Thumper
Thumper is one of the most classic drinking games, one you’ll often see played out in movies. With other drinking games, you sometimes have to memorize a hefty set of rules. But with Thumper, the rules are so easy and simple that anyone and everyone can have a good time. So, give your friends and family a call, drop your 30 packs of beer in the cooler, because this is how you play Thumper:
- First, grab as many people as you can. It is possible to play with just 3 or 4 people, but like any drinking game, it is best with a large group.
- To start the game, you want to choose a “leader.” This person will be in charge of the game (more details on what being a leader entails later). Sit everyone in a circle – on the floor or around a table. Now, everyone start pounding the table (not too hard) like as if everyone were playing a drum roll. The game starts when the leader yells out “What are we playing!?” Then, the crowd answers, “Thumper!” The leader yells out “Why!?” And everyone yells out “To get fucked up!” (Drinking games are nothing without belligerent hooting and hollering – don’t you think?)
- Immediately after the chant, the leader performs a gesture. For example, the leader can stick their tongue out, scratch their underarms like a monkey, pat their head and rub their belly, do a quick dance move or whatever. After the leader performs the gesture, the person directly to the leader’s left (or right, depending on whether you’re playing clockwise or counter clockwise) will do their own made up gesture. This continues until everyone has performed a gesture.
- Now, the leader picks a random person (let’s call him Bob) and performs Bob’s gesture. In turn, that person (Bob) has to perform the leader’s gesture. Next, Bob picks another person (Sam) and performs Sam’s gesture. Then, Sam picks another random person and so on and so forth.
- When a person is unable to perform a gesture, that person drinks.
- At any time, the leader can call out a “Change,” meaning everyone has to perform a different gesture and so, the game restarts. Everyone comes up with a new gesture and the players can start picking random people again.
- The game continues for as long as everyone wants to drink. You might be asking, how do you determine who wins and who loses? Well, there are no winners and losers. It’s simply one of the many drinking games meant to entertain!
