Best Drinking Games for 3 People

Three people is an awkward number for team games, but it's a great size for card, dice, and rotating drinking games. Nobody waits long for a turn, and you don't have to force a miserable 2-vs-1 format unless you're committed to Beer Pong.

These are the best drinking games for 3 currently covered in the CollegeWares library.

Three Man

Three Man is a classic dice drinking game and, shockingly, works pretty well with three people. One player holds the Three Man role while dice combinations trigger different rules.

Presidents

Presidents works with three by simplifying the hierarchy to President, neutral player, and Asshole. The actual climbing-card mechanics stay the same.

Ride the Bus

Ride the Bus supports three players without awkward modifications. Everyone answers the four card questions, plays through the pyramid, and hopes someone else ends with more cards.

King's Cup

King's Cup can be played with three, although Categories, Rhyme, and other group rules get better as more people join.

Horse Race

Horse Race works well with three because everyone can bet on the same four-Ace race while one person deals and announces the action.

Pong Shot

Pong Shot is naturally suited to three players: shooter, drinker, and the next person in the rotation.

Quarters

Quarters is one of the easiest three-person games. Put a cup in the middle, rotate clockwise, and let successful shooters choose either of the other players.

Higher or Lower

Higher or Lower is another easy fallback when you have a deck and don't want a complicated ruleset.

What Should 3 People Play?

For something fast, play Quarters or Higher or Lower. For a longer card game, choose Presidents or Ride the Bus. If you specifically want a pong game that doesn't require even teams, Pong Shot fits the group naturally.

For a larger crowd, browse our group drinking games, party drinking games, or all drinking games.