Memorial Day Party Games Adults

Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial start of summer — and the official start of day drinking in someone’s backyard. If you’re hosting a cookout, pool party, or all-day hangout, you need games that match the energy: easy to set up, hard to stop playing, and perfectly designed for adults who want to have a ridiculously good time.

We put together 50+ Memorial Day party games for adults that cover everything from drinking games to backyard competitions to pool party chaos. Whether you’ve got 6 people or 60, you’ll find something here that works.

Want even more party game inspiration? Check out our complete guide to party games for adults.

Backyard BBQ Drinking Games

Your grill is hot, your cooler is full, and someone just put on a playlist that’s 40% country and 60% questionable. Time to play.

1. Flip Cup Tournament

Players: 8+ (two teams)
What you need: Plastic cups, a long table, beer or drink of choice

• Two teams line up on opposite sides of a table
• First person chugs, then flips their cup upside down by flicking the rim
• Next person can’t start until the cup lands
• First team to finish wins. Losers do a penalty dare.

Memorial Day twist: Winners wear the “BBQ Champion” apron for the rest of the party.

2. Cornhole Drinking Rules

Players: 2-4
What you need: Cornhole set, drinks

• Bag on the board = opponent drinks 1 sip
• Bag in the hole = opponent drinks 3 sips
• Score exactly 21 = opponent finishes their drink
• Go OVER 21 (bust) = you finish YOUR drink and reset to 15
• Four bags in a row without scoring = switch to your non-dominant hand for the rest of the game

3. Grill Master Challenge

Players: 2+ (anyone near the grill)
How it works:

• The grill master assigns burger/hotdog orders with specific doneness levels
• When food comes off the grill, the group taste-tests blind
• If the grill master nails the doneness: everyone toasts and drinks
• If they overcook it: grill master drinks
• If they undercook it: grill master takes a shot and surrenders the tongs

4. Cooler Roulette

Players: 3+
What you need: A cooler with a random mix of drinks (beer, seltzer, soda, one random curveball like pickle juice or kombucha)

• Everyone reaches into the cooler without looking
• You drink whatever you grab. No trades. No complaints.
• Whoever gets the curveball drink has to finish it AND complete a dare chosen by the group

5. Beer Pong: Outdoor Edition

Memorial Day upgrades to classic beer pong:

• Use a picnic table or set up on the tailgate
• Wind rules: if the wind clearly moved your ball, you get a re-throw
• Sunglasses penalty: wearing sunglasses while shooting? You shoot with your off-hand
• Patriotic bonus: red, white, or blue cups get special rules (red = double drink, white = skip, blue = opponent drinks)

Pool Party Games

If you’ve got access to a pool, the game options multiply. Just remember: drink responsibly around water. Keep it fun, keep it safe.

6. Pool Noodle Jousting

Players: 2 at a time
What you need: Pool noodles, pool floats

• Two players sit on pool floats and try to knock each other off using pool noodles
• Loser drinks
• If both fall off: both drink
• Champion stays on the float and faces the next challenger
• 5-win streak = they become “Admiral” and get to assign dares for the next hour

7. Marco Polo: Adult Edition

Players: 4+
How it works:

• Classic Marco Polo, but when you get tagged, you drink
• If “Marco” tags someone within 30 seconds: everyone else drinks
• If “Marco” can’t tag anyone in 2 minutes: they take a shot
• Bonus rule: anyone who gets out of the pool to avoid being tagged takes a shot AND does a belly flop back in

8. Chicken Fight Tournament

Players: 8+ (paired up)
How it works:

• Partners pair up — one on shoulders, one in the water
• Bracket-style tournament
• Losing pair drinks
• Championship pair gets to make one rule for the rest of the pool session

9. Dive Contest

Players: 3+
How it works:

• Each player does their best/worst dive
• Group scores 1-10 (Olympic style)
• Lowest score drinks. Highest score assigns a dare.
• Anyone who belly flops on purpose: respect. Also, drink.

