Chandeliers Drinking Game: Rules, Setup & Center Cup Variations

Chandeliers is a bounce drinking game where each player has a cup around a larger center cup, and landing in the center triggers a full-table drinking race.

Some groups play Chandeliers with a quarter. Others use a ping pong ball. Same skeleton: bounce into someone’s cup, that person drinks; hit the middle chandelier cup, and the whole table has a problem.

There is no one official version. The big split is whether the center-cup penalty is “last to finish drinks the middle” or “everyone chugs and flips, last flip drinks the middle.” We’ll separate those instead of starting a holy war over plastic cups.

CHANDELIERS RULES — QUICK VERSION

Give each player a cup with a small pour.
Arrange player cups in a circle around a larger center cup.
Players take turns bouncing a quarter or ping pong ball.
If it lands in a player’s cup, that player drinks and refills.
If it lands in the center cup, everyone drinks their own cup.
The last player to finish, or finish and flip, drinks the center cup.
Refill everything and keep playing.

To play Chandeliers: arrange personal cups around a center cup, then take turns bouncing a quarter or ping pong ball into the cups. Side-cup hits make that player drink; center-cup hits trigger the whole table, with the last finisher taking the center cup.

What You Need to Play Chandeliers

One cup per player
One larger center cup
A quarter or ping pong ball
A table
3 or more players
Beer, water, or other agreed drinks

Chandeliers Setup Diagram

BASIC CHANDELIERS SETUP

[P2]

[P1] [CENTER] [P3]

[P4]

Each player should know which cup is theirs. Label cups if needed. Nobody wants to pause the center-cup chaos for a beverage custody hearing.

Quarter Version vs. Ping Pong Ball Version

Version	How It Plays	Best For
Quarter Chandeliers	More like Quarters. Smaller target, sharper bounce.	Tables, coin-game fans, smaller groups.
Ping Pong Ball Chandeliers	More like Beer Pong meets Flip Cup.	Bigger groups, parties, easier bouncing.

How to Play Chandeliers

BOUNCE → HIT CUP → DRINK/REFILL → CENTER CUP = CHAOS

1. Bounce on Your Turn

The active player bounces the quarter or ball off the table toward the cup cluster.

2. Hit a Player Cup

If it lands in a player’s cup, that player drinks their cup, refills it, and puts it back.

3. Hit Your Own Cup

Most groups make you drink your own cup. Some let you assign it. Pick one before playing.

4. Hit the Center Cup

Everyone drinks their own cup. In the basic version, the last person to finish drinks the center cup. In the Flip Cup version, everyone must drink and flip, and the last successful flip drinks the center cup.

Chandeliers Rules Table

Shot Result	Common Rule
Miss all cups	Turn passes.
Lands in another player’s cup	That player drinks and refills.
Lands in your own cup	You drink and refill.
Lands in center cup	Everyone drinks; last finisher drinks center.

Our Recommended Chandeliers Rules

COLLEGEWARES CHANDELIERS RULES

Use a ping pong ball for larger groups and a quarter for smaller groups.
Fill player cups about one-third full or less.
Keep the center cup reasonable.
Center hit: everyone drinks and flips.
Last successful flip drinks the center cup.
No mixed mystery center cup. Same tension, considerably less disgusting.

Chandeliers House Rules & Variations

No-Flip Center Cup

Everyone drinks their own cup, and the last person to finish drinks the center. Simpler and better for groups that hate Flip Cup.

Flip Cup Center

Everyone drinks, then flips their cup. Last successful flip drinks the center. This is the most party-friendly version.

Elimination Version

Last player on a center-cup race is out. Use this only if you want a clear winner.

Chandeliers FAQ

How do you play Chandeliers?

Players bounce a quarter or ping pong ball into cups arranged around a center cup. Side cups make individual players drink; the center cup triggers everyone.