Updated September 2026
A pregame has a clock on it. You've got 45 minutes before the taxi, the group is half-arrived, and the goal is simple: get everyone talking and laughing before you walk out the door. That rules out anything with a rulebook, a setup, or a turn order that takes twenty minutes to reach the last person. These eight pregame games are fast, loud and need nothing you don't already have.
The 45-minute pregame plan
- 0–10 min, people still arriving: Trivia or Never Have I Ever. Anyone can join mid-game, no catching up needed.
- 10–30 min, full room: Paranoia or Party Mode. This is the peak; this is where the night's stories get made.
- 30–45 min, winding down: spin the wheel to decide who books the taxi, who controls the music and who's on aux. Water round. Coats.
1. Never Have I Ever
The perfect first game because it works with three people and keeps working as more arrive. Read a statement, drink if you've done it. Classic mode keeps it friendly for the friend-of-a-friend who just walked in. Real statement from the app: "Never have I ever lied to a law enforcement officer." Rules and more statements.
2. Trivia
Sneakily the best pregame game: it doesn't need the whole group, it rewards the early arrivals, and a wrong answer costs a sip, so nobody gets carried away. 750 questions, 10 categories, free to play. Trivia guide.
3. Paranoia
Once everyone's there: sit in a circle, whisper a "who is most likely to…" question to your neighbour, they answer with a name, the named person pays a sip to hear the question. Twenty minutes of this and the group is a group. Real question: "Who is most likely to pay for your dinner?" Paranoia rules.
4. Party Mode
No turns, no waiting: the phone throws a prompt at the whole room – "everybody with black hair loses", quick votes, mini challenges. Built for the moment the pregame gets loud. Free in Classic mode. Party Mode.
5. Impostor
Ten-minute rounds, three to ten players: everyone sees the same secret word except the impostor, who bluffs through a round of one-word clues. Great for groups that don't all know each other yet, because you're judging words, not people. Free to play. Impostor.
6. Spin the wheel
The pregame's decision engine. Load it with names to pick who takes the first dare, or with jobs: "books the taxi", "carries the speaker", "texts the group we're leaving". Free, no setup. Roulette.
7. Truth or Dare, pregame rules
Keep it to Classic mode and cap dares at things you can do in a living room in under a minute. Real one from the app: "Until the next round, talk super loud, like nobody can hear you." Pass, and you sip. Truth or Dare.
8. Most Likely To (no phone)
If the phone is busy being the speaker: say "most likely to…" out loud, everyone points at someone on three, the most-pointed-at person drinks. Ninety seconds a round. The app version is Paranoia; this is its shouty cousin.
Pregame rules that keep the night alive
- Sips, never shots, at the pregame. The point is to arrive, not to peak on the sofa.
- Water on the table and a water round at the halfway mark.
- Eat before. Seriously.
- Whoever's driving or not drinking plays with points – every game here works alcohol-free.
Seven of these eight are in Cold Ones, free on iPhone and Android: no ads, no login, works offline, 3,000+ prompts. Open it while the first people arrive and you're playing before the second knock.
Cold Ones now includes eight games. For another quick round, try They're a 10, But…: read the catch, give a new rating and defend your answer. Its 400 prompts are included in the optional subscription.
Frequently asked questions
What games are good for a pregame?
Fast ones with no setup, because you have about 45 minutes and people are still arriving. Never Have I Ever and Trivia work while the room fills up, since anyone can join mid-game. Once everyone is there, Paranoia and Party Mode are the peak. Finish with a wheel to decide who books the taxi.
How long should a pregame last?
About 45 minutes to an hour is the sweet spot: long enough for the group to become a group, short enough that nobody peaks on the sofa. Sips rather than shots, and eat something first.
What is a good drinking game to start the night?
Never Have I Ever in its milder mode. It needs three people, it keeps working as more arrive, and it gets strangers talking without putting anyone on the spot the way a dare does.
What can you play at a pregame without alcohol?
Every game here, with the penalty swapped for points or a forfeit. That also covers whoever is driving, which is worth sorting out before the games start rather than after.
