Chandeliers Drinking Game Rules: How to Play

Chandeliers is the bounce game for a round table. Everyone’s cup sits in a ring around one full cup in the middle, the chandelier. Bounce the ball into someone’s cup and they drink. Bounce it into the chandelier and everybody chugs and flips, and the last one to land their flip drinks the chandelier. It’s Rage Cage chaos without the stacking.

What you need

  • A round or square table everyone can reach
  • One cup per player, plus one for the middle (and an empty cup to stand it on, optional)
  • 1 or 2 ping pong balls
  • 4 to 10 players

How to set up

  1. Put the chandelier cup in the middle of the table, filled all the way. Many groups stand it on an upside-down empty cup so it sits higher.
  2. Each player fills their own cup about a third full and sets it in a ring around the middle cup.
  3. Give one player a ball.

How to play Chandeliers

  1. Bounce. The player with the ball bounces it off the table, aiming at the cups in the middle. It has to bounce at least once.
  2. Someone’s cup: if it lands in another player’s cup, that player drinks it and refills it. Land it in your own cup and you drink it.
  3. The chandelier: if it lands in the middle cup, everyone finishes their own drink and flips their cup. The last player to land their flip drinks the chandelier, then it’s refilled.
  4. Pass. The ball goes to the player on the left, made shot or miss, and play continues as long as you like.

Chandeliers house rules

  • Two balls: for a faster game, start two balls on opposite sides of the table.
  • No grabbing: nobody can catch or block the ball until it has bounced twice.
  • Double cup: a ball that hits one cup and drops into another means both players drink.

FAQ

Why is it called Chandeliers?

The full cup in the middle, often raised on an upside-down cup, is the chandelier everyone is aiming at.

How many people do you need?

At least 4; it’s best with 6 to 10 around a round table.

Can you play without alcohol?

Yes. Use water or soda; the flip-cup race still works.

More beer pong variations: Civil War, Baseball Pong, Giant Beer Pong, Shot Pong, Strip Pong, Oche Pong, Rope Swing Pong. See them all on our beer pong variations page. Playing the classic game? See the full rules of beer pong and our rack formations.

More party games: Circle of Death (Kings Cup), Power Hour, Rage Cage, Slap Cup, Quarters, flip cup, Boat Race, Beer Die, Beer Ball, Dizzy Bat. See them all on our party games page.