Stag do ideas

15 Hilarious Stag Do Games and Challenges for a Brilliant Night

Fifteen stag do games with clear rules, group sizes and setup times, from quizzes to team challenges. They are safe, sensible and all work without alcohol, so the groom gets a night to remember for the right reasons.

By the FunnyTshirt teamUpdated 6 November 202613 min read

Alpha Male - Unisex Jersey Short Sleeve T-shirt t-shirt

In this guide

Ground rules that keep stag games fun for everyone
Which stag game suits your group?
Quiz and guessing games
Photo and team challenges
Stag do tees to match the games
Table and evening games
Stag do games without alcohol
Stag tees that suit the games
Stag do games: FAQs

Kitting out the stag group?

Groom shirts and crew shirts, printed to order in the UK. Shipping normally takes 3-5 days depending on manufacturing time.

Shop Stag Do T-Shirts

5% off your first order with code GO5

The best man has a tough brief: keep the groom happy, keep thirty-odd opinions in check and make sure the night is remembered for the right reasons. A few well-chosen games do most of that for you. They break up a long weekend, get the quiet lads involved and give everyone a story that is not about the groom’s worst moment.

This guide gives you 15 stag do games and challenges that are properly different from each other. Each one has the rules, what you need, a sensible group size and how much setup it takes, so you can pick and play. For dates, budgets and bookings, our stag do planning checklist covers the lot. Here, we are only dealing with the fun part.

Quick answer

Good stag do games include a “how well do you know the groom” quiz, a photo scavenger hunt, a mini Olympics, poker with fake chips and stag awards. For a large group, pick team games such as a pub quiz or a challenge relay. All 15 below work without alcohol, and each lists the group size and setup effort.

Ground rules that keep stag games fun for everyone

Stag games go wrong when the joke is on someone who did not sign up for it. Agree a few rules with the groom before the weekend and everything else gets easier.

The groom has a veto. Ask what is off limits (exes, money, embarrassing photos for his future in-laws) and keep to it.
Nothing involving strangers. No heckling, no dares aimed at people who did not ask to join in, and nothing that could get anyone asked to leave a venue.
Nothing illegal, unsafe or near a road. No stunts, no climbing, no jumping into water and no dares anywhere near traffic.
Penalties are never drinks. Someone is driving, someone is not drinking and someone has had enough. Use points, chores or a silly forfeit instead.
Anyone can opt out of anything. A game that needs pressure to work is not a good game.

Tip: appoint a referee. One sober, fair-minded mate with a notebook keeps the scores, settles arguments and stops the games dragging on. Brief him first, and tell the rest of the group his decision is final.

Which stag game suits your group?

Situation	Try these
Big group, with friends who do not all know each other	Groom quiz, pub quiz, photo scavenger hunt, stag bingo
Small group of close mates	Two truths and a lie, predictions, dare deck, blind taste challenge
Outdoors or in a garden	Stag Olympics, cook-off, handicap mini golf
Rainy evening indoors	Poker, charades, lip sync battle, stag awards
Nobody is drinking	Every game here, with penalties swapped for points

Quiz and guessing games

Quizzes work because they need no skill and no fitness, and the quietest person in the group can win. They are also easy to run in a pub corner or a rented house before dinner.

1. How Well Do You Know the Groom?

The best man writes 15 to 20 questions about the groom and keeps the answer sheet. Everyone writes their answers on paper. Ask about his first job, his worst haircut, his go-to karaoke song and what he would save from a fire. Add a few hard ones that only his oldest friends will know. Highest score wins, and the groom can be the quizmaster for the last round.

You need: Paper, pens, a printed or phone-based question list.
Group size: 6 to 40.
Setup effort: Low. Ten minutes of writing, ideally with a hint from the groom’s family.

2. The Best Man’s Pub Quiz

Split the group into teams of four or five and run a proper quiz in rounds: general knowledge, music, sport and one round of stag-themed questions about the people in the room. Read the questions aloud or share them on a phone. Teams swap papers to mark, and the winning team picks the theme of the final round.

