Cheers to the Governor Drinking Game: Rules, 21 Setup & Rule Ideas

Cheers to the Governor is a verbal drinking game where players count from 1 to 21, add a new rule every time they reach 21, and drink when someone messes up.

It starts insultingly easy. One, two, three, around the circle. Then someone makes 7 a clap, 11 a category, 15 a direction change, and suddenly the group is being defeated by counting. Beautiful.

There is no single official rule list because the point of Cheers to the Governor is that the rules build during the game. The core loop is consistent: count to 21, cheer, drink, add a rule, restart.

CHEERS TO THE GOVERNOR RULES — QUICK VERSION

Players sit or stand in a circle.
Someone starts by saying “1.”
Players count upward one number at a time around the circle.
If someone makes a mistake, they drink and the count resets to 1.
When the group reaches 21, everyone says “Cheers to the Governor” and drinks.
The player who said 21 creates a new rule for one number.
Restart at 1 with the new rule active.
Rules keep stacking until the group quits or all numbers have rules.

To play Cheers to the Governor: sit in a circle, count from 1 to 21 one player at a time, and drink/reset whenever someone misses a number or forgets a rule. When the group successfully reaches 21, everyone drinks, the player who said 21 adds a new rule, and the next round starts with that rule included.

What You Need to Play Cheers to the Governor

3 or more players
Drinks
A circle or clear turn order
Optional notes app if your group has goldfish memory

Best Number of Players

Cheers to the Governor works best with 4 to 10 players. You can play with 3, but the rhythm is better with a bigger circle. At 12 or more, people wait longer between turns and immediately forget every rule they personally created.

How to Play the Cheers to the Governor Drinking Game

COUNT TO 21 → CHEERS → DRINK → ADD RULE → RESTART

1. Start Counting at 1

Pick any player to start. They say “1.” The next player says “2,” and the count continues around the circle.

2. Reach 21

If the group successfully gets to 21, everyone says “Cheers to the Governor” and drinks. Some groups say “Cheers, Governor.” Same idea. Do not derail the game over punctuation.

3. Add a New Rule

The player who said 21 creates a rule for a number. For example, “On 7, clap instead of saying 7.” That rule stays active for future rounds.

4. Restart from 1

The count starts again, now with the new rule included. Every later round adds another rule, so the game gets harder on purpose.

5. Mistakes Reset the Count

If someone says the wrong number, hesitates too long, forgets an active rule, speaks when they should clap, or generally short-circuits, they drink and the count resets to 1.

Common Cheers to the Governor Rule Ideas

Rule Type	Example	Why It Works
Word swap	Say “banana” instead of 6.	Easy to teach, easy to forget.
Action	Clap instead of saying 9.	Keeps the game physical without getting messy.
Direction change	Reverse direction on 12.	Creates real confusion fast.
Number swap	Swap 7 and 11.	Classic memory trap.
Category	On 15, name a state.	Adds pressure without needing cards.

Cheers to the Governor House Rules & Variations

All Numbers Must Get Rules

The game ends when every number from 1 to 21 has a rule and the group completes one clean round. Ambitious. Also mildly insane.

Timed Answers

Players have one or two seconds to answer. Hesitation counts as a mistake. This is best once everyone understands the game.

No Drink-at-21 Rule

Some groups only drink on mistakes and skip the celebratory drink at 21. This keeps the pace lighter and is better for longer games.

Rule Approval

The group can veto rules that are too confusing, mean, gross, or impossible to enforce. Strongly recommended. Not every idea deserves oxygen.

Our Recommended Cheers to the Governor Rules

COLLEGEWARES CHEERS TO THE GOVERNOR RULES

Use 4 to 10 players.
Count clockwise from 1 to 21.
Mistakes mean one sip and reset to 1.
At 21, everyone says “Cheers to the Governor” and takes one sip.
The player who says 21 creates one new rule.
No rules that target one person for repeated drinking.
The group can veto unclear or annoying rules.

Cheers to the Governor vs. Categories

Cheers to the Governor is a counting-and-memory game. Categories is a word-list game. They overlap when someone adds a category rule to a specific number, but Cheers to the Governor is built around stacking rules until the count becomes hard.

Cheers to the Governor FAQ

How do you play Cheers to the Governor?

Players count from 1 to 21 around a circle. Mistakes cause a drink and reset. Reaching 21 lets the group drink and add a new rule.

What happens when you reach 21?

Everyone says “Cheers to the Governor” and drinks. The player who said 21 then creates a new rule for future rounds.

Who makes the new rule?

The player who says 21 usually makes the new rule. Some groups make the next player the Governor, but the “21 makes the rule” version is easier.

What counts as a mistake?

Wrong numbers, missed rules, hesitation, speaking out of turn, or doing the wrong action all count as mistakes.

How do you win?

Most casual games do not have one winner. The group either quits when it gets too hard or wins together by assigning rules to all 21 numbers and completing a clean round.