Cheers to the Governor
Drinking Game

Q: What do you say at 21?

You do not say 21. The player who would have counted 21 leads the circle in shouting 'Cheers to the Governor!' and everyone takes a sip. That player then gets to create the next rule.

No cards, no dice, no app - just a circle of friends, a count that climbs to 21, and a growing stack of ridiculous rules that get harder to follow with every sip. Cheers to the Governor is the counting drinking game where the rules are the game: every time the group hits 21, one player invents a brand-new rule, and by round five you will be tongue-tied, rule-breaking, and laughing too hard to count.

Built for 2 to 14 players around one voice, it needs nothing but your drinks and a willingness to make things up as you go. The deeper you get, the wilder it gets - which is exactly why it was named r/DrinkingGames' Game of the Month.

No Setup

What You Need

Players: 2 to 14 (5 to 8 is the sweet spot). Too few and the rules pile up too slowly; too many and the wait between turns kills the rhythm.

Equipment: None. No cards, no dice, no phone, no board. Just drinks and people willing to talk.

The goal: There is no winner. You count to 21, survive the rules, drink when you slip up, and start again. The game ends when the group gives up or runs dry.

How to Play Cheers to the Governor

The core loop is dead simple - count to 21 out loud, one number per player, clockwise. The chaos comes from the rules that stack up after every successful run to 21.

Step 1 - Start the Count

Pick someone to go first. They say "1," the person to their left says "2," then "3," and so on around the circle. No skipping, no doubling up - one number, one person, moving clockwise.

Step 2 - Hit 21 and Drink

When the count reaches 21, the whole circle raises a glass and shouts "Cheers to the Governor!" together - then everyone takes a sip. That sip is the reward for making it through the gauntlet of rules.

Step 3 - Make a New Rule

The player who landed on 21 now invents a brand-new rule and adds it to the pile. A rule can swap a number for a word ("instead of saying 7, say 'pineapple'"), force an action ("on 11, point at the funniest person here"), or change how the game is played ("count backwards from now on"). There is no limit - the more creative, the better.

Step 4 - Slip Up and Sip

The count restarts at 1, but every rule you have made so far stays in play. Say the wrong number, break a rule, hesitate too long, or talk out of turn - you drink, the count resets, and you start the next round. The rules stack until someone slips, then they keep stacking. Welcome to the spiral.

Pro tip: The trick is not the counting - it is remembering seven layers of rules after three sips. Write nothing down. The whole game is held in the group's fading memory, and that is where the chaos lives. Start with one gentle rule, then let each new 21 escalate it.

The Numbers That Matter

Most groups start the first round with a few classic rule numbers already baked in. These are the ones that trip people up first - feel free to use them, change them, or ignore them entirely.

7 - The First Wall

The classic opener. Instead of saying "7," the player swaps it for a word - "cheers," "swig," a nickname, anything. Hitting 7 and blurting out the actual number is the most common way to lose in round one.

11 - Double Digits

The second staple. 11 usually gets its own swap word or an action - clap, snap, stand up. It breaks the rhythm right when players think they are cruising.

14 - Double 7

Some groups give 14 (twice 7) a rule too, often doubling whatever the 7 rule is. It rewards the players who can do drunk math and punishes the ones who cannot.

21 - The Governor

The finish line. Land on 21 and you do not say the number at all - you lead the circle in shouting "Cheers to the Governor!", everyone drinks, and you get to invent the next rule.

Any Pair - Doubles

11, 22 (if you play past 21), or any matching digits often get a special treatment - reverse direction, skip the next player, or swap seats. Pick one and stick with it.

The Wildcards

Beyond the staples, any number can become a rule. A common early choice is giving 3 or 5 a gesture - the moment a rule is simple, players forget it faster.

Cheers to the Governor Rule Ideas

The whole point of the game. Every time someone hits 21, they add one of these - or invent their own. Here is a starter library of rule ideas, sorted by how badly they will break your brain after a few sips.

Word Swap Rules

Replace a number with a word. The simplest rules, and the ones that catch people out first.

Instead of 7, say "cheers"
Instead of 11, say "bottoms up"
Swap 5 for your own name
Say 13 in a whisper
Say every multiple of 3 in a foreign language
Replace 9 with an animal noise
Instead of 15, name a cocktail
Say 20 as "twenty-tee-hee"

Action Rules

Pair a number with a physical move. If you forget the move, you drink - even if the number was right.

On 7, clap before you speak
On 11, point at someone before counting
On 4, touch your nose
On 16, stand up then sit back down
On 8, snap your fingers
On 12, raise your glass
On 18, switch seats with your neighbor
On 6, do a little spin

Direction Rules

Change who counts next. These wreck the rhythm and force everyone to actually pay attention.

On 10, reverse the direction of play
On 14, skip the next player
On 17, the next player goes twice
On any double, swap who starts next round
On 9, point at who goes next
On 13, the order reverses permanently
On 3, jump two players ahead
On 19, the last person to count starts over

Speech Rules

Restrict how players can talk. These stack brutally with word swaps and actions.