You need: Question sheets, pens, one referee, a phone for the music round.
Group size: 8 to 40, in teams.
Setup effort: Medium. Writing good questions takes an hour, but you can reuse an online quiz.

3. Two Truths and a Lie, Stag Edition

Each person states two true things and one lie about themselves, ideally with a link to the groom. The group votes on the lie. A good lie is believable and a good truth is unbelievable. Keep a score of who gets fooled most often, and keep the stories kind: nobody wants an ex or a family secret read out in front of the group.

You need: Nothing, apart from a bit of nerve.
Group size: 5 to 15.
Setup effort: None.

4. Predictions for the Big Day

Hand out a sheet of 10 predictions about the wedding: who will cry first, how long the best man’s speech will run, what the first dance song will be, which relative will hit the dance floor first. Everyone writes their answers and seals them in an envelope. Open them at the reception for a prize of bragging rights.

You need: A printed sheet, pens, one envelope.
Group size: 4 to 30.
Setup effort: Low. It takes ten minutes to write and can be played over the weekend.

Photo and team challenges

Active games are good for breaking the ice on a Saturday afternoon, especially if half the group have never met the other half. Think of the groom as the star of the weekend, and give everyone a role.

5. Photo Scavenger Hunt

Split into teams and give each a list of photos to take in an hour: a team pose with a statue, a picture with the oldest building you can find, a group shot recreating a famous painting, the groom next to an unusual local landmark. Only photos of the group and public landmarks count. Strangers stay out of the pictures unless they ask to be in them. Judge on creativity as well as speed.

You need: A phone per team, a printed list of 10 to 15 challenges.
Group size: 6 to 30, in teams of three to five.
Setup effort: Low. Write the list the night before.

6. Stag Olympics

Run a series of silly events, such as welly throw, egg and spoon, a three-legged race, a paper-aeroplane distance contest and a rolled-up-sock target toss. Teams earn points for every event, with a bonus round for the groom’s team. Keep each event under ten minutes, and make sure everyone has a go at something that suits them.

You need: Space, cones or tape, wellies, spoons and eggs, a points chart.
Group size: 8 to 30, in two or four teams.
Setup effort: Medium. Half an hour to gather bits and mark out a course.

7. Handicap Mini Golf or Bowling

Take a standard game and add handicaps to level the field. Make the best player use his weaker hand, give the groom’s best friend a ball-on-a-spoon handicap and give the worst player two extra tries. Keep a running league table across the weekend. Winners get the best seat at dinner and losers make the tea.

You need: A mini golf course or bowling alley, a scorecard.
Group size: 4 to 24.
Setup effort: Low, once someone books the lane or course.

8. Stag Do Cook-Off

Split into teams and give each the same budget and a few basic ingredients: burgers, wraps, anything that suits a rental kitchen or a barbecue. Teams build their best creation in 40 minutes and a neutral guest (or the groom) judges on taste, creativity and looks. The winning team does not wash up.

You need: Ingredients, a grill or hob, plates, a judging sheet.
Group size: 6 to 20.
Setup effort: Medium. Shop beforehand and make sure the kitchen can cope.

Ready to order

Stag do tees to match the games

A few more designs for the groom and the crew. Several are cheeky or use strong language, so check each product page before ordering for a mixed group.

