New Girl is one of the best sitcoms for a drinking game because the characters are so consistently themselves. Schmidt is always Schmidt, Nick always panics, and Jess never stops being adorkable. These rules turn any New Girl binge into a hilarious drinking session.
Table of Contents
What You Need
- New Girl episodes (streaming on various platforms)
- Drinks for everyone
- Snacks
- This rule list where everyone can see it
Universal New Girl Drinking Rules
These work for any episode across all 7 seasons. Pick 5-7:
- Drink when Jess sings or makes up a song
- Drink when Schmidt says something douchy or vain
- Drink when Nick panics about something minor
- Drink when Winston does something weird (“Winnie the Bish” moments)
- Drink when someone plays True American
- Drink when the loft is the setting for a party or gathering
- Drink when Cece and Schmidt have a romantic moment
- Drink when someone says “douchebag jar”
- Drink when Nick is behind the bar at the restaurant
- Drink when Jess and Nick have an awkward interaction
- Finish your drink when a character has a major life revelation
Character-Specific Rules
Jess
- Drink when Jess does something quirky or eccentric
- Drink when Jess tries to fix everyone’s problems
- Drink when Jess wears a polka dot outfit
- Drink when Jess uses a silly voice
Nick Miller
- Drink when Nick says something pessimistic
- Drink when Nick is terrible with money
- Drink when Nick mentions his novel (“The Pepperwood Chronicles”)
- Drink when Nick does his turtle face
Schmidt
- Drink when Schmidt references his body, looks, or style
- Drink when Schmidt says someone’s name dramatically (“NICK!”)
- Drink when Schmidt contributes to the douchebag jar
- Drink when Schmidt is overly competitive
Winston
- Drink when Winston does a prank (that is either way too small or way too big)
- Drink when Winston talks to or about Ferguson (his cat)
- Drink when Winston says something bizarre that nobody responds to
- Drink when Winston and Aly have a cute moment (later seasons)
Coach
- Drink when Coach yells motivationally
- Drink when Coach is bad at expressing emotions
- Drink when Coach is competitive about something trivial
Cece
- Drink when Cece is the voice of reason
- Drink when Cece references her modeling career
- Drink when Cece and Jess have a best-friend moment
True American Rules (The Drinking Game Within the Show)
In the show, the roommates play “True American” — a chaotic game that is never fully explained. Here is a simplified version you can actually play:
- Place a bottle of liquor (the “king”) in the center of a table surrounded by many cans of beer (the “pawns”).
- Players stand on furniture around the room — the floor is lava.
- To move to a new piece of furniture, you must grab a beer pawn from the center and drink it.
- Players take turns shouting “One, two, three, JFK!” and everyone responds “FDR!” Whoever shouts a correct American history fact first gets to move or make someone else drink.
- The goal is to reach the center, finish the last beer, and take a swig from the king bottle.
- If you touch the floor, you drink and go back to where you started.
Fair warning: this game is as chaotic in real life as it looks on the show.
Best Episodes for the Drinking Game
- “Normal” (S1E20): Schmidt at his peak Schmidt-ness. The character rules hit constantly.
- “Cooler” (S2E15): The iconic True American episode. Use the True American rules for this one.
- “Mars Landing” (S3E20): Emotional episode with a lot of character moments. The finish-your-drink rule will trigger.
- “Background Check” (S4E6): Winston’s background check episode. Winston rules trigger nonstop.
- “Wedding Eve” (S5E21): Cece and Schmidt’s wedding buildup. Romance rules and Schmidt rules go off constantly.
Tips
- Use beer or seltzer. New Girl episodes are only 22 minutes each, but the rules trigger frequently. You will go through drinks fast.
- Watch 3-4 episodes. That is the sweet spot — enough to settle in but not so many that the game loses steam.
- Assign characters. Each player picks a character and only follows that character’s specific rules plus the universal rules. This spreads out the drinking.