The ever popular show has just ended, until next year’s season at least, and we all kind of feel like “Wait, what? But it just started after such a long wait!”. In the crusade of finding the best way to cure the post-season 4 blues while still keeping the flame alive, we found just the thing to do, and hope you will agree with us. Play the Game of Thrones drinking game! We previously talked to you about drinking games in general and it’s true that they have been a fun way to pass the time with friends since the very discovery of alcohol, probably, but for all us Game of Thrones fans out there, it’s time to take the fun to the next level.

Besides, it’s the perfect summer fun – most of us are on vacation, we can gather our friends for an all-season marathon and serve some drinks while we’re at it, of course, right? You can take the initiative to call everyone from the gang over and even assign a drink or cocktail ingredient for each of them to bring. You just take care of organizing things and of planning a fun evening, to make everyone’s stories about the wild college days pale in comparison. And since drinks and the episode marathon go together like the horse and carriage, a thematic Game of Thrones drinking will make both activities even more fun.

General rules for the Game of Thrones drinking game

As you can see, the whole point of the Game of Thrones drinking game is to write down a list of recurring lines or images or acts that usually fill the screen within a typical episode of the show. You know, the regulars like Jon being called a bastard, Tyrion being called an imp, Hodor saying “Hodor” and so on. Or gratuitous sex, nudity, a murder; and all the other casual acts which fill a typical day in Westeros. Next, to further define the rules of the Game of Thrones drinking game before you begin actually playing it, you should decide which of these call for a sip and which call for a whole shot, or even something more creative than plain drinking, like a little dance or whatever you deem to be a fun idea. You can see an example of general rules for the Game of Thrones drinking game in the image above, but as we’ll discuss next, the beauty of the game is the fact that the rules are adaptable, depending on the season you’re watching.

Adaptable triggers

Since the show’s typical lines and stuff tend to change somewhat as the seasons progress – at least for the fact that characters tend to die like flies and thus a rule like “Drink a gulp each time Catelyn argues against a plan” is obviously not going to get anyone to drink – you should adapt the rules as well. This is why versions of the Game of Thrones drinking game are usually issued by the players for each season. There’s an example designed for season two of the show in the image right above, but you’re the lord or lady of your own castle. You should adapt the rules to suit your friends’ humor and preferences best. If you guys tend to laugh a lot on the expense of the Hound, add a drinking trigger to the list targeted specifically on something funny about him that tends to come on screen a lot.

As we hope you’re already convinced of, there’s lots of fun to be had with the Game of Thrones drinking game, provided you’re in a group of people you feel comfortable drinking with and you all enjoy watching the show. Have fun and make sure you don’t watch too many episodes while playing the game or you might get sick. Kids, don’t overdo this at home, ya’ know?