It’s My Stag Do Buy Me A Pint – Unisex Jersey Short Sleeve Tee
Price range: £21.98 through £31.03
- ALL T-SHIRTS, Funny, Stag Do
Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
Under New Management – Unisex Jersey Short Sleeve Tee
Price range: £21.98 through £31.03
- ALL T-SHIRTS, Funny, Stag Do
Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
Beer Built This Body – Unisex Jersey Short Sleeve Tee
Price range: £21.98 through £31.03
- ALL T-SHIRTS, Funny, Offensive, Stag Do
Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
Alpha Male – Unisex Jersey Short Sleeve T-shirt
Price range: £17.02 through £26.07
- ALL T-SHIRTS, Clean Fun, Current, Funny, Stag Do
Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
Caution I Have No Filter – Unisex Jersey Short Sleeve T-shirt
Price range: £17.02 through £26.07
- ALL T-SHIRTS, Clean Fun, Funny, Hen Do, Offensive, Stag Do
Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
They Say Money Talks, Mine Just Says Goodbye – Unisex Jersey Short Sleeve T-shirt
Price range: £17.02 through £26.07
- ALL T-SHIRTS, Clean Fun, Current, Stag Do
Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
Flat Out Like A Badger On A Bypass – Unisex Jersey Short Sleeve T-shirt
Price range: £17.02 through £26.07
- ALL T-SHIRTS, Current, Funny, Irish, Northern Ireland, Offensive, Racing, Stag Do
Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
Go Duck Yourself – Unisex Jersey Short Sleeve T-shirt
Price range: £17.02 through £26.07
- ALL T-SHIRTS, Current, Funny, Offensive, Stag Do
Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page

Got a funny idea of your own?

Every FunnyTshirt design is our own, dreamed up in Antrim. If you have a custom design idea, send it over and we usually reply within one working day.

Send us your idea

Printed to order in the UK

Table and evening games

When everyone has showered and the sun has gone down, you want games that work around a table, a pub or a living room. These tend to get louder as the night goes on, which is why the ground rules matter most here.

9. Poker Night With Fake Money

Give everyone the same stack of chips or a pile of matchsticks and play a friendly game of Texas hold’em. There is no cash on the table. The winner gets a trophy, the first to go out becomes the dealer and the last two players can have a head-to-head for the groom’s coveted prize. Teach the basics to anyone who does not know, and keep a cheat sheet on the table.

You need: A deck of cards, chips or matchsticks, a table.
Group size: 4 to 10.
Setup effort: Low.

10. Stag Charades

Write names of people, places and in-jokes from the groom’s life on slips of paper: his old football team, the school he went to, his first car. Players act out the clue in silence while their team guesses within a minute. Split into teams for a more raucous game, or play as one group for a quieter one.

You need: Paper, pens, a bowl, a timer.
Group size: 6 to 20.
Setup effort: Low.

11. Lip Sync Battle

Pick songs the groom loves and pair players off for lip sync duels. The groom judges, and the crowd decides on the loudest cheer. Add props from whatever is around: a wooden spoon, a coat, a lampshade. Awards go to the best performance, the worst and the most committed.

You need: A speaker, a phone playlist, a few props.
Group size: 6 to 20.
Setup effort: Low.

12. Stag Awards

Make a set of silly awards, such as Best Dressed, Worst Dancer, Most Likely to Fall Asleep in a Taxi, and Best Supporting Mate. Everyone votes in secret, and the best man presents the trophies at dinner with a short, kind speech about each winner. Paper certificates are enough, but a cheap plastic cup makes it feel official.

You need: Paper, pens, voting slips, a few cheap trophies.
Group size: 8 to 40.
Setup effort: Low. Make the certificates in advance.

13. Stag Bingo

Make bingo cards with 16 squares of things that are likely to happen over the weekend: someone says “one more round”, the groom is late, someone loses a shoe, the group photo takes eleven attempts. Tick squares as they happen and shout bingo when you complete a row. First to bingo gets a small prize.

You need: Printed cards, pens.
Group size: 6 to 40.
Setup effort: Low. It takes twenty minutes to write and print.

14. Blind Taste Challenge

Blindfold each player in turn and have them guess a series of snacks, sauces and soft drinks. Choose crisps, cheeses, mild sauces and fizzy drinks. Check for allergies first and let anyone skip a round. Points for correct answers, bonus points for the most confident wrong guess.

You need: A blindfold, small bowls, a range of foods and drinks, an allergy check.
Group size: 4 to 16.
Setup effort: Medium. Shopping and prep take half an hour.

