What you need
Only a group sitting in a circle and something to drink. No cards, no dice. It works with a small group but is better with a bigger one. The game is also called “21” or the 21 drinking game (not to be confused with the card game Twenty-One).
Cheers to the Governor is an adult drinking game. Play it only with people of legal drinking age (21 in the United States), never pressure anyone to drink, keep every “drink” to a small sip, have water on the table between rounds, and never drive afterwards. Because everyone drinks at the end of every round, sips must stay small. It is just as funny with soft drinks, or with a point for each slip-up.
Setup
Sit in a circle. Decide who starts and which way the count goes. Many groups also agree on a start-off rule so the very first round is not too easy, for example swapping two numbers.
How to play
- The first player says “one”, the next says “two”, and so on round the circle, one number each.
- Anyone who says the wrong number, hesitates too long or breaks a rule takes a sip, and the count goes back to one.
- When a player correctly says “21”, everyone shouts “Cheers to the governor!”, raises their glass and takes a sip.
- The player who said 21 makes up a new rule, which applies from the next round on.
- Start again from one. Rules stack: every new rule adds to the old ones.
Rule ideas
The best rules change what you say or do on a particular number:
- Swap two numbers: 7 and 14 change places, so the count goes “…six, fourteen, eight…”.
- Skip a number: nobody says 13; the count goes “twelve, fourteen”.
- Replace a number with a word or noise: say “banana” instead of 9, or bark instead of 4.
- Add an action: the player on 10 must stand up, or tap the table instead of speaking.
- Change direction: the count reverses after 15.
- Whisper or shout: all even numbers are whispered.
Rules that make people drink extra are possible but best avoided: the game already includes plenty of sips.
Scoring and winning
There is no winner and no official end. The game stops when the group agrees to stop, which can be after twenty minutes or two hours.
Common variants
- Counting back down. After reaching 21, the group counts back down to 1, which makes rounds longer.
- No start-off rule. The first round is a plain count from 1 to 21, which works well for teaching.
- Alcohol-free. Keep a tally of mistakes instead of sipping. The toast at 21 can be with water or soda; it is still the best moment of the game.
Tips for first games
- Write the rules on a sheet of paper as they are made. Ten rules in, nobody remembers them all.
- Keep the first rules simple. One swap and one action are enough for the first few rounds.
- Make the toast at 21 a real sip, not a gulp. It happens every round.
Frequently asked questions
What happens when someone makes a mistake? They take a sip, and the count starts again from one.
Who makes the new rule? The player who says 21.
When does Cheers to the Governor end? Whenever the group agrees. There is no fixed ending.
Can you play it without alcohol? Yes. Count mistakes as points and toast with any drink. The rules are what make the game.
