Waterfall Drinking Game: How It Works (In Kings Cup and On Its Own)
Waterfall is the rule where everyone drinks at once and nobody can stop until the person before them stops. One player starts, the next joins in, and the drinking “falls” around the circle. It’s most famous as the Ace in Circle of Death (Kings Cup), but it works as a quick game on its own too.
How a waterfall works
- The starter drinks first. In Kings Cup, that’s whoever drew the Ace.
- Everyone joins in order. Going around the circle, each player starts drinking right after the player before them.
- You can’t stop until they stop. You can only stop once the person who started before you (the player to your right) has stopped.
- The starter controls it. The starter can stop whenever they want, and the stopping ripples around the circle.
- Last in line has it worst. The final player can’t stop until everyone ahead of them has.
Waterfall in Kings Cup
In Circle of Death / Kings Cup, drawing an Ace starts a waterfall with the drawer going first. The rest of the card rules (2 is you, 3 is me, 8 is mate, and so on) are on our Circle of Death rules page.
Waterfall as a standalone game
No deck? Deal a waterfall the quick way: go around the circle, and each player takes a turn as the starter. Or use it as a penalty in other games. Lose a round of Thumper? You start the next waterfall.
Keep it a game, not a chugging contest
A waterfall is only as long as the starter decides. Don’t be the guy who goes for 30 seconds to prove a point; that’s how the party ends at 10 PM.
- Sips, not chugs. Small sips count. Nobody has to tip a full cup.
- House cap: lots of tables limit a waterfall to five seconds per starter.
- Water counts. Anyone can waterfall with water, seltzer or soda.
House rules and variations
- Reverse waterfall: the starter picks a direction, and the order runs the other way.
- Mate rule: if you’re someone’s mate (the 8 in Kings Cup), you stop when they stop.
FAQ
What does Ace mean in Kings Cup?
Waterfall. The player who drew it starts drinking, everyone joins in order, and nobody can stop until the person before them does.
Who starts a waterfall?
The player who drew the Ace (or whoever the house picks in a standalone game). They’re also the first one allowed to stop.
When can you stop drinking in a waterfall?
Only after the person who started before you (on your right) has stopped.
Is a waterfall the same as a social?
No. In a social, everyone takes one drink at the same time. In a waterfall, you keep drinking until the player before you stops.
More card games: Circle of Death, Ride the Bus, Pyramid and all our card drinking games.
More party games: Circle of Death (Kings Cup), Rage Cage, flip cup, Ride the Bus, Three Man, Pyramid, Never Have I Ever, Most Likely To, Thumper, Beer Olympics, Quarters, Power Hour. Find a game by crowd: games for 2, big groups, card games and dice games, or see them all on our party games page.