Flip Cup
Flip Cup is a skill-based competitive drinking game with two teams of players that consecutively flip cups that sit just off the edge of a table upside down by flicking the bottom. Players must first drink the alcohol in the cup before they start attempting to flip the cup, creating a drinking relay race. This game can be played with water as well (as I did on a school night). I think that the primary source of enjoyment comes from the sensation of trying and successfully making the cups flip exactly upside down with one flick, rather than just the drinking aspect.
Types of fun:
This game incorporates elements of fellowship and challenge. The skill of flipping the cup is the challenge. The dynamic of relying on everyone in your team’s lineup to successfully flip the cup breeds camaraderie and connection as you cheer on/support your teammates in the process. It was also a lot of fun heckling the other team when I played XD
Comparison to other drinking games:
This game can accommodate any sized team, and if they don’t fit onto one table, the race can loop back around to the start. This game is different from other drinking games in that a player is not penalized with a drink. Instead, all players must drink before they commence their turn, making this drinking game one of the most reliably intoxicating for all players.
Problems with the game:
There aren’t many chances for conflict/abuse in this game, as the rules are simple. It is obvious if a player starts their turn before the last person successfully flipped their cup, so this likely wouldn’t happen. One problem, however, comes in the relay nature of the game. Having one beginner/ less-skilled player on the team has the potential to seriously slow down the team, making it difficult to strategize where in the line-up to place this player. Teams do not want to be at a disadvantage early, as this causes pressure or demotivation for later players on the line. Placing the less-skilled player at the end gives the other team the opportunity to catch up at the last minute. This does add an interesting dimension to the game by adding tension and therefore excitement to the race, versus having skilled players who can typically flip cups in one try. Less-skilled players are usually placed in the middle, to give teams the best chance to get an early lead and/or come back from a particularly long turn, similar to the strategy for a foot race relay. The game is also a bit repetitive and suffers from a lack of diversity in the challenge.
Ways to improve the game:
One way to make Flip Cup more interesting/diverse challenge-wise would be to insert extra challenges at the start of each turn, like completing a random Dare or solving a riddle placed at the bottom of their cup ahead of time by a moderator. This would also make the skill aspect of the game less important to a team’s performance, which may make the game more inviting to beginners.