No pointing allowed - use your elbow
Say "sir" or "ma'am" after your number
No first names until the round ends
Numbers must be said in a sing-song voice
Hold your drink the whole round
Speak in a whisper after 10
Say "and that's a fact" after your count
Close one eye before speaking

Funny Rules

The crowd-pleasers. Made to make people laugh mid-count, which is the fastest way to make someone slip.

On 7, compliment the person on your left
On 11, roast the person on your right
On 15, confess something tiny
On 8, do your best impression of someone in the circle
On 12, propose a toast
On 18, narrate your next number like a sports commentator
On 4, say your number in a fake accent
On 20, howl like a wolf

Chaotic Rules

For groups that have played before. These bend the whole game - use sparingly or watch it collapse beautifully.

Count backwards from 21 down to 1
Every even number is silent - mime it
Swap seats with someone on 13
Whoever breaks a rule makes the next rule too
On 21, the last person to raise their glass drinks twice
Use Roman numerals for 10 and above
Pass an object - whoever holds it on 21 drinks
Two numbers must be said in unison by neighbors

How to layer them: Start with one Word Swap rule on the first 21. Add an Action rule on the second. By the fourth or fifth round you will have word swaps, gestures, and a direction reversal all firing at once - and that is when the real drinking starts. Cap it at six or seven rules total, or the game stops being fun and starts being homework.

Variations to Try

Once the base game clicks, these twists keep it fresh for a group that has played a few rounds.

Team Cheers

Split the circle into two teams. Each team counts together on their turn - both members must say the number in unison. If one slips, the whole team drinks. Great for bigger groups where individual turns drag.

Speed Governor

Add a 3-second timer per number. Hesitate past three seconds and you drink, count resets. A phone timer with a tick sound cranks the pressure - and the laughter.

Survival Mode

Three strikes and you are out - the last player standing wins (and watches the rest of the circle suffer). Good for late in the night when the group is shrinking anyway.

Governor's Veto

The player who hits 21 makes a rule - but the circle can veto it with a majority vote. Stops one person from stacking unplayable rules and ruining the night.

Pro Tips

Tips for a Great Game

Start gentle: the first rule should be a simple word swap, not a standing-backwards-accent combo. The game escalates on its own - let it.

Keep sips small: rules stack, resets stack, and the drinking compounds fast. Small sips keep the game going for an hour instead of ten minutes.

No phones: nobody is allowed to write the rules down. The whole point is holding them in your head while the drinks flow. A rules list kills the chaos.

Reset generously: if three people slip in a row and nobody can remember what round you are even on, scrap the rules and start fresh. A clean restart beats a stuck game.

Pick a fair starting point: rotate who starts each round (the last 21, the last to slip, or just clockwise) so one person is not always saddled with the easy early numbers.

Cheers to the Governor FAQ

How do you play Cheers to the Governor?

Players sit in a circle and count out loud from 1 to 21, one number per person, clockwise. When someone lands on 21, the whole group shouts "Cheers to the Governor!" and drinks. That player then invents a new rule - a word swap, an action, a direction change - and the count restarts at 1 with that rule in play. Anyone who breaks a rule, says the wrong number, or hesitates too long drinks and the count resets. Rules stack every round until the game ends.

What do you say at 21?

You do not say "21." Instead, the player who would have counted 21 leads the circle in shouting "Cheers to the Governor!" and everyone takes a sip. That player then gets to create the next rule. It is the one fixed moment in an otherwise freeform game.

How many players do you need?

The game works from 2 to 14 players. With fewer than 4 the rules stack too slowly to get fun, and with more than 10 the wait between turns drags. 5 to 8 is the sweet spot - enough people for chaos, few enough that everyone stays engaged.

Do you need cards or any equipment?

No. Cheers to the Governor is a completely equipment-free drinking game. No cards, no dice, no app, no phone. All you need is a circle of people, drinks, and the rules you invent as you play. That simplicity is why it travels well - it works at a kitchen table, on a porch, or around a campfire.

What are the best rule ideas?

The best starter rules are word swaps - replace 7 or 11 with a random word, which trips people up immediately. From there, layer in action rules (clap on a number, point on another) and one direction rule (reverse on a double) to break the rhythm. Avoid piling on more than six or seven rules total, or the game stops being fun. See the rule ideas library above for a full sorted list.

What happens when someone messes up?

They drink, and the count resets back to 1 - but every rule made so far stays in play. There is no penalty beyond the sip and the reset, which is why the rules compound over a night: the group keeps everything it has built and just starts the count over.

Keep the Party Going

Want More Zero-Setup Games?

Cheers to the Governor is just one of the no-equipment classics. If your group likes games that run on words and memory, try Never Have I Ever for confessions or Paranoia for the whisper game that turns every circle into a room of side-eyes.

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