The Unofficial House Rules For
War
DRINKING RULES & PENALTIESReady to ruin the game?
Full List of House Rules
EncyclopediaUpdated: January 2026
The ultimate collection of adult house rules and drinking penalties for War. We’ve curated the best ways to fix boring gameplay using mechanics from the world’s rudest card game.
- Prisoner of War
- Winner 'imprisons' a face card. Loser drinks to bail it out or loses it forever.
- The Draft
- 2s force a 'Draft'—both players drink.
- Peace Treaty
- Aces are peace. Shake hands and drink water.
- Guerrilla Warfare
- If you play a Jack, you can slap the deck. First to slap wins the hand regardless of rank.
- Civil War
- If suits match, the war penalty doubles (drinks and cards).
- Sniper
- If you play a 10, assign a drink.
- The General
- King beats Queen? The Queen player must salute and drink.
- Mutiny
- If you lose 3 hands in a row, discard your hand and draw fresh (but drink 5 sips).
- Double War
- If a War ties again, everyone at the table drinks.
- Victory March
- Winner of the game assigns a full vessel to the loser.
How To Play
- Setup: Arrange the game of War as normal.
- Inject: Press the "Spice It Up" button whenever the game gets boring or someone takes a turn.
- Obey: Perform the rule or drink the penalty.
- Repeat: Continue until there is a clear winner or everyone forgets the rules.
FAQ
What are the best drinking rules for War?
Common rules include: "Prisoner of War" and "The Draft". Check the full list above for more chaos.
Is this official?
No. This is an unofficial add-on to make War more adult-oriented.