Medusa

Medusa is the fastest of the shot drinking games: one round takes five seconds, there is nothing to deal or set up, and the only skill is guessing who is going to look at you. It is the game to start a party with, because it needs a full table and makes a lot of noise.

What you need

• Shot glasses, one per player, filled before each round (or a pitcher of shots in the middle)
• Something to shoot: the classic is a cheap spirit, the smart choice is something weak
• A round or square table everyone can sit around with a clear line of sight to everyone else
• At least three players, ideally six or more

Setup

1. Sit everyone around the table so every player can see every other player. A long table with people hidden behind someone’s shoulder breaks the game.
2. Pour a shot for everyone and leave it in front of them. Or put a tray of shots in the middle, which keeps the pace up because nobody has to pour between rounds.
3. Pick someone to count. They count every round until someone takes over.

How to play Medusa

1. Everyone puts their head down and looks at the table. No peeking, no pre-aiming. Honor system, loosely enforced.
2. The counter says “one, two, three, Medusa”. On “Medusa”, everyone lifts their head at the same time and looks directly at one other player. You must pick someone; staring at the middle of the table is not allowed.
3. If the person you are looking at is looking back at you, you both shout “Medusa”. Then you both take your shot.
4. If they are looking at someone else, you are safe this round. Even if someone else was staring at you. Only mutual eye contact counts.
5. Refill, heads down, go again. A round lasts five seconds, so set a number of rounds before you start or the game ends when someone decides it has to.

How often you get caught

Assuming everyone picks a target at random, the chance that the person you look at is looking back at you is one divided by the number of other players. Real tables are not random (people look at whoever just got caught, or at their partner), so treat these as a floor.

Players	Chance your stare is returned	Pairs per round, roughly
4	1 in 3	0 to 1
6	1 in 5	0 to 1
8	1 in 7	about 1
10	1 in 9	about 1
15	1 in 14	1 to 2

The takeaway: a six-person game produces a shot most rounds; a fifteen-person game produces one or two every round. Size the pour to the table.

Variations and house rules

• Sips instead of shots. Same rules with a beer or a mixed drink in hand; eye contact means a three-second drink. This is the version that can actually last twenty rounds.
• Last to shout drinks double. When two players lock eyes, the one who shouts “Medusa” second takes two. Adds a reaction element and a lot of arguing about who was first.
• Stone. Anyone caught three times in a row is “turned to stone”: they sit out the next round and have to stare at the table while everyone else plays. Gives a streaky player a break without anyone saying so.
• Gorgon. One player is secretly the Gorgon (draw cards or roll for it). Anyone who makes eye contact with the Gorgon drinks double; the Gorgon drinks single. Reveal the Gorgon at the end of the game.
• Couples rule. Partners who lock eyes both drink double, because it was obviously deliberate.
• Big group split. Over fifteen players, split into two circles and merge the survivors after ten rounds.

Tips

• Pour the shots weak or pour them small. A big group produces two or three pairs a round, and a round takes five seconds, which adds up faster than any other game on this site.
• Cap the rounds before you start. Ten rounds is a good number for a pregame; twenty is a bad decision that feels like a good one at round eight.
• Play it early in the night. Medusa is a warm-up, not a main event, and it works best when everyone can still aim their eyes.
• Have water on the table. The people who get caught most are the ones everyone likes looking at, and they will need it.