Looking for more pool-specific games? We’ve got a whole list of pool party games for adults.

Outdoor Lawn Games (With Drinking Rules)

10. Kan Jam Drinking Edition

Players: 4 (two teams of 2)
Drinking rules:

• Direct hit (dinger): opponent team drinks 1 sip
• Deflection in (deuce): opponent team drinks 2 sips
• Instant win (direct slot): opponents finish their drinks + take a shot
• Complete miss (no hit, no deflection): your team drinks 1 sip

11. Ladder Toss Drinks

Players: 2-4
Drinking rules:

• Top rung (3 points): opponent drinks 3 sips
• Middle rung (2 points): opponent drinks 2 sips
• Bottom rung (1 point): opponent drinks 1 sip
• Both bolas on the same rung: opponent finishes their drink
• Bola wraps around the post but not a rung: throw again with your eyes closed

12. Giant Jenga Dare Tower

Players: 2+
What you need: Giant outdoor Jenga set, marker

• Write dares and drinking rules on each block before the game
• Pull a block, do what it says
• Ideas: “Drink 2 sips,” “Assign a dare,” “Switch drinks with the person across from you,” “Do your best cartwheel,” “Take a selfie making the ugliest face possible and post it”
• Knock over the tower = finish your drink AND do the penalty dare (whatever the group decides)

Love this concept? We’ve got more dare ideas in our complete dare ideas guide.

13. Bocce Ball Betting

Players: 2-8
How it works:

• Before each round, everyone predicts who’ll get closest to the pallino
• Wrong prediction = drink
• If you predicted yourself and you win: assign 3 drinks
• If you predicted yourself and lose: take 3 drinks (confidence has consequences)

14. Horseshoes with Stakes

Players: 2-4
Drinking rules:

• Ringer: opponent takes a shot
• Leaner: opponent drinks 3 sips
• Within a horseshoe length: opponent drinks 1 sip
• Complete miss: you drink
• Back-to-back ringers: opponent finishes their drink

Team Competition Games

15. Memorial Day Olympics

Set up a multi-event tournament for the whole party:

Events:

1. Egg toss — partners toss an egg, stepping back each round. Drop it = eliminated + drink
2. Water balloon toss — same rules, messier consequences
3. Three-legged race — losers drink, winner picks next event’s stakes
4. Dizzy bat relay — spin around a bat 10 times, run to the cone and back, tag teammate. First team done wins
5. Cornhole finals — top two teams from earlier face off

Scoring: 3 points for first, 2 for second, 1 for third. Lowest total score at the end = “cleanup crew” (they help clean up after the party).

16. Relay Race Remix

Players: 8+
How it works:

• Teams of 4. Each leg has a different challenge:
• Leg 1: Chug a beer and flip the cup
• Leg 2: Sprint to a cone and back carrying a full cup without spilling
• Leg 3: Toss a cornhole bag onto the board (can’t advance until you land one)
• Leg 4: Eat a hot dog (no hands) and cross the finish line

17. Capture the Flag: Adults Only

Players: 10+
How it works:

• Classic capture the flag, but getting tagged means you drink before going to “jail”
• Jail = standing in a designated spot doing continuous squats until freed
• Capturing the flag = other team does a group dare
• Best played at dusk when it gets competitive and slightly chaotic

Chill Vibes: Low-Key Memorial Day Games

Not every party is a frat house. These games work for mellow cookouts where people just want to hang.

18. Name That Tune (Summer Edition)

Players: 3+
How it works:

• Play 5 seconds of a summer anthem (anything from “Summertime” to “Old Town Road”)
• First person to name the song and artist assigns a drink
• Nobody gets it? Everyone drinks.
• Bonus round: play songs backwards for double stakes

19. Would You Rather: BBQ Edition

Players: 3+
Sample questions:

• Would you rather: only eat burnt hot dogs for the rest of summer OR only drink warm beer?
• Would you rather: belly flop into the pool in front of everyone OR do karaoke at the next party?
• Would you rather: give up AC for July OR give up your phone for August?
• Would you rather: be the grill master who always undercooks OR always overcooks?

