kings

The word “kings” means a drinking game played using a standard deck of playing cards, where each card triggers a specific rule or action. In plain terms, a popular card-based drinking game, or simply the plural of "king.".

“Kings” is pronounced kihngz (/kɪŋz/ in IPA).

Here is “kings” used in a sentence: “They played kings at the party, with each card assigned a silly rule.”

“Kings” is a noun.

“Kings” is a fairly common word in modern English.

Kings goes by many names. It is widely known as Kings Cup, Ring of Fire, and Circle of Death, and sometimes King's Cup. The names all describe the same basic setup: a deck spread in a ring around a central cup, with each card triggering its own rule.

Players sit in a circle and spread a shuffled deck face-down around a central cup. Taking turns, each person draws a card, and its rank triggers a set action or rule agreed by the group. Play continues around the circle until the cards run out, following whatever house rules apply.

Each card rank is tied to a rule or action, though the exact meanings vary from group to group. Common ones include 'waterfall', 'make a rule', 'categories', and 'never have I ever'. Because the rules are not fixed, players usually agree on the meaning of each card before starting.

Yes. Although Kings is traditionally a drinking game, the rules work with any beverage. Players can substitute water, soft drinks, or juice and follow exactly the same card actions. This keeps the social, turn-based fun of the game while removing the alcohol, making it suitable for all-ages gatherings.