What is Kings Cup?
Kings Cup — also called King's Cup, Circle of Death or Ring of Fire — is a classic party card game. Players sit in a circle and take turns drawing cards, and every card triggers a rule: some target one player, some the whole table. This version shuffles a standard 52-card deck for you, shows each card's rule on screen and counts the kings, so all you need is one phone and a group.
What you need
- This page open on a phone or laptop
- Three or more players (two works, but it's better with a crowd)
- A drink for everyone — beer, seltzer, soda, juice or water all work
- An empty cup in the middle of the table: the King's Cup
How to play
- Add everyone's name and tap Start.
- On your turn, draw a card, read the rule out loud and play it.
- Pass the phone to the next player.
- Whoever draws the fourth king drinks the King's Cup, and the game ends.
What each card means
- Ace — Waterfall: everyone starts drinking together; nobody can stop until the person to their right stops.
- 2 — You: point at someone and they drink.
- 3 — Me: you drew it, you drink.
- 4 — Floor: last person to touch the floor drinks.
- 5 — Guys: all the guys drink.
- 6 — Chicks: all the girls drink.
- 7 — Heaven: last person to raise a hand drinks.
- 8 — Mate: pick a drinking buddy who drinks whenever you do for the rest of the game.
- 9 — Rhyme: say a word, then go around the circle rhyming; first to fail or repeat drinks.
- 10 — Categories: pick a category and go around naming things in it; first to blank drinks.
- Jack — Never Have I Ever: hold up three fingers; anyone who has done what's said drops a finger and drinks.
- Queen — Question Master: until the next queen, anyone who answers your question drinks.
- King — King's Cup: pour some of your drink into the center cup. The fourth king drinks it all.
Popular house rules
- Thumbmaster: swap the jack for Thumbmaster — the player who drew it can quietly put a thumb on the table at any time, and the last person to copy them drinks.
- Make a rule: let one card, often the jack or the 8, create a rule for the rest of the game, like no saying names or drinking left-handed only.
- No broken circle: in the paper version, whoever breaks the ring of cards drinks. Here the deck is digital, so nobody can knock it over.
Playing without alcohol
Kings Cup plays just as well sober. Swap drinks for sips of soda or water, or for small forfeits — a dare, a compliment, sitting out a round — and let the last king pick the forfeit. That makes it an easy card game for game nights and road trips (passengers only; the driver never plays).
FAQ
How many cards are in the deck? A standard 52. The game ends as soon as the fourth king is drawn, so you may not see every card.
Is Kings Cup the same as Circle of Death or Ring of Fire? Yes — they're regional names for the same game, and card rules vary from group to group.
Do I need a real deck of cards? No. The game shuffles and deals a full deck for you. Tap Play again to reshuffle.