Korean drinking games are the secret ingredient that makes Korean nightlife unlike anywhere else in the world.
Koreans don’t just drink — they play. Korean drinking games are embedded in every social gathering, every company dinner, and every night out with friends. Knowing Korean drinking games transforms you from a passive observer to an active participant in one of Korea’s most beloved social traditions.
This complete guide to Korean drinking games covers 10 essential games — rules, how to play, cultural context, and exactly what happens when you lose.
Before diving into Korean drinking games, read our Korean Soju Guide — soju is the fuel that powers virtually every Korean drinking game on this list.
Why Korean Drinking Games Are So Popular
Korean drinking games exist because of a specific cultural dynamic: Korean social culture values group harmony, shared experience, and breaking down hierarchical barriers in relaxed settings.
Korean drinking games serve a social function beyond entertainment. In a culture where age hierarchy and formal social roles can create distance between people, Korean drinking games create a structured space for genuine connection — where a junior employee can make a senior colleague drink, where strangers become friends, where hierarchical barriers temporarily dissolve.
Korean drinking games are also central to hweshik (회식) — company dining culture. Read our Korean Work Culture Guide for the full context of how Korean drinking games function in professional settings.
Korean Drinking Games #1 — Titanic (타이타닉)
Titanic is the most universally played of all Korean drinking games — simple, tense, and perfectly designed to create shared drama.
How to play Korean drinking game Titanic:
Fill a large glass halfway with beer. Float a small shot glass of soju on the surface. Players take turns carefully pouring small amounts of soju into the floating shot glass. The player whose pour causes the shot glass to sink — making the Titanic “sink” — must drink the entire mixture of beer and soju in one go.
Korean drinking game Titanic strategy: Pour as little soju as possible. Watch other players’ amounts and calculate when the glass is about to tip. The tension as the shot glass slowly sinks is what makes this Korean drinking game so universally beloved.
Korean drinking game Titanic drink: Beer + soju (somaek)
Korean Drinking Games #2 — Baskin Robbins 31 (배스킨라빈스 31)
Baskin Robbins 31 is one of the most cleverly named Korean drinking games — referencing the ice cream chain’s 31 flavors while creating a tense counting game.
How to play Korean drinking game Baskin Robbins 31:
Players take turns counting numbers from 1 upward. Each player can say 1, 2, or 3 consecutive numbers per turn. The player who says the number 31 must drink.
Example of Korean drinking game Baskin Robbins 31:
- Player 1: “1, 2, 3”
- Player 2: “4”
- Player 3: “5, 6”
- Player 4: “7, 8, 9”
- Continue until someone reaches 31
Korean drinking game Baskin Robbins 31 strategy: Count backward from 31 to identify “safe” numbers. The player who says 28 forces the next player into a losing position regardless of how many numbers they say.
Korean Drinking Games #3 — Noonchi Game (눈치게임)
Noonchi — meaning “social awareness” or “reading the room” — is one of the most psychologically interesting Korean drinking games, perfectly named for the Korean cultural concept it tests.
How to play Korean drinking game Noonchi:
All players must collectively count from 1 to the total number of players — but no one coordinates who speaks when. Any player can say any number at any time. If two players say a number simultaneously, both drink. If the same player says two consecutive numbers, they drink. The game ends successfully when all numbers are counted without conflict.
Korean drinking game Noonchi cultural context: Noonchi is the Korean concept of social awareness — reading situations and acting appropriately without explicit instruction. This Korean drinking game literally tests participants’ ability to read a room — making it one of the most distinctly Korean drinking games on this list.
Korean Drinking Games #4 — Image Game (이미지 게임)
The Image Game is the Korean drinking game that reveals the most about group dynamics — and occasionally creates the most awkward moments.
How to play Korean drinking game Image Game:
One player asks a question beginning with “Who in this group is most likely to…” — for example “most likely to become famous” or “most likely to fall asleep first.” All players simultaneously point at whoever they think fits the description. The person receiving the most points must drink.
Korean drinking game Image Game question examples:
- “Who is most likely to cry at a movie?”
- “Who is the best cook?”
- “Who would survive the longest on a desert island?”
- “Who is secretly the wildest?”
Korean drinking game Image Game tip: Questions that reveal hidden opinions about group members make this Korean drinking game most entertaining. The results often surprise everyone — including the person being pointed at.
Korean Drinking Games #5 — Soju Cap Game (병뚜껑 게임)
The Soju Cap Game is the Korean drinking game that uses the soju bottle itself as the game piece — making it uniquely tied to Korean drinking culture.
How to play Korean drinking game Soju Cap:
After opening a soju bottle, the metal cap has a small tab underneath. Players take turns flicking the tab. When the tab finally breaks off, that player must drink. Some variations require the player who breaks the tab to write a number on the inside of the cap — other players guess the number, and whoever guesses correctly can assign a drink to anyone.
Korean drinking game Soju Cap cultural note: This Korean drinking game can only be played with traditional Korean soju bottles — making it one of the most authentically Korean drinking games on this list.
Korean Drinking Games #6 — 007 Bang (007 빵)
007 Bang is one of the most physically animated Korean drinking games — involving pointing, sound effects, and fast reactions.
