On this page
A tradition that keeps changing
One of the fullest studies of the subject is by Arthur Taylor, who published his first study of the games played in British pubs in 1976, updated it in 1992, and published Played at the Pub with Historic England in 2009. The publisher’s summary makes a point that is easy to miss: contrary to popular belief, these games live on.
It lists games still tied to particular places, such as Aunt Sally in Oxford, Toad in the Hole in Lewes, bagatelle in Chester, quoits in Darlington and bat and trap in Kent. It also lists games that have gone. Nipsy, described as the poor man’s golf and played by Barnsley miners, may have died out in the 1990s, alongside older names such as guile bones, noddy board and slide thrust.
New games keep arriving too. According to the same summary, the first quiz league was recorded in Bootle in 1959, pool arrived via Australia during the 1960s, and pétanque came over from France.
The main families of traditional games
Masters Traditional Games, which writes about and sells traditional games, lists many of them on its website. Grouped loosely, they include:
- Throwing at targets. Darts, including variants such as Puff and Dart, plus Toad in the Hole and its relatives, where you throw discs into holes.
- Knocking things down. Skittles in its many regional forms, Aunt Sally, and bar skittles, where you swing a ball around a pole.
- Sliding and shoving. Shove ha’penny, which has gone by names such as shoffe groat, push penny and slide thrift.
- Rings and quoits. Indoor and outdoor quoits, and ringing the bull, which uses swinging metal rings.
- Cards, dice and tiles. Cribbage, shut the box and dominoes.
- Cue and table games. Bar billiards, bagatelle and eight ball pool.
The table of contents of Played at the Pub adds a few more surprises, including table football, rifle shooting, racing, spoof and dwile flonking.
What makes good pub games for a group?
Looking across those families, the games that last tend to share a few features. This is our own observation rather than a claim from the sources:
- Simple to learn. A newcomer can join in after watching one go.
- Short turns. Nobody waits long for their next go.
- A bit of skill, a bit of luck. The best player usually wins, but not every time.
- Easy scoring. Everyone can see who is ahead.
- Room for banter. The game gives people something to talk about between turns.
The same ideas work for modern party games, including pass the phone games, where one device moves round the table and each person takes a turn.
Playing responsibly
Games and a drink often go together, but a good games night should never be about how much anyone drinks. The NHS advises men and women not to regularly drink more than 14 units a week, to spread that over three or more days if you do drink that much, and to have several drink free days a week if you want to cut down.
Units add up quickly. The NHS says a pint of higher strength lager has about 3 units, a pint of lower strength lager about 2, and a standard 175 ml glass of wine about 2.1. Make sure soft drinks are always an option, and that nobody is pushed to drink to keep up with a game.
Questions people ask
What are the most popular games in British pubs?
Darts and dominoes are found in many pubs. Many others, such as Aunt Sally or bat and trap, are strongly regional.
When did pub quizzes start?
According to the summary of Played at the Pub, the first quiz league was recorded in Bootle in 1959.
Do you need equipment for party games at the pub?
Not always. Quizzes and word games need little more than a pen, and a phone can run quick rounds for a group.
Where Pub Party Games helps, and where it does not
Pub Party Games is our Android app for a night out with mates: one phone, quick rounds and a scoreboard that shows who is ahead. Pick a pack, pass the phone round the table and play short rounds, with no equipment, cards or setup. There are no accounts or second phones, a night scoreboard keeps the running totals, and it works offline.
Free: the Starter Night pack, with five UK round types. A one-time lifetime Pro unlock adds seven more packs, including Pub Quiz, Sport, Christmas Do and Stag & Hen, plus House Rules for writing your own prompts and a Teams mode. There is no subscription.
What it is good for: quick rounds when you want something to play without a dartboard or a deck of cards.
What it will not do: it is not a replacement for a real dartboard, skittle alley or quiz league. It is party games for grown ups, not gambling and not a real bar tab. Please drink responsibly.
Questions or bugs: Email us.
Sources
- Played at the Pub: The pub games of Britain, Historic England and Liverpool University PressArthur Taylor liverpooluniversitypress.co.uk
- Traditional Pub GamesMasters Traditional Games tradgames.org.uk
- Alcohol unitsNHS nhs.uk