Chandelier Drinking Game – Throw Ball into Cups
Aim at the opponents' cups — or hit the death cup and take everyone!
Setup
- Give each player a plastic cup and a ping pong ball. In a large group you can share balls.
- Place a "death cup" (a plastic cup filled to the brim with beer) in the middle of the table, on top of an upside-down plastic cup so it stands higher than the other cups.
- Fill each player's cup halfway with beer and place them around the death cup. Label the cups with the players' names.
How to play
- Shoot the ping pong ball: Try to bounce the ball off the table, past the death cup, and into an opponent's cup.
- Hit a cup: The owner of the cup must drink its contents and remove the cup from the table. They then have three attempts to flip the cup upside down on the table. If they fail, they must drink the death cup.
- Miss: If you don't hit a cup, it's the next player's turn.
- Hit the death cup: If the ball lands in the death cup, everyone except you must drink their cups and flip them. The last person to flip their cup is eliminated.
- Game over: When only one player is left with a cup, that person is the winner.
How to play Chandelier
Chandelier is a popular party game where all players have their own cup placed around a large "death cup" in the middle of the table. The goal is to bounce the ball off the table and into an opponent's cup – or ideally straight into the death cup to send everyone scrambling. Speed, precision and a bit of luck decide who survives the longest.
Rules
- Place a full "death cup" on an upside-down cup in the middle of the table, higher than the rest.
- All players place their half-filled cup around the death cup and label it with their name.
- Bounce the ball off the table and into an opponent's cup → the owner drinks and has three attempts to flip the cup.
- If the owner fails to flip within three attempts → they drink the death cup and are eliminated.
- If the ball hits the death cup → everyone except the thrower drinks their cups. The last to flip their cup is eliminated.
Frequently asked questions
What is the "death cup" in Chandelier?
The death cup is a large plastic cup filled to the brim with beer, placed higher than the other cups in the middle of the table. If the ball lands in it, everyone except the thrower drinks.
What happens when someone hits my cup?
You drink the contents of your cup and then have three attempts to flip the cup upside down on the table. If you fail, you must drink the death cup and are out of the game.
Can you play Chandelier without alcohol?
Yes, you can use soda, juice or water. The rules work exactly the same – just without alcohol.
What is the "flip cup" element in Chandelier?
After drinking their cup, the player must flip the cup upside down on the table within three attempts. If they fail within the limit, they must drink the death cup.
Who wins Chandelier?
The last player who still has their cup on the table is the winner.