10 Beer Pong Variations to Try

Standard beer pong is great, but the same triangle every night gets old. These ten variations use the same gear and change the pace, the odds or the chaos level. Grab your balls and cups and work through the list.

What you need for all of them

  • Ping pong balls
  • Red cups
  • A table
  • Drinks

The variations

1. Death Cup

Standard rules, but if you are holding a made cup and an opponent sinks a ball into it before you finish and set it down, your team loses instantly. Keeps everyone drinking fast and watching their backs.

2. Civil War

Four players, no teams, three cups each in a line, all balls live at once with no turns. Pure chaos. Get eliminated when your cups are gone.

3. Snake Eyes

Rerack into a single line. Hard to hit, brutal when you do.

4. Slam Pong

Played with paddles instead of throwing, volley-style, on a shorter table.

5. Beer Pong Golf

Nine rounds, count your makes like golf strokes, lowest score wins.

6. Battleship

Hide the layout of your cups behind a divider and fire blind at the other side.

7. Giant Cup / King’s Cup pong

Add one big cup in the middle. Sink it and the other team chugs it and loses two cups.

8. Bounce Wars

Every shot must be bounced. All makes count double and defenders can swat.

9. Speed Pong

No turns. Both teams throw and retrieve their own ball as fast as they can. First to clear wins.

10. Survivor

Solo free-for-all. Each player defends their own row of cups and the last one standing wins.

Frequently asked questions

Which variation is best for big groups?

Civil War and Survivor scale well because everyone plays at once instead of waiting for turns.

Do I need special gear?

No. Every game here uses the same balls, cups and table. Only Slam Pong needs paddles.

Dan Smullen Beer is my life profile

Hi, I'm Dan, founder of BeerIsMyLife. I've been an avid homebrewer for over ten years, and beer is my true passion. I've traveled all over the world, visiting breweries, tasting beer, as well as making my own batches. I set up this blog to share that experience with you.