How to Play Never Have I Ever: Rules, Drinking Rules and Variations
In Never Have I Ever, a player says something they have never done. Anyone who has done it admits it, usually by putting a finger down or taking a drink. It needs 2 or more people and nothing else. The classic version uses ten fingers, and the adult version uses drinks. Below are the full rules for both, house rules, scoring, and ways to play with 2 players, a group, on a phone or on a video call.
Duoo Games
3 min
The rules
1Read the card
One player reads out the statement: “Never have I ever…”.
2Own up
Everyone who has done it takes a sip or puts a finger down.
3Tell the story
Whoever owned up explains what happened. Then pass the phone on.
Players: 2 or more (best with 4 to 10). Time: 10 to 30 minutes. Needs: nothing, or drinks for the adult version.
- Sit in a circle. Each player holds up all ten fingers.
- One player starts: “Never have I ever ___.” They state something they have genuinely never done.
- Everyone else who has done it puts a finger down.
- Move clockwise to the next person.
- A player is out when all ten fingers are down. The last one standing wins.
The best statements are things that split the room. “Never have I ever missed a flight” gets one or two fingers. “Never have I ever eaten breakfast” gets everyone, which is no fun.
The drinking version (adults only)
For people over the legal drinking age who want to play with alcohol:
- Everyone has a drink.
- When a statement applies to you, you take a sip.
- Optional: the person who said the statement can pick someone who sipped to explain the story.
- Pace yourself. It is easy to drink a lot quickly when the statements get specific.
Good house rules: water or a soft drink is always allowed, no one has to explain anything they do not want to, and the game stops if anyone is uncomfortable. Skipping a sip is not cheating.
Choosing statements
- True to you. You must actually have never done it, or the game falls apart.
- Specific beats broad. “Never have I ever sent a text to the wrong person” is better than “Never have I ever been embarrassed”.
- Match the room. Colleagues, family and old friends get different statements.
Stuck? See our big list of Never Have I Ever questions, plus questions for couples and Christmas Never Have I Ever questions.
3 ways to play
1. Buy a card game
Several publishers sell Never Have I Ever card decks and party versions, in family and adult editions. Check the age rating on the box. They are handy if you want statements prepared for you, though the rules are the same as above.
2. Make it yourself
Cut paper into slips and write a statement on each, or just take turns inventing your own. Keep a bowl of slips so shy players can add statements anonymously. Use the spin the wheel tool to choose who goes next, and the random order generator for a speaking order. For ready-made statements use our question lists.
3. Play on Duoo
Never Have I Ever in the Duoo app has 5 categories and 317 prompts on one phone. Each prompt appears on screen, you read it aloud, and the group reacts. It works offline, and you can try a version free in a browser. There is no scoring to manage, so it is easy to use with the finger or drinking rules.
Variations
With 2 players. Alternate prompts. Use fingers or a point for each thing the other person has done. Dating and couples decks work well. See the couples version.
With 3 people. Everyone has to answer every prompt, so keep the topics light and funny. Rotate who reads.
In teams. Split into two teams. A team writes a statement for the other, and each team member who has done it scores a point for the writer’s team. The opposing team gets points for statements that nobody has done, so it rewards good guesses about the room.
Adults and party. The drinking version above, or a dare version where anyone who admits a statement answers a follow-up question.
Video call. Hold up fingers to the camera and keep the gallery visible. Use the chat for anonymous statements.
Family-friendly. Keep to topics like food, travel and school. Do not use the drinking version.
More to read
If you like this, try Would You Rather, party games for adults, or truth or dare questions.
Questions
How do you play Never Have I Ever? +
Take turns saying "Never have I ever" followed by something you have not done. Everyone who has done it admits it. In the finger version each person puts a finger down, and in the drinking version they take a sip.
How do you play Never Have I Ever as a drinking game? +
Everyone holds a drink. When someone says a statement you have done, you take a sip. Agree one sip per statement, and decide beforehand whether to allow non-alcoholic drinks. Never pressure anyone to drink.
Can you play Never Have I Ever with 2 people? +
Yes, and it is a good way to learn things about each other. Alternate statements, put a finger down for each one the other person has done, and the one with fingers left at the end wins.
How do you win Never Have I Ever? +
In the finger version, the last player with fingers up wins. In the drinking version there is no real winner, though some groups count who has had to drink the most.
