A beer bong on its own is a great time. A beer bong inside a structured game is a legendary party. The right drinking game adds stakes, competition, and a reason to keep the funnel going all night. These five games are the ones that work best with a beer bong setup — tested, crowd-approved, and guaranteed to keep the energy high.
What Makes a Game Work Well With a Beer Bong?
Not every drinking game pairs naturally with a funnel. The best ones share a few traits: they're easy to explain, work for groups of various sizes, involve clear win/lose conditions, and have natural "beer bong moments" built in. The games below check all those boxes.
Game #1 — Beer Bong Beer Pong
Players: 4+ (2 teams of 2 minimum)
Setup: Standard beer pong table, 10 cups per side, one beer bong per team
How to play
Set up a standard beer pong game — 10 cups per side in a triangle formation, each cup filled with beer. Teams alternate throwing ping pong balls. When a ball lands in your cup, you drink that cup as normal. The twist: when your team sinks the last cup on the other side and wins a rack, the losing team must take the beer bong instead of drinking normally. The beer bong replaces the standard "end of game" penalty drink.
Why it works
Beer Bong Beer Pong adds a meaningful penalty for losing that's more memorable than a standard cup drink. The threat of the funnel raises the stakes and keeps both teams genuinely competitive. It also keeps the beer bong active throughout the night naturally.
Variation
For a wilder version, use the beer bong for every cup sunk — not just the rack. This is called "Bong Pong" and it's not for the faint-hearted.
Game #2 — Relay Race Funnel
Players: 6–20 (even teams work best)
Setup: Two beer bongs, two coolers of beer, equal teams lined up relay-race style
How to play
Teams line up. The first person on each team completes a full beer bong as fast as possible, then passes the funnel to the next person in line. The second person fills and chugs, then passes it on. First team to complete the relay wins. The other team does a final bonus round beer bong each.
Why it works
The relay format is inclusive — everyone participates regardless of individual chug speed, because it's a team total. It also gets the whole party involved at once rather than just two people at a time. Simple rules, high energy, memorable moments.
Tips
Designate one person per team as the filler so the person chugging doesn't have to manage the pour. This keeps the relay moving fast and reduces spills.
Game #3 — Categories Beer Bong
Players: 4–12
Setup: One beer bong, everyone seated in a circle
How to play
One player names a category (sports teams, pizza toppings, car brands, countries in Europe) and points at someone in the circle. That person names something in the category, and play moves around the circle. Whoever can't think of an answer within 5 seconds takes the beer bong. The same person who set the category can be challenged — if they fail to give another example when it comes back around, they funnel twice.
Why it works
Categories is a classic drinking game that requires no equipment beyond the beer bong itself. The randomness of who gets caught — and the growing pressure as the circle narrows — keeps everyone engaged. Good categories (regional sports teams, 90s cartoons, types of pasta) create the funniest moments.
Categories that always work well
- NFL teams
- Things you find in a kitchen
- Cereals
- Movies with sequels
- Names that start with a specific letter
Game #4 — Beer Bong Speed Rounds
Players: 4–10
Setup: One beer bong with valve, a phone with a stopwatch, beer
How to play
Everyone gets timed completing a standard 12 oz. beer bong. Times are written down. At the end of the round, the person with the slowest time takes a penalty round — they have to immediately do another beer bong. The person with the fastest time gets to assign the next penalty to anyone in the group (who must complete a beer bong within 60 seconds).
Why it works
Speed Rounds is pure competition with clear stakes. The leaderboard mentality keeps people focused and the timing adds a layer of accountability that casual beer bong sessions lack. People get serious about their technique fast once they're being timed.
Tournament version
Run this as a bracket tournament — head-to-head matchups, fastest time advances, slowest time is eliminated. Winner of the bracket gets to pick a challenge for everyone else. Great for tailgates with larger groups.
Game #5 — Truth or Beer Bong
Players: 4–10
Setup: One beer bong, everyone seated in a circle
How to play
Standard Truth or Dare rules, but "Dare" is replaced entirely with the beer bong. When asked "Truth or Beer Bong?", a player either answers the truth question honestly — or takes the funnel to avoid answering. The person asking the question decides how hard to push the truth, knowing that an easy question means the player will just answer instead of funneling.
Why it works
Truth or Beer Bong creates the same social dynamic as Truth or Dare but removes the awkward physical dares that often make people uncomfortable. The beer bong is a clean, universally understood penalty. People will funnel to avoid embarrassing truths, and the funny truths that do come out make the game memorable long after the party ends.
Ground rules
Set a "no genuinely personal questions" rule at the start — keep truths party-appropriate and fun rather than invasive. The best questions are embarrassing without being cruel.
Party Setup Tips for Beer Bong Games
A well-organized beer bong station makes all these games run smoother:
- Designate a station: Pick one spot outdoors where the beer bong always lives. Everyone knows where it is and where to stand.
- Assign a filler: One person is responsible for filling the funnel correctly every round. This prevents rushed, foamy pours and keeps the game moving.
- Keep the cooler close: Cold beer is critical — have a cooler within arm's reach of the beer bong station at all times.
- Use a beer belt for game-day events: Keeping 6 cans on your person means you never leave the action to get a refill.
- Have a backup beer bong: For larger parties, a second funnel means you can keep two games going simultaneously or never be down for cleaning.
Frequently Asked Questions
What drinking games use a beer bong?
Beer Bong Beer Pong, relay races, speed round tournaments, and Truth or Beer Bong are the most popular. Any game with a penalty mechanic can be modified to use the beer bong as the penalty.
How many people do you need for beer bong games?
Most beer bong games work best with 4–12 people. Relay Races scale to larger groups (up to 20+) with the right team setup.
What is the best beer bong for parties?
Our 2 ft. beer bong with valve is the most versatile for party games — the valve gives clear start/stop control, making it easy to manage in competitive settings. For advanced groups, the 3 ft. extreme version adds more pressure for speed competitions.
Can you play beer pong with a beer bong?
Yes — the Beer Bong Beer Pong variant described above is one of the most popular party games. The beer bong replaces the standard end-of-game drink as a more dramatic penalty.
How do you make beer bong games fair?
Use a timer for speed-based games so results are objective. For team games, balance teams by experience level rather than grouping all the experienced funnelers together.
What's the best drinking game for a tailgate?
Relay Race Funnel works best for tailgates because it's fast, inclusive, and works with large groups. Beer Bong Speed Rounds also works great for tailgates with a competitive crowd. Check out our full tailgating guide for more tips.
Ready to run these games? Make sure you have the right equipment. Browse our full beer bong collection — including multi-hose options for team games and accessories to complete your party setup.