A good stag game needs three things: rules you can explain in one breath, a role for the groom, and a way to play that does not depend on anyone drinking more than they want. Every game below works with water, soft drinks or forfeits instead of alcohol, so nobody has to opt out of the fun.
Ground rules for every game
- Pace itSet a limit before the first round and stick to it. A long weekend needs everyone standing on Sunday.
- Swap itAny sip can be a sip of water, or a dare, or a forfeit. Make that a normal choice, not an excuse.
- Groom picks oneThe groom chooses the next game, which keeps him in charge and the group moving.
- No pressureNobody explains why they are skipping a round. The game simply carries on.
The games
- Never Have I Ever, groom edition. Everyone says something the groom has never done. Anyone who has done it takes a sip, or does a forfeit.
- Beer pong or shot pong. Two teams, a table and cups. Swap the drinks for water if you like, and give the losing team a dare.
- Flip-cup relay. Teams race to finish a drink and flip the cup. The slowest team picks up the next round of dares.
- Categories. Pick a topic, such as football clubs or cheeses, and go round the table. Whoever stalls or repeats takes a sip.
- The groom quiz. Ten questions about the groom, answered in secret. Wrong answers earn a forfeit, and the groom answers one he gets wrong on purpose.
- Two truths and a lie. Each guest tells a story about the groom with one invented detail. The group votes on which one is false.
- Higher or lower. Turn over playing cards one at a time, and guess whether the next is higher or lower. A wrong guess means a sip or a dare.
- TV-show bingo. Make a bingo card of moments in a show everyone knows, and take a sip every time one happens. It is a good fit for a quiet evening in.
- Name that tune. Hum a song and let the table guess. The loser picks up the next dare card.
- Dare cards and dice. Roll the dice to decide how many players take part, then draw a dare card. Simple, loud and quick to learn.
Always check the law and the venue rules before playing in public, and look out for anyone who has had enough. If someone is unwell, stop the game and get help.
Games for the groom who is not drinking
- The quizRun the groom quiz with soft drinks. The pressure comes from the questions, not the glass.
- CharadesAct out moments from the relationship or the groom's past, with a forfeit for the team that loses.
- Dare cardsThe groom draws a card at every stop. Add a skip card for when he needs a break.
- Karaoke battlesTwo guests sing the same song badly; the group votes on the worse one.
Props that help
- Playing cards
- Dice
- Cups
- Dare cards
- Forfeit dice
- Beer pong set