Screw Your Neighbor is a classic drinking game for 3 or more players. The game requires a standard 52 playing card deck and is suitable for ages 21 and up.
In Screw Your Neighbor, Aces are low and Kings are high. The objective of Screw Your Neighbor is not to be the one left holding the lowest card in the group. Because if that’s you, you drink.
Set Up
This game is very simple to set-up and play, making it perfect for some quick rounds to get the night started.
To set up a game of Screw Your Neighbor, form a circle around a stable playing area. Now every player draws a card from a shuffled deck to decide who become dealer.
The player with the highest card becomes the first dealer. Ties are broken by a redraw.
The dealer then reshuffles the deck and passes out one card, faced down, to each player in the group.
>> Another game you might like: Ride the Bus
How to Play Screw Your Neighbor
Gameplay begins with the player left of the dealer. The first person looks at their card and can either keep it or switch cards with the player to their left. Here’s where you decide if it’s worth switching in the hopes of getting a higher card and sticking your neighbor with a lower one. Once you switch, you can’t change your mind.
The player to your left cannot reject a switch. They get to then decide to keep their card or switch with the neighbor to their left. Play continues in this manner clockwise around the table until it reaches the dealer.
The dealer can choose to either keep his/her card or switch with the top card on the remaining deck.
Note: If a player has a king on the deal, they must immediately flip it over. A player cannot swap with a King, as it is the highest card. A player who is to the right of a King must keep their card.
After the dealer goes, all players turn over their cards. The player with the lowest card takes a drink. Cards are then reshuffled and the dealer position rotates clockwise, and the rounds continue.
You can make this game more interesting and suspenseful by making the loser drink something a little harder. Or just take a shot. But of course, while this game can create a fun night with friends, it should be played responsibly.
Fun Variations
Here are some different rules you can try out to make Screw Your Neighbor even more fun:
- Players who make a pair with their cards can combine them to outrank other cards. For instance, if two players have 6s, their 12 would outrank a 10. In this version Jacks are 11, Queens are 12, and Kings are 13. The same rule would apply to three of a kind and four of a kind.
- Players with Aces have to take two drinks.
- If a player gets a King, all other players have to drink.
- The dealer cannot switch with the top card of the deck.
