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DRINKING GAMESEasy4-12 players10-15 minutes

How to Play Medusa

Medusa is heads down, count of three, everyone looks up at once. Lock eyes with someone looking straight back at you and you are both drinking.

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What You'll Need

  • Four or more players around one table
  • Drinks, all placed in the middle of the table
  • Nothing else at all

Setup

Everyone circles the table with the drinks in the middle. That is the entire setup. Medusa needs no cards, no cups, no ball, and no table space, which makes it the game you start when the last one has just fallen apart.

How to Play

Heads Down

Every player puts their head down. Nobody is looking at anybody.

On Three

Count to three out loud. On three, everyone looks up at the same time and stares straight at one other player. You have to commit to a person before you know where anyone else is looking.

Locking Eyes

If the person you picked is staring straight back at you, you have both been caught. You both yell Medusa, and you both drink.

Getting Away With It

If you are staring at someone who is looking somewhere else, you are safe for that round. Heads go back down and the next round starts.

Winning

There is no scoring and no winner. Rounds are the whole game, and they keep coming.

Tips and Strategy

  • There is no strategy, and that is the point. No talking, no pointing, no signalling. Everything happens in the second after heads come up.
  • A round takes about ten seconds. Nobody stays safe for long, because the game runs faster than any other on this list.
  • Do not change your pick halfway. Hesitating is how you end up looking at three people in one round and catching an argument about it.
  • Keep the drinks in the middle. It stops people looking down at their own drink instead of up at the table.

Make It a Party Night

Medusa needs no equipment, which makes it the perfect filler between the games that do. More printable rules, scorecards and dare decks are in the Party Pack, and the free Party Starter Pack gets you going tonight.

Variations

Last One Standing

Anyone who gets caught twice sits the next round out. The shrinking circle makes eye contact far harder to avoid.

Silent Medusa

Drop the shout and keep only the drink. It is quieter, and it is much harder to tell who has just been caught.

This game involves alcohol. Please drink responsibly. Intended for adults 21 and older in the United States.

MEDUSA FAQ

How does a round of Medusa work?
Heads down, count of three, then everyone looks up at the same time and stares at one other player.
When do you drink in Medusa?
When the person you are staring at is staring straight back at you. You both yell Medusa and you both drink.
What if the person you picked is looking elsewhere?
You are safe for that round. Heads go back down and the next round starts.
How long does a round of Medusa take?
About ten seconds. There is no talking, no pointing and no strategy, so nobody stays safe for very long.

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