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The rules of the True American drinking game from the New Girl series raise questions. Many fans would like to try out the chaotic game for themselves, but don’t know how.
True American: The rules of the drinking game
New Girl is a popular American sitcom with 7 seasons. The protagonist Jessica Day moves into a loft in Los Angeles after breaking up with her fiancé. With her roommates Schmidt, Nick and Winston, the young teacher often gets drunk in the course of a chaotic drinking game: True American.
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- In the series, the drinking game seems very confused, names of American politicians or proverbs are constantly shouted, Jess and her roommates stand on tables or chairs and above all: people are constantly drinking;
- At this point we would like to warn you: If you want to try out this game, you should definitely be of legal age, have a high alcohol tolerance and not have to be at work the next day;
- If you meet these criteria, you will now need the following items: at least two other players, three cans of beer per player, a bottle of schnapps, a garbage can, a room with furniture and cushions and a large table that you will certainly have to clean the next day
- Place the liquor bottle, the “king”, in the center of the table and the canned beers (the “soldiers”) around the king to protect him. You can also refer to the booze in the center as the “White House” that the players want to move into.
- Place the furniture in the room in four zones in a circle around the table so that you can move without touching the floor, because: The floor is lava! Some cushions also help to make the game more exciting by providing a safe surface.
- Now choose teams: Hold a number from one to five in front of your forehead with your fingers, the person with one finger less in front of their forehead is your teammate.
If you can’t find anyone, you are on your own.
JFK! Now the game is on.
Since the True American drinking game is only known from the New Girl series, there are no precise rules and instructions. Everything you know about the game is taken from the sitcom scenes in which it is played. For this reason, even if many of the rules seem pointless, don’t question them, just do it!
- At the beginning, one of the players calls out “JFK”, everyone else answers “FDR”, runs to the castle, grabs a beer and secures a place on one of the pieces of furniture in the outermost zone. Now the game is played clockwise. Whoever successfully completes a task takes a sip and can move on one place. There are three different types of task.
- Good to know: JFK stands for John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the 35th President of the USA. FDR stands for Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who went down in history as the 33rd President of the United States.
- First: The player whose turn it is names two objects or people, the others shout a commonality of the objects into the round. Second: The player starts a proverb, the other players complete the proverb. Thirdly: Everyone holds numbers (with one hand) to their foreheads, players with the same numbers complete the task.
- Once a task has been successfully completed, take a sip and move on to the next piece of furniture. You must never touch the floor or hold an empty beer in your hand.
If any player shouts “JFK”, everyone else answers with “FDR” and must finish their beer; - When all the beers on the table have been drunk, the king, i.e. the liquor bottle, is “vulnerable”. The player who reaches the innermost zone first can then take a sip from the schnapps bottle and – together with his teammate – has won. In this case, the player has entered the White House!
- The player who is caught with an empty beer during the game or who touches the ground, i.e. the lava has lost. You can get back into the game by drinking a whole beer. The other players then decide which place you ll be put in.
Arbitrary additional rules
As if the game wasn’t complicated and confusing enough, in our last chapter we explain some – admittedly rather arbitrary – additional rules.
- If you play with the “Clinton additional rule”, every player who is unable to complete a task must discard an item of clothing. In addition, for task type 3 players with the same number must kiss “behind the iron curtain” (for example in another room).
- If one player shouts “All trash belongs…”, the others answer “in the junkyard!” and throw an empty can into the garbage can at the other end of the room. If someone shouts “Donald Trump”, everyone must respond with “Build the wall!” and drink.
- The most important rules in True American: Everything said in True American is supposedly a lie and it’s not about winning, it’s about being a real American.
- Optional is also the team mode. This can be particularly useful with a larger group. In teams of two, you can master the rules of the game together and then move into the “White House”.
- If you dare to really try out this crazy game, we advise you to do so: Translate the sayings into German beforehand and also complete the tasks in your native language: the game is exhausting enough, but still an entertaining change from beer pong & Co.
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These dangers are hidden behind drinking games
While drinking games are known as a fun party hit, there are also some dangers hidden behind the facade. It is therefore important to be aware of these to ensure safe enjoyment of drinking games.
- High alcohol consumption in a short time: Drinking games often aim to consume a lot of alcohol in a short time. This can quickly lead to alcohol poisoning, as the body does not have enough time to break down the alcohol. Symptoms of this include nausea, vomiting, unconsciousness or, in the worst case, life-threatening alcohol poisoning.
- Loss of self-control: The increasing alcohol level makes it more difficult to make clear decisions. When intoxicated, this often leads to you doing things that you would never do sober.
- Increased risk of injury: When drinking games involve physical activity, the risk of accidents and injuries can increase. Drunk people are more likely to trip, fall or injure themselves when trying to perform coordination tasks.
- Group pressure and social pressure: Drinking games often exert social pressure – those who don’t join in are sometimes laughed at or ostracized.
This can lead to people drinking more than they actually want to or continuing to drink despite their poor physical condition.