15. The Dare Deck

Write 30 harmless dares on index cards: do your best impression of the groom, sing the chorus of a song the group picks, speak in an accent for ten minutes, wear a silly hat to dinner. Players draw a card when they lose a game, and anyone can pass at the cost of a point. Keep all dares private to the group, safe and legal.

You need: Index cards, a pen, a bowl for the deck.
Group size: 6 to 20.
Setup effort: Low. It takes half an hour to write 30 cards.

Stag do games without alcohol

Plenty of stag dos have a driver, a few non-drinkers or a groom who would rather save his head for the wedding. The good news is that every game above works without a drink in sight. The only changes are to the penalties and the prizes.

Swap sips for points. A running league table across the weekend gives everyone a reason to care.
Make prizes small and silly. A plastic trophy, the best seat at dinner or the right to choose the next song are plenty.
Give losers a chore, not a drink. They can make the tea, carry the bags or take the group photo.
Lean on the daytime games. The cook-off, scavenger hunt and Olympics work just as well sober.

Stag tees that suit the games

Matching shirts give a team game its identity and make the photos better. You do not need a full outfit for every event. A groom’s shirt and one or two crew shirts will do, and our guide on what to wear on a stag do covers the rest. If you are ordering for a large group, read how to organise group T-shirts first. For slogan ideas, our stag do T-shirt ideas is the place to go.

It's My Stag Do Buy Me A Pint white T-shirt with a moose holding a pint — The It’s My Stag Do Buy Me A Pint tee works well for the groom on photo hunt day. It comes in white, so check the product page for sizes.

Money Talks, Mine Just Says Goodbye

The They Say Money Talks, Mine Just Says Goodbye tee suits poker night, when the chips are fake and the joke is real. It comes in black or aqua, and it is mild enough for most groups.

Flat Out Like A Badger On A Bypass

The Flat Out Like A Badger On A Bypass tee is a good match for the Olympics or a go-kart day, though the slogan is cheeky, so check it suits the group. It comes in coral or black.

T-shirtUnder New Management tee View product

T-shirtCaution I Have No Filter tee View product

For forfeits, the Alpha Male tee, with its rainbow unicorn, is a good one: the loser of the day wears it to dinner. Make sure they agree to it first. It comes in black or heather prism lilac.

T-shirtAlpha Male tee (forfeit shirt) View product

T-shirtBeer Built This Body tee View product

If you want to see everything at once, browse our stag do T-shirts. Several are cheeky or contain strong language, so check each design before you order for a mixed group.

Stag do games: FAQs

What games can you play at a stag do?

Popular choices include a groom quiz, a photo scavenger hunt, a mini Olympics, poker with fake chips, charades, a lip sync battle and stag awards. Mix one active game, one quiz and one evening game across the weekend, and keep each under an hour so people do not lose interest.

What are easy stag games for a large group?

Team-based games scale best: a pub quiz, the photo scavenger hunt, stag bingo and the Olympics all work for 20 or more people. Split into teams of four or five, appoint a referee and keep the scoring simple. Games that need turn-taking, such as charades, work better with fewer than 15.

Can you do stag do games without drinking?

Yes. Every game in this guide works without alcohol. Swap drinking penalties for points, chores or silly forfeits, and use small prizes such as the best seat at dinner. Daytime games like the cook-off and the scavenger hunt are naturally sober-friendly.

How long should each stag game last?

Between 20 and 60 minutes is about right. Quizzes and Olympics can run closer to an hour, while Two Truths and a Lie, bingo and the dare deck work in short bursts around meals. Stop a game while people are still enjoying it.

What stag games are safe and sensible?

Anything that stays within the group, within the law and away from strangers or roads. Get the groom’s agreement on what is off limits, let anyone opt out and appoint a sober referee. If a dare could get someone hurt, arrested or thrown out of a venue, it does not belong on the list.

Ready to kit out the stag group?

Pick a groom shirt, add a few crew shirts and let the games do the rest. Custom design ideas go through our contact page, and new customers get 5% off a first order with code GO5.