Rules: Everyone votes. Minority group drinks.

20. Sunset Toast Game

Players: Any
How it works:

• As sunset approaches, everyone must make a toast
• Each toast must include something they’re grateful for AND something they dare someone else to do this summer
• Group votes on the best toast. Winner doesn’t clean up.
• Group votes on the best dare. That dare becomes a real challenge (honor system or use Xdares to put real money on it)

Couples & Flirty Games

21. Couples Cornhole

Players: 4+ (pairs)
Rules:

• Partners alternate throws
• Scoring team picks a truth question for the losing team’s couple
• If either partner refuses to answer: both drink
• 21-0 shutout: losing couple serenades the winning couple with a song of their choice

22. The Newlywed Game: Cookout Edition

Players: 4+ (couples or pairs of friends)
How it works:

• One partner goes inside, the other answers questions about them
• “What’s their go-to grill order?” “What’s their most embarrassing swimsuit?” “Who do they think makes the best potato salad here?”
• Partners come back and compare answers
• Wrong answer = drink. Perfect match = assign drinks to another couple.

23. Truth or Dare: Summer Kickoff

Use the cookout setting to fuel truth or dare questions:

• Truth: What’s the most embarrassing thing you’ve done at a pool party?
• Dare: Jump in the pool fully clothed
• Truth: Who here would you most want to be stuck on a desert island with?
• Dare: Let someone at the party write a text to anyone in your phone

Need more ideas? Our truth or dare for adults guide has 500+ questions for every situation.

After-Dark Games

When the sun goes down and the fire pit comes out, the energy shifts. These games match it.

24. Campfire Story Drinking Game

Players: 3+
How it works:

• Go around the circle telling a collaborative story, one sentence at a time
• If your sentence doesn’t make sense: drink
• If you take more than 10 seconds: drink
• If the group laughs: person who said it assigns a drink
• If the group groans: person who said it drinks

25. Sparkler Challenge

Players: 2+
What you need: Sparklers (if legal in your area)

• Each player has to write a word with their sparkler while it’s lit
• Group has to guess the word from the light trail
• Correct guess: writer assigns a drink. Nobody gets it: writer drinks.
• Bonus: spell someone’s name for double stakes

26. Firepit Never Have I Ever

Players: 4+
Classic rules, summer edition:

• “Never have I ever… gotten a sunburn on my first day of summer”
• “Never have I ever… peed in a pool as an adult”
• “Never have I ever… pretended to like someone’s potato salad”
• “Never have I ever… lied about how many beers I’ve had today”
• Drink if you’ve done it. Judging is encouraged.

Dare Challenges for the Whole Party

27. The Memorial Day Dare Board

Set up a poster board with dares written on slips of paper, face down. Anyone can pull a dare at any time throughout the party:

• Do a cannonball (fully clothed)
• Eat a spoonful of hot sauce
• Let the group pick your next drink
• Call a friend and tell them you’re moving to Alaska
• Sing the national anthem in front of everyone
• Post the last photo in your camera roll to your Instagram story
• Do 30 seconds of your best dance moves in front of the grill
• Switch outfits with someone for the next hour

Want dare ideas that actually have stakes? Xdares lets you create real-money dares with video proof — turn your cookout challenges into something people will actually remember.

28. Hot Dog Eating Contest

Players: 3+
Rules:

• Everyone gets 3 hot dogs
• First to finish all 3 wins and gets to assign a dare to last place
• Last to finish: penalty dare decided by the group
• Anyone who gives up midway: they clean the grill

29. Watermelon Seed Spitting Contest

Players: Any
Rules:

• Longest spit wins and assigns a dare
• Shortest spit drinks
• If your seed doesn’t clear 3 feet: penalty sip + try again
• Style points encouraged (spin moves, backward spits, dramatic wind-ups)

Quick-Fire Games (5 Minutes or Less)

For when you need instant entertainment between activities.

