Introduction
Rage Cage Drinking Game, aka Slap Cup, aka Boom Cup, is a fun, fast-paced game that will get your adrenaline pumping. You will be bouncing balls, slapping cups, and hoping the Rage Cage gods spare you from the center cup. Some may find the game chaotic and confusing, so below we walk you through how to play the Rage Cage Drinking Game along with some game variations to add to the fun!
Rage Cage Drinking Game
What You Need to Play Rage Cage Drinking Game
- 3-10 people
- At least 10 solo cups (closer to 20 is typical)
- 2 ping pong balls
- 1 table
- Beverage of choice (typically beer with this game; liquor would be dangerous)
How to Set Up Rage Cage Drinking Game
Standard Setup
- Put ~20 solo cups in the middle of the table
- Fill the cups about 1/3 of the way up
- Fill the cup closest to the center all the way up
- Give 2 players opposite each other 1 empty solo cup and 1 ping pong ball each
Variations
- Some will put fewer cups in the middle to cap the drinking or shorten the game
- Some like to fill the cups progressively higher as they get closer to the middle
- Some like to mix more than one alcohol in the middle cup to raise the stakes
How to Play Rage Cage Drinking Game
Two players opposite each other each try to bounce a ping pong ball into their own solo cup. If either one makes their first shot, they can pass the cup and ball to any player at the table. If it takes them more than one attempt, they must pass the cup and ball to their right.
Sounds easy, right? Not for long. The game starts to really heat up when the empty cups and balls end up next to each other. This is where the cup slapping begins:
We call the player to the right in this example “Right player” and the person to their left, “Left player.” Both players attempt to bounce their own ping pong ball into their own cup. If Right player makes their shot before Left player, Right player gets to pass their cup away (to any player at the table if they made their first shot, or to the right if they made their second or later shot).
If Left player makes their shot before Right player, Left player slaps Right player’s cup away. Right player then needs a new cup, so they pull one from the center, drink it, and start over trying to bounce their ball into their new cup.
In the meantime, Left player passes their cup backwards to their left. While Right player is getting their new cup, drinking it, and trying to get their ball into their new cup, the person to the Left of Left Player is trying to bounce the ball into the cup that was just passed to them.
At this point, the person to the Left of Left Player is now shooting. If they make their first shot, they can pass the ball and cup wherever they want. Common choices include:
- To their right, back to Left player, who is in position to slap Right player’s cup again
- To the Right of Right Player, positioning Right player to do some cup slapping of their own
- To the opposite side of the table to relieve some pressure
If the person to the Left of Left Player makes their second or later shot, they have to pass to the right (back to Left player). Left player is then in position to slap Right player’s cup again if Left player is able to make their shot first. This can sometimes lead to Right player getting their cup slapped repeatedly if they aren’t able to recover.
It can be easy for people to get overwhelmed if their cups keep getting slapped and they can’t recover. In those cases, be kind and pass the ball and cup to the opposite side of the table. That will get that side more involved and give the overwhelmed folks some time to breathe and recover.
Variations
To mitigate the potential of one person getting their cups slapped repeatedly in succession, consider the following two variations.
Variation 1 – Incremental Pass Backs
The first time Left player slaps Right player’s cup, Left player passes their cup to the left one spot (to the person to the Left of Left Player). If Left player gets the cup back and slaps Right player’s cup a second time in a row, Left player would then pass their cup to the left two spots (to the person two spots to the Left of Left Player).
That way, it will likely take longer for Left player to get the cup back, thus giving Right player a better chance to drink their new cup and make their shot. Some would consider this the kinder variation to deploy.
Variation 2 – Pass Forward
When Left player slaps Right player’s cup, they can pass the cup to the Right of Right Player. That way, if the person to the Right of Right Player misses their first shot, the cup and ball keep making their way to the right, taking some pressure off Right player.
Variation 3 – Stack Cup
Instead of slapping the cup, some groups stack the cups instead. So if Left player bounces their ball in before Right player, Left player stacks their cup inside Right player’s cup before passing it back. Right player then takes a new cup. With this variation, the cups pile higher as the stakes get higher throughout the game. Plus you don’t have to pick up all the cups off the floor afterwards.
How to Win Rage Cage Drinking Game
Rage Cage is less about winning and more about not losing. The game continues with ball bouncing, cup passing, cup slapping, cup retrievals, and drinking until you get down to the last cup in the middle of the table. The person whose cup gets slapped with the one cup remaining must drink whatever is in that cup. Technically, they lose. However, if half the cups slapped throughout the game were yours, you are probably pretty full, and you may warrant consideration for co-loser (in a friendly, lighthearted way of course).
Conclusion
Rage Cage Drinking Game is a fun way to get the competitive juices flowing and slap some cups around the room. It’s very interactive so if you’re hanging out with new people, it will break the ice quickly and intensely. As always, please drink responsibly, know your limits, and have fun!
If you want to get off your feet while still keeping the drinks and laughs flowing, try playing Cheers to the Governor!