of America's favourite pastimes: baseball and enjoying a drink. It injects life into the slow-paced sport, keeping even the least enthusiastic fans engaged and well-refreshed.

Here's the quick rundown of the rules:

• Sips for the Small Victories:
•           Strikeouts: Elevate the excitement with a small drink as players swing and miss.
•           Stolen Bases: A swift taste to echo the quick moves of base runners.
•           Foul Balls: A casual one for each, toasting the unforeseen twists.
• Gulps for the Steady Progressions:
•           Walks: A more substantial gulp as players methodically move around the bases.
• Celebratory Actions:
•           Home Runs: Finish your drink in honour of the pivotal moments.
• Transitional Moments:
•           Innings End: Drink to commemorate the end of an inning and maintain the pace.

With this game, even a scoreless inning becomes an opportunity for excitement, ensuring that by the time the final pitch is thrown, you've had a match worth remembering.

2. Codenames

This online take on the classic "Codenames" immerses you in an espionage adventure, where crisp, clear communication is as crucial as it would be for spies on an operation. Players divide into two teams, each led by a 'Spymaster' aware of 25 agents' secret identities (words on the virtual board), who uses one-word clues to uncover their agents and dodge the assassin.

In this edition, the stakes are higher, and the drinks are poured:

Miscommunication Means a Sip: Each time a team member contacts the wrong agent (picks a word that isn't theirs), they take a discreet sip.

• Double Agent Dilemma: Accidentally guessing a word that belongs to the opponent calls for a double sip, mirroring the double-cross of true spy tales.
• The Assassin's Shot: If your team encounters the assassin, it's a shot for each member - a high price for such a critical misstep.

Toasting to the Spymaster's Acumen:

Successful Contact: When your team correctly identifies an agent, the opposing team takes a drink, saluting your Spymaster's ingenuity.

3. Chess

A game of intellect and foresight that has withstood the test of time: Chess. This online version is designed for friends to challenge each other's strategic thinking and tolerance for libations.

Here's the twist: each piece captured calls for a drink, turning the battle into a playful and increasingly challenging duel.

• Pawns: A sip for every one taken, a small sacrifice for small progress.
• Knights and Bishops: A larger gulp for these more strategic pieces.
• Rooks and Queens: Finish half your drink, a nod to the value of these pieces.
• Checkmate: The losing player finishes their drink, a fitting end to the game of kings.

It's such a perfect game for those who appreciate a strategic challenge with a side of humour and company.

4. UNO

CrazyGames, Pizzuno, and BuddyBoardGames are all platforms that can be used to play the universally beloved card game of UNO online! Its thrilling pace and fun colour-and-number matching challenges allow players to easily connect and play with friends, whether they're across the table or the globe, bringing a fresh twist to the traditional competition of racing to get down to that last card.

Here's the twist that spices things up:

• Colour Change: Every time a player changes the colour, everyone else takes a sip.
• Skip-a-Turn: Take a glass as you wait for your next turn.
• Reverse Direction: A reverse card means everyone but the player takes a drink.
• Draw Card: Draw a card, take a sip, draw four, and it's a gulp.
• Wild Card: Play a Wild card and choose a player to take a shot.

5. Bingo

This lively adaptation of Bingo transforms the time-honoured game, with its deep historic roots tracing back to a 16th-century Italian lottery, into a dynamic online social experience with an interactive drinking element.

Advancing into the gameplay, each player receives a digital Bingo card featuring a grid of numbers randomly assigned by the letters B-I-N-G-O. An automated virtual caller randomly announces randomly selected numbers. Players mark off numbers on their cards as they are called out. The goal is to complete a predetermined pattern on the card, such as a straight line, an 'X', or filling the entire grid (a blackout).

Drinking Rules Integration:

• When a number is marked on the card, take a sip.
• If a player marks off a number and it contributes to completing a line or pattern, they choose another participant to take a larger drink.
• The centre square, traditionally a 'free space', now serves as a 'social square'. When this square is marked off, everyone takes a group drink.

Special Conditions:

• If someone erroneously calls 'Bingo', they must take a penalty drink.
• Certain rounds may have 'wild' squares, which carry special drinking instructions that must be followed when these numbers are called.

The first one to complete the required pattern and call out 'Bingo' is checked for accuracy. If correct, they win the round and can then assign a 'celebration drink' to the other participants, or create a rule for the next game.

6. Poker

Unlike any game above, poker demands a combination of sharp focus, sober judgement, and strategic acumen. This blend of skills is essential whether playing for fun or for real stakes. For players in the UK, several online casinos offer a regulated and secure environment for the latter, while options to play online poker not on GamStop cater to those keen on exploring platforms licensed in jurisdictions such as Malta or Curacao.

The essence of poker lies in its complex blend of luck and strategy. It involves understanding hand rankings, betting wisely, and reading opponents. Each decision in the game, from bluffing to folding, carries weight, making the play intellectually stimulating and unpredictable.

Here's how a typical game unfolds:

• Initial Deal: Each player is dealt two private cards (known as 'hole cards').
• Betting Round 1: Starting with the player to the left of the big blind, betting commences.
• The Flop: Three community cards are dealt face-up on the 'board'.
• Betting Round 2: Players bet again, starting with the player to the dealer's left.
• The Turn: A fourth community card is dealt to the board.
• Betting Round 3: Another round of betting ensues.
• The River: The fifth and final community card is dealt.
• Final Betting Round: Players make their last bets or decisions.
• The Showdown: The remaining players reveal their hands. The best hand, according to poker hand rankings, wins the pot.