How to play Korean drinking game 007 Bang:
Players sit in a circle. One player starts by pointing at another player and saying “0.” That player points at someone and says “0.” That player points at someone and says “7.” That player points at anyone and says “Bang!” The two players sitting immediately beside the “Bang” recipient must raise their hands and say “Aaah!” — while the Bang recipient must duck. Whoever reacts incorrectly drinks.
Korean drinking game 007 Bang tip: The speed of the game accelerates as drinks are consumed — making reaction errors increasingly common and the Korean drinking game progressively more chaotic.
Korean Drinking Games #7 — Train Game (기차놀이)
The Train Game is one of the fastest Korean drinking games — a rapid-fire rhythm game that catches players off guard.
How to play Korean drinking game Train:
Players establish a rhythm by hitting the table twice and clapping twice, repeating continuously. Within this rhythm, players take turns saying their own name followed by another player’s name — passing the “turn” to that person. Any player who breaks rhythm, hesitates, or says a wrong name drinks.
Korean drinking game Train tip: The Korean drinking game becomes significantly harder as the rhythm speeds up — deliberately increasing speed is a common strategy to catch slower players.
Korean Drinking Games #8 — King Game (왕게임)
The King Game is the Korean drinking game with the most power dynamics — one player becomes “king” and can command anyone to do anything (within reason).
How to play Korean drinking game King:
Number chopsticks or sticks — one marked “King,” others numbered. Players draw randomly. The King is revealed and can issue any command: “Number 3 must drink,” “Numbers 1 and 4 must arm wrestle — loser drinks,” “Number 2 must say something embarrassing.” A new king is drawn each round.
Korean drinking game King cultural note: The King Game temporarily inverts social hierarchy — a junior employee can become King and command a senior colleague to drink. This temporary hierarchy inversion is one of the most socially significant aspects of Korean drinking games.
Korean Drinking Games #9 — Fingers (손가락 게임)
Fingers is one of the simplest Korean drinking games — requiring no equipment, no language skills, and working in any size group.
How to play Korean drinking game Fingers:
All players hold up one finger. One player calls a number. All players simultaneously choose to either keep their finger up or put it down. Count how many fingers are still up — if the number matches what was called, the caller drinks. If not, the caller tries again until they match the number.
Korean drinking game Fingers tip: This Korean drinking game is ideal for mixed-nationality groups because it requires no Korean language ability — making it one of the most foreigner-friendly Korean drinking games.
Korean Drinking Games #10 — Never Have I Ever (나는 절대 안 해)
Never Have I Ever is not originally a Korean drinking game — but it has been fully adopted into Korean drinking games culture and is now ubiquitous at Korean social gatherings.
How to play Korean drinking game Never Have I Ever:
All players hold up five fingers. Players take turns saying “Never have I ever…” followed by something they’ve never done. Any player who HAS done that thing puts down a finger. The first player to put down all five fingers drinks — and usually must answer questions about the experience that cost them their last finger.
Korean drinking game Never Have I Ever cultural note: This Korean drinking game is particularly interesting in Korean social context because Koreans typically maintain more privacy about personal life than Western counterparts. Never Have I Ever as a Korean drinking game creates a socially sanctioned space for personal revelations that Korean culture doesn’t usually provide.
Korean Drinking Games: Essential Rules and Etiquette
Beyond specific Korean drinking games, several universal rules govern all Korean drinking game sessions.
Pour for others first. Before any Korean drinking game begins, pour soju for those around you — never pour your own first. This Korean drinking game etiquette applies throughout the evening.
Drink with both hands or supported arm. When receiving a drink after losing a Korean drinking game, hold your glass with both hands or support your right arm with your left — especially when receiving from someone older.
No Korean drinking game pressure. Modern Korean drinking game culture is increasingly aware that excessive pressure to drink is socially problematic. It’s acceptable to substitute water or juice in any Korean drinking game.
The loser is celebrated, not shamed. Korean drinking game culture treats losing as part of the fun — not as humiliation. Good Korean drinking game losers drink enthusiastically and immediately call for the next round.
Korean Drinking Games: What to Drink
Korean drinking games are traditionally played with:
Soju — Korea’s national spirit, the primary fuel for Korean drinking games. Pure soju shots or somaek (soju + beer mixture) are the standard Korean drinking game drinks.
Maekju (beer) — Korean beer is light and drinkable — ideal for Korean drinking games that involve frequent drinking.
Somaek — The soju-beer mixture that is Korea’s most popular drinking game drink. Typically 3 parts soju to 7 parts beer.
Non-alcoholic alternatives — Sparkling water, juice, or non-alcoholic beer work in any Korean drinking game — modern Korean social culture increasingly accommodates non-drinkers.
Read our Korean Soju Guide for complete guidance on the drinks that power Korean drinking games.
Where to Play Korean Drinking Games in Seoul
Hof bars (호프집) — The classic Korean drinking game venue. Beer, fried chicken, and Korean drinking games until late.
Pojangmacha (포장마cha) — Street tent bars where Korean drinking games happen spontaneously among strangers.
Norebang (노래방) — Private karaoke rooms where Korean drinking games frequently precede or follow singing sessions.
Korean BBQ restaurants — Korean drinking games naturally emerge during long Korean BBQ dinners with soju flowing freely.
Read our Things to Do in Seoul Guide for the best Korean drinking game venues in Seoul.
Ready to experience Korean nightlife? Read our Korean Soju Guide and Korean Work Culture Guide for the complete Korean drinking culture picture.