What you need
A group sitting in a circle and a drink each. No cards, no table. Four or more players; the bigger the group, the more the pointing means. You do not need to know everyone well, which makes Most Likely To a good first game of the evening.
This page describes the drinking version, for adults only. Play it only with people of legal drinking age (21 in the United States), never pressure anyone to drink, keep each “drink” to one small sip, have water to hand between rounds, and never drive afterwards. The points version below needs no alcohol and keeps all the fun.
Setup
Sit in a circle facing each other, close enough that everyone can see where people point. Pick someone to start.
How to play
- The first player asks a question that begins “Who is most likely to…”, for example “Who is most likely to adopt five cats?”
- The group counts “one, two, three” together.
- On three, everyone points at the player they think fits best. Agree beforehand whether you may point at yourself.
- Each player takes one sip for every finger pointing at them.
- The player on the left asks the next question.
Who drinks: two common versions
- One sip per finger (the usual rule): everyone who is pointed at drinks, once for each person pointing.
- Most fingers only: only the player with the most fingers aimed at them drinks. Gentler, and better for big groups.
Scoring and winning
There is no winner. The game ends when everyone has asked at least one question or the group wants to move on. In the points version, give each player one point per finger and see who the group knows best at the end.
Common variants
- Points instead of drinks. Keep a running tally on a sheet of paper. The game is the pointing and the laughter; the drink is optional.
- Paranoia. A whispered cousin: you whisper a question whose answer is someone in the room to your neighbour, and they point at their answer without saying the question. If the person pointed at wants to know what was asked, the question is revealed to the group.
Tips for first games
- Agree the tone first. Questions can easily turn into teasing; keep them affectionate, and avoid health, money, relationships or anything that targets one person.
- With people who do not know each other well, ask about plausible, harmless habits.
- If nobody has ideas, write a few questions on slips beforehand and draw them from a bowl.
- Switch to points once the group has had a drink or two. The game goes on, nobody needs to drink more.
15 friendly questions to start
Who is most likely to…
- become famous?
- get lost on the way home?
- adopt a pet without telling anyone?
- win a game show?
- cry at a movie trailer?
- forget their own birthday?
- start a business?
- move to another country?
- sleep through an alarm?
- become a contestant on a cooking show?
- talk their way out of a parking ticket?
- still be awake at 4 am?
- know every word of a musical?
- organise the next group trip?
- laugh at the wrong moment?
Frequently asked questions
How do you decide who drinks in Most Likely To? Usually everyone pointed at takes one sip per finger. Some groups only make the player with the most fingers drink.
Can you point at yourself? House rules differ, so agree before you start.
How many people do you need? Four or more. With three, the pointing is too predictable.
How do you play without alcohol? Keep score: one point per finger aimed at you. It works the same way and suits mixed-age groups.
