Musical Shots - Drinking Game Rules & How to Play

Musical Shots is a drinking game in the No Equipment category for 4-15 players that takes about 15-30 min with a easy difficulty level.

Musical chairs meets drinking. When the music stops, drink what you are holding!

Equipment Needed

• Shot glasses
• Liquor or mixed shots
• Phone or speaker for music

Setup

Pour shots into glasses. You want fewer shots than players, like musical chairs has fewer chairs. Someone controls the music.

How to Play Musical Shots

1. Everyone stands or sits in a circle.
2. Start passing the shot glasses around the circle when the music plays.
3. Keep the shots moving in one direction.
4. The DJ stops the music randomly.
5. Whoever is holding a shot when the music stops has to drink it.
6. Remove one shot glass after each round so there are always fewer shots than players.
7. Keep playing until one player remains who never got caught.
8. That player wins and can assign drinks to others.

Tips & Strategies

Pass quickly but smoothly. Do not hold the shot any longer than you need to. Watch the DJ for tells about when they might stop the music.

Variations

Hot potato version where there is only one shot and you really do not want to be caught. Elimination version where getting caught means you are out. Mystery shots where some are water and some are strong.

Players: 4-15 | Duration: 15-30 min | Difficulty: easy

Related Drinking Games

• Zip Zap Zop — Pass zip-zap-zop in sequence or drink
• Do or Drink — Draw a card, do the dare, or drink. 350 plus cards of chaos.
• Baskin Robbins 31 — Count to 31 but do not be the one to say it. Say up to 3 numbers per turn.
• Two Truths and a Lie — Guess the lie among three statements
• Squid Game Red Light Green Light — The viral Squid Game drinking challenge. Freeze or face elimination!
• Accent Challenge — Maintain accent or drink
• Would You Rather — Choose between options - minority drinks
• Human Knot Drinking — Untangle human knot while drinking

From Our Blog

• Small Group Games That Pack a Punch — When you're hanging out with a small group of friends, the right game can turn a casual night into a memorable one. Whether it's a cozy get-together at your apartment or a night in at a friend's place...
• House Party Hacks for the Ultimate Bash — Hey! So you’re throwing a house party, huh? Whether it’s your first time hosting or you’re a seasoned party-thrower, there’s always something new to learn. Trust me, I’ve been hosting party game night...
• Game Spotlight: Must-Try Drinking Games for Your Next Bash — Throwing a party and not sure how to keep the energy up? Look, I've been there more times than I can count. Whether you're hosting a chill backyard hangout or an all-night rager, drinking games are a ...

Browse more No Equipment drinking games or see all drinking games.