30. Quarters

Classic. Bounce a quarter into a cup. Make it = assign a drink. Miss = drink. Works anywhere, anytime.

31. Thumb Master

One person is secretly the Thumb Master. Whenever they put their thumb on the table (or any surface), everyone else must follow. Last person drinks. Pass the role to the person who was last.

32. Drink or Dare

Simple: someone presents you with a dare. You either do it or drink. No negotiations. No delays. You have 5 seconds to decide.

33. Categories

Pick a category (summer cocktails, BBQ sides, beaches, country songs). Go around the circle. First person who hesitates or repeats drinks.

34. Most Likely To

“Who’s most likely to pass out before sunset?” Everyone points. Person with the most fingers pointed at them drinks. Brutal, democratic, and endlessly entertaining.

Games That Work for Big Groups (15+)

35. Musical Chairs: Drinking Edition

• Classic musical chairs, but when you’re eliminated, you drink AND do a dare
• Winner gets to make one rule for the next game
• Use lawn chairs, pool floats, or literally anything as seats

36. Tug of War

• Losing team drinks
• Best of 3 rounds
• Extra credit: play across the sprinkler or near the pool for maximum stakes

37. Red, White, and Blue Relay

• Three-course relay: Red drink (Jungle Juice/Kool-Aid), White drink (White Claw), Blue drink (Blue Gatorade or Blue Moon)
• Each teammate chugs one at their station, flips their cup, next person goes
• First team done wins. Slowest team does an embarrassing group photo.

38. Human Bingo

• Create bingo cards with squares like: “Has been to more than 10 states,” “Can do a cartwheel,” “Has never been camping,” “Prefers ketchup on a hot dog”
• Walk around and find people who match each square
• First to get a line: assigns a dare to the last person still searching

Water Games (No Pool Required)

39. Water Balloon Fight

Rules version:

• Everyone gets 10 balloons
• Hit someone = they drink 1 sip
• Get hit without retaliating within 10 seconds = drink 2 sips
• Last person dry = they’ve been hiding and owe the group a dare

40. Slip and Slide Racing

• Set up a slip and slide on any hill or flat lawn with a tarp and dish soap
• Race format: fastest down wins, slowest drinks
• Style points: best slide (belly, penguin, Superman) gets bonus drink assignments
• Wipeout = drink AND everyone takes a photo

41. Sprinkler Dance-Off

• Turn on the sprinkler. Music plays.
• Everyone dances through the sprinkler
• Group votes on best dancer and worst dancer
• Best: assigns dares. Worst: does a dare.

How to Set Up the Perfect Memorial Day Party

• Start early. Day-long parties that start at noon have way better energy than ones that start at 5pm
• Stations > one big table. Drink station, food station, game station — let people flow
• Shade is mandatory. Tents, umbrellas, covered porches — nobody wants to play drinking games in 90°F direct sun
• Ice is your most important supply. Buy twice as much as you think you need. Then buy more.
• Sunscreen station. Put it next to the drinks. People will actually use it.
• Have a sober option for every game. Not everyone drinks. Make sure every game works with water or soda too.
• Trash bags everywhere. Outdoor parties generate insane amounts of trash. Make cleanup easy.
• Playlist matters. Summer hits, classic BBQ music, a little country, a little hip-hop. No one person should control the aux all day.

For more outdoor party ideas, check out our guides to spring break party games and pool party games for adults.

Final Thoughts

Memorial Day weekend sets the tone for the entire summer. Go big. Get the cornhole boards out, stock the cooler to the brim, set up that slip and slide, and give people something to talk about until Labor Day.

The best Memorial Day parties are the ones where people put their phones down because they’re too busy laughing, competing, and making memories. These games make that happen. Now fire up the grill and get to it. 🇺🇸🍔🍺