Roulette: spin the wheel, take the dare

01 — DefinitionWhat is Roulette?

Roulette is one of the 14 party games in Dronk, and the simplest one to explain: the wheel decides. Nobody picks on anybody. Nobody volunteers. You tap Play, the wheel spins through every name at the table, and fate hands one person a card.

The card is a dare, a challenge or a question with a twist: "impersonate a celebrity, the group gets three guesses", "read your latest notification in a news anchor voice", "hold a wall sit until it's your turn again". Do it, and the table moves on. Refuse, and you take the penalty instead. Once in a while the wheel lands on a black segment, and the card is for everyone at once.

If you've searched for a roulette drinking game or a spin the wheel dare game, this is the same slot in the evening. The difference is that Dronk never says what the penalty is. Your group agrees on that before you start, and the app just runs the wheel.

02 — RulesHow to play Roulette (step by step)

Four screens, and after the first spin the game runs itself.

1. 
   1

   Add players and pick a pack

   Set the number of players (six here: Olivia, Jake, Mia, Tyler, Sophie and Liam; tap a name to change it). Then pick a pack: Warmup is free and checked by default, Crushes and Bold unlock with Premium. Tap Spin the Roulette.

2. 
   2

   Spin the wheel

   Every name goes on the wheel, plus the black All segments. It spins, slows and lands on one player, or on All, which means everyone at once. The app picks at random, so the same person can get spun twice in a row. That's the roulette part.

3. 
   3

   Read the card out loud

   The card has the chosen player's name on it, so there's no arguing about who it's for: "Olivia, give a 15-second TED talk about an object the group picks — make it sound like the most important invention in history." Olivia does it, or takes the penalty. Tap Next to spin again.

4. 
   4

   Black segment: the whole table plays

   When the wheel lands on All, the card is for everyone at once: "Musical chairs light: everyone swap seats NOW. Last one seated takes 2 penalties." Fifteen of the 65 cards in each pack are these. Next spins again; the game ends when you decide it does.

03 — PacksThree packs, from warmup to bold

Each pack is a different temperature. All three have the same structure: 50 cards for the player the wheel picks, and 15 "everyone" cards for the black segment.

04 — Cards24 real Roulette cards

Straight from the app. In the game, "Alex" is replaced by whoever the wheel lands on. Cards marked everyone only appear when the wheel hits the black segment.

• AlexTell us three things about your day — one of them is a lie. If the group guesses the lie, take 2 penalties. If they guess wrong, hand out 2.
• AlexGive a 15-second TED talk about an object the group picks — make it sound like the most important invention in history.
• AlexImpersonate a celebrity — the group gets three guesses. If nobody gets it, take 1 penalty.
• AlexShow your wallpaper and defend it for 10 seconds — the group scores it 1 to 10. Below 5 costs 1 penalty.
• AlexRead your latest notification out loud in a news anchor voice — or take 2 penalties.
• AlexSay everyone in the room's name backwards in 10 seconds. Fail and take 1 penalty.
• AlexTake 1 penalty if your phone is below 30% battery — 2 if it's below 10.
• EveryoneRound: take turns naming a country in Europe. First to stall or repeat takes 3 penalties.
• EveryoneMusical chairs light: everyone swap seats NOW. Last one seated takes 2 penalties.

• AlexDescribe your current crush in three words — no name, no initials. Don't have one? Describe your last.
• AlexWhich fictional character was your first crush? No answer costs 2 penalties.
• AlexDescribe your dream date — without mentioning food, movies or a walk. Those three are banned.
• AlexTake 1 penalty for every dating app on your phone right now — claim zero and the group gets to demand proof.
• AlexWhat would your dating bio say if it were 100% honest? The group gets to suggest edits.
• EveryoneRound: take turns naming a red flag. First to stall or repeat takes 3 penalties.

• AlexHold a wall sit until it's your turn again. Give up and take 2 penalties.
• AlexSpeak only in questions until it's your turn again. Every slip costs 1 penalty — max 3.
• AlexCatwalk across the room like it's Paris Fashion Week — twice. Second time in slow motion.
• AlexSing the first verse of a song the group picks — opera style. Full volume, no giggling.
• AlexCall a family member and tell them a fun fact about penguins — no context, no explanation. Speakerphone on — or 3 penalties.
• AlexHold eye contact with yourself in the front camera for 30 seconds without laughing. Laugh and take 2 penalties.
• AlexPut your phone in the middle of the table until your next card. Touch it and take 3 penalties.
• EveryonePlank battle: everyone down NOW. Last one holding hands out 3 penalties.
• EveryoneEveryone shows today's screen time. Highest number takes 2 penalties, lowest hands out 2.

That's 24 of 195. The rest are in the app, shuffled, waiting for the wheel.

05 — TipsHow to get the most out of Roulette

Agree on the penalty before the first spin

The cards say "take 2 penalties". They never say what a penalty is. Settle it while you're typing in names: one squat, one embarrassing story, one song lyric sung out loud. A group that decides upfront never stalls mid-game.

Start on Warmup, escalate on purpose

Warmup cards ask people to perform: sing, mime, do a sports commentary. That's the pack that makes a quiet group loud. Switch to Crushes once people are laughing, and save Bold for when nobody minds a wall sit or a phone call to a family member.

Let the wheel be the villain

The reason Roulette works with mixed groups is that nobody chooses the target. When the wheel lands on the same person three times, that's the wheel's fault, not yours. Lean into it. Boo the wheel, not the player.

07 — More gamesMore games in Dronk

Roulette is one of 14 party games in the app. If you like fast rounds and a bit of chaos, try these next: