36 horror movie drinking game rules
The best horror movie drinking game rules ever assembled.
HORROR MOVIE DRINKING GAME RULES: A PRIMER
You must drink any time any of the following horror movie cliches happen in the horror movie that you’re watching. To this end, prepare a side drink and a spirits bottle and some shot glasses. Instructions to drink herein are a prompt to sip your beverage unless otherwise specified.
Let’s begin.
1. Moving into a haunted house
Take a sip if at the beginning of the movie if the characters have just moved into an old house to escape city life (because everyone in urban settings is jaded and things will be better and infinitely more wholesome now, after we move into this big creepy house). Take two sips anytime someone unpacks a box.
2. The harbingers’ swallow
Drink a shot any time someone warns the lead characters to not visit the place they are intending to go to. Drink again if the harbinger takes a long pause or says anything folksy, e.g. ‘round these parts. Also take a shot if a warning — one that says LEAVE NOW or GET OUT or anything in that vein—is scrawled on anything.
3. Slam for the creak
Sip your drink anytime a door (including cabinets’) opens or closes on its own.
4. The breezy sheet trick
Take a sip whenever a character’s bedding moves by some phantom hand.
5. The witching hour
Take a sip whenever a character looks at the clock and sees that the time is between midnight and 4AM.
6. Dog-ear the page
Drink whenever anyone consults a really old book. Drink twice if they blow dust off of it.
7. It’s not over yet
Take a sip if, at the end of the movie, there’s a brightly lit closing sequence that hints the ghastly presence has not been defeated. Take a last sip if it ends on an ominous musical score.
8. The dreamy bait-and-switch
Seriously glug your drink whenever a scary sequence is interrupted by the character awakening from a nightmare.
9. Bugged out
Take a sip whenever there’s a close-up shot of flies or insects. Drink twice if they are feasting on a decaying animal.
10. Swing, swing
Take a sip of your drink anytime a rocking chair rocks by itself, a chandelier sways, a child’s swing swings, or a record player blasts out music.
11. Teasin’ Jesus
Take a shot any time a cross is turned upside down, thrown from a wall, or receives a lingering kiss from a priest. Drink again if the demon insults the priest or says that a religious object can’t save you.
12. Chicks are crazy, man
Take a shot anytime a female character explains to her significant other that something weird has happened and he doesn’t believe her.
13. Lights out
Drink a shot any time the lights either won’t turn on, or turn off suddenly, or flicker. (Also: take a sip anytime someone says not to go into the basement, or if a candle blows out by itself.)
14. Close contact
Drink anytime people pray or hold hands in a circle to summon something otherworldly.
15. Child’s play
Drink once when a child either draws something, talks to a new (probs invisible) friend, or hums a creepy song for no apparent reason. Drink twice if the kid draws a ghostly (monstrous, et al.) figure, or if the drawing foreshadows someone’s death. Drink thrice if anyone then says the kid is just “being creative.”
16. Toy story
Take a shot any time a toy or doll self-animates.
17. The eyes have it
Take a shot anytime the eyes of a person in a still image move, or if any eyes in photographs are crossed out.
18. The Lady in the Frame
Take a sip of your drink whenever a lady spectre (The Woman in Black, et al.) glides across the back of the frame, unbeknownst to the protagonists.
19. The racist wraith
Take two shots if the first character to die is black.
20. The clipping
Take a shot anytime the main character heads to the library to browse through dusty looking volumes or old newspaper clippings to discover handy explanations of whatever supernatural threat they’re dealing with.
21. All sluts must die
Take a sip of your drink anytime a presence interrupts a couple making the beast with two backs (having sex). Take a glug if one of them then dies.
22. Avian surprise
Take a shot anytime a bird flies into a window. Take two shots if it’s a raven or a crow. Have a sip anytime a dead bird appears, or flocks of birds behave erratically. (Note: maybe skip this one if you’re watching Hitchcock’s The Birds.)
23. Through the spooking glass
Take a shot if any spooks appear in a mirror or in a reflective surface.
24. The directory of photography is being a dick
Sip for every camera-shot induced scare, including: everything is out of focus, then suddenly it comes into focus and it’s super scary; the camera pans to reveal a presence (among mannequins, etc.) accompanied by a jolt of startling music.
16. The frustrated inquiry
Take a shot anytime someone asks the ghost WHAT DO YOU WANT? or some equivalent phrase.
26. Let’s split up!
Take a sip anytime someone suggests the group splits up and they end up getting offed one by one.
27. Car conk-out
Take a sip anytime the character can’t start their car to escape. Even if it was working perfectly ten minutes ago.
28. The shoulder grab
Take a sip anytime a character is grabbed by the shoulder… only to discover it’s just Chad checking in on things.
17. All demons are fuckin’ nerds
Drink any time a possessed character speaks Latin or some made up language. Drink twice if they use a creepy voice.
33. The duplicitous doppelgänger
Take half a shot if a character’s ‘clone’ appears and fools a character, despite whatever weird shit they’re doing.
34. Knock knock — who’s there?
Take a sip of your drink when there’s a knock at the door but no one’s there. Drink twice if the character sees someone they know through the peephole, but then there’s no one there.
18. Occupational hazards
Take a shot anytime a medium, religious figure or ‘paranormal investigator’ is called upon. Take two shots if he or she is too scared to do the work
19. Sage me!
Take a shot anytime a person burns sage or performs the sign of the cross to ‘purify’ the house and get rid of malevolent spirits.
20. “I’ve got no bars, dude.”
Take a sip of your drink whenever someone intends to use their phone only to discover they have no service. Or they’ve just dialled 911/999 and got an answer but the phone disconnects.
30. Canine instinct
Take a sip if the dog whines at something and then runs off. A dog knows.
35. Spine-bending gymnastical ghouls
Sip whenever a creature appears that looks like it doesn’t have a spine and twists its body in a bizarro way.
36. Take it with a pinch of salt
Take a shot whenever a line of salt is laid to dissuade ghosts (somehow).