Categories
The classic British pub naming game: pick a category, take turns naming things that fit, and sip if you hesitate, repeat or go blank. No kit needed — just friends and a drink.
3–12 players · easy
Categories: The Classic British Pub Naming Game
Categories is one of those pub games that needs nothing but a circle of friends and a bit of nerve. Someone names a theme — football clubs, cheese, British rivers, pub names — and players take turns shouting an answer that fits. Hesitate, repeat, or go blank, and you take a sip. It is simple, endlessly adaptable, and somehow still catches people out after the third pint.
Setup
- Players: 3–12, sitting in a circle or around a table.
- What you need: A drink each (beer, cider, soft drink or water). No cards, no kit, no app.
- Agree the house rules: Decide how big a penalty sip is (one small sip is plenty), whether hesitation counts, and who picks the first category.
How to Play
- Pick a category: The starter chooses a theme everyone should know something about — for example “Premier League clubs” or “types of cheese.”
- Go round the table: Starting with the person to their left (or right — agree before you begin), each player names one valid item in that category.
- No repeats: Once something has been said, it is gone. Saying “Cheddar” twice is a fail.
- Keep the pace: Roughly two or three seconds is fair. Long silence or “ummm…” counts as hesitation.
- Penalty sip: Anyone who fails (wrong answer, repeat, hesitation, or speaking out of turn) takes a sip and starts a new category of their choice.
- Carry on: Keep switching categories as people trip up. The game ends when you agree to stop, not when someone “wins.”
Example Categories
- British pub names
- Beer styles (or real-ale brands)
- Football clubs in one league
- Types of cheese
- Capital cities
- Bond films / Bond villains
- Things you find in a fridge
- UK train stations
- Harry Potter characters
- Crisp flavours
Pick themes the whole table can join in with. Obscure specialist topics are funny once; after that they just shut people out.
When You Take a Sip
- You cannot think of an answer in time.
- You repeat something already said.
- Your answer clearly does not fit the category (the table decides by quick majority).
- You speak out of turn or skip someone.
House Rules and Variations
- Alphabet Categories: Answers must go A, B, C… through the alphabet. Miss your letter and you sip.
- One-word only: No compound answers or explanations — keeps the pace sharp.
- Soft-drink edition: Same rules, soft drinks or water only. Just as competitive.
- Points instead of sips: Mark fails on a beer mat; lowest score after ten categories buys the next round of crisps.
- Veto: Allow one “challenge” per round if someone thinks an answer is dodgy; table vote settles it.
When to Stop
Categories is meant to fill a gap between rounds, not empty the table. After a few categories, switch to a quieter chat, a board game, or simply another drink without the pressure. Anyone can sit a round out or switch to soft drinks at any time — no debate.
Drink Responsibly
Project Beer is all for a good laugh, not for getting anyone ill. Keep the measures small, agree that anyone can play with a soft drink or water at any time, eat something first, and never pressure someone to drink. Know your limits, look after your mates, and never drink and drive. If you are under the legal drinking age, play with soft drinks only.