The Best Pub Games, Ranked

Darts wins for one reason — it needs almost nothing. A board on the wall, a set of darts, and you're playing within thirty seconds of walking in. No table to book, no balls to rack, no deck to shuffle.

It also scales properly. Two players, two teams, or a whole table taking turns all work fine, which is more than you can say for most of this list.

The classic version is straight 301 or 501, but the drinking-game versions are where most pubs actually spend the evening — there's a full rundown of five ways to play if you want more than the basics.

No table needed, no equipment beyond a deck of cards and a cup — which is exactly why Kings Cup survives every house party and pub garden it turns up at.

It rewards a big group more than almost anything else here. The bigger the circle, the longer the deck lasts and the more chaotic the Jack and Queen rules get by the second lap.

The one thing that trips people up is agreeing house rules on the fly. Settle Jack and Queen before you start, or you'll spend half the game arguing about what they mean instead of playing.

Pool's the one game on this list you genuinely need the venue for — a table, decent cues, and enough space around it to actually take a shot without elbowing someone's pint.

It's also the one where house rules vary most by postcode. Ask the bar before you rack up; the official rules and your local's actual rules are rarely the same thing.

Winner stays on keeps a table moving, but it also means half the room's waiting for a go most nights — fine for a couple of hours, less fine for a whole evening.

Beer pong needs more kit than anything else here — a long table, twenty cups, enough room either side to throw properly — but it earns its spot because almost nobody sits it out.

It's also the one game on this list that a wobbly table can ruin completely. Test it with a roll before you fill the cups, and agree on bounce shots before anyone throws one.

Neither needs much explaining, and that's the point — fives and threes dominoes and a Tuesday-night quiz are still fixtures in plenty of older pubs precisely because nobody has to learn anything new to join in.

They're also the two most likely to get you talking to people you didn't come in with, which is worth more than most people give it credit for. For the rest of what's still standing behind the bar, see the full pub games rundown.

Darts wins the ranking, but most people don't have a proper board mounted at home — the good ones need a chalk line, a proper backboard, and a wall you're allowed to put holes in.

DartUp is the portable version of the thing that came top of this list: a board that rolls up, a forfeit already assigned to every section, and none of the setup a full pub-style board needs.

Good for a flat that can't have a bristle board on the wall, or for freshers week when nobody's got proper kit yet — both link off from here if you want more.