The Ultimate Guide to Spin the Bottle

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Spice up your next party with the classic teen kissing game

Co-authored by Dev Murphy, MA

Last Updated: July 7, 2024 Fact Checked

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Standard Rules

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Variations

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Video

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Q&A

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Tips

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Warnings

Is there any party game more symbolic of young teen romance than spin the bottle? In the classic form of this game, players spin a bottle (or a similar object) to determine who they'll have to kiss. However, there are lots of different versions of this game. Some of these are tamer and less serious, while some are even more racy! To learn how to play this easy and fun game and to find information on a few simple rule variants, read on! See Step 1 below to get started.

Things You Should Know

Sit in a circle with a group of friends and have one player spin the bottle in the center. That player must kiss whoever the bottle points to when it stops spinning.
Change the rules to make the game tamer or more racy: for instance, the spinner can hug whoever the bottle lands on, or they could play Seven Minutes in Heaven.
Make sure everyone knows and consents to the rules prior to gameplay, and don't pressure anyone to play (including yourself).

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Playing Standard "Kissy" Spin the Bottle

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1
Gather a group of friends. When it comes to playing spin the bottle, the very first thing you'll need is other people (unless you want to play by yourself, which would be a pretty sad sight). To begin, find a group of willing friends—you’ll need at least 3, but the more the merrier!
- Make sure your friends know what they are getting into before you start playing. Kissing is something that's usually reserved for people who really like each other, so forcing people to kiss who don't want to can be really embarrassing for everyone involved. Don't pressure anyone into playing with you who doesn't want to.
When everyone is ready (and willing) to play, arrange yourselves in a circle so that you're all facing inward.^{[1]
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Research source} Traditionally, this is done on the floor, though there's no reason you can't also do it standing or sitting around a table. Regardless of exactly how you arrange your group in a circle, pick a spot with a tough, hard surface, like a section of hardwood floor. This ensures that the bottle you use can spin well without scuffing or damaging the floor.

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Have one player spin a bottle in the center of the circle. When you're all ready to play, pick one person to start the game. This person must take a bottle (or, really, any similarly spin-able object, like a pen, a glass, a key, etc.) and spin it hard in the middle of the circle of players. After it starts spinning, no one may touch the bottle until it comes to a complete stop.
- If you're unsure of how to decide who should spin the bottle first, try letting the oldest or youngest player go first, or have one person think of a random number and start with the person who guesses closest to it.
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Kiss the person the bottle points at. When the bottle comes to a stop, its "neck" (the end that opens) will be pointing at (or near) someone sitting in the circle. The person who spun the bottle has to kiss this person!^{[2]
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Research source}
- If you're not using a bottle, designate one end of the object you're using as the pointing end. For instance, if you're using a pen, you might want to use the writing end of the pen as its "point".
- If you spin the bottle and it lands on you, spin again.
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Have the next player spin the bottle again. That's really all there is to it! After one person has spun the bottle and given a kiss to the person the bottle ends up pointing at, the person next to them in the circle gives the bottle a spin and gives a kiss to the person their spin lands on. Play proceeds in one direction — either clockwise or counter-clockwise.
- Note that sometimes the bottle will end up pointing at the space between 2 people — in this case, you may want to make the spinner kiss the person that the bottle's point is closest to.
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Enjoy! Congratulations! You've learned how to play spin the bottle. This fun and easy game is best enjoyed with a light-hearted attitude from all involved. Don't let things get too romantic or sexual — it's just a game, and one which can become pretty awkward pretty fast if it's taken too seriously.
- However, if you do feel that telltale "spark" with someone after playing the game, there's no reason why you can’t make a point to get to know them after the game! Spin the bottle is great for igniting new connections you might not otherwise have made.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Playing with Rules Variations

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1
Try changing the "prize". Though the classic version of spin the bottle is usually associated with teenagers kissing in their parents' basements, there's no rule that says you have to kiss the person that the bottle lands on. To spice things up (or make things more tame), try changing the spinner's "prize" to something else. Below are just a few ideas, listed from tamest to most racy:
- Giving a compliment
- Holding hands
- Hugging
- Kissing on the cheek
- Kissing on the lips
- French kissing
- Making out
- Playing "Seven Minutes in Heaven"
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Play strip spin the bottle. In this saucy version of the traditional game, anyone the bottle lands on has to remove an article of clothing. The game continues until all players are stripped down to their undies (or totally nude). Be sure to only play this if you're an adult, and only with the consent of the whole group!
- To spice things up even more, consider adding a rule that if the bottle lands on the spinner, they must remove 2 articles of clothing.
If you'd like to play a version of spin the bottle with an added element of random chance, grab a 6-sided die before you start playing. Designate a specific romantic action to each number 1-6. For instance, you might set 1 as kissing, 2 as hugging, 3 as making out, and so on. When you've assigned six actions, start play as you normally would. When the bottle lands on someone in the circle, the spinner rolls the die. The number that appears on the die determines which action the spinner has to perform on the person the bottle landed on.
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Try using the back end of the bottle to select the kisser. One simple variation of spin the bottle changes who does the kissing each round. Players proceed around the circle, spinning the bottle as normal. However, when the bottle comes to rest, the person that the back of the bottle points to, rather than the spinner, has to kiss the person that the front end of the bottle points at. In this variant, if you spin the bottle and the back end of the bottle ends up pointing at you, you still have to give a kiss — don't spin again.
- Because this variant has the people sitting across from each other kissing each other exclusively, it's a smart idea to have everyone take new positions in the circle every few turns.
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Try "Truth or Dare" spin the bottle. One common variant of basic spin the bottle combines the rules of the game with those of Truth or Dare, the classic pranking, secret-telling game played at sleepovers all over the world. To play spin the bottle with Truth or Dare rules, begin as you normally would by having someone spin the bottle in the center of your circle. When the bottle lands on someone, the spinner asks him or her an embarrassing personal question. If they decide not to answer, they have to perform the dare that the spinner chooses, which can include kissing someone.
- A second variant involves the person spinning the bottle announcing a dare to the group before spinning it. The person that the bottle lands on must perform the dare. This includes the person spinning, which adds a unique element of risk to the game.

Community Q&A

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Question

What happens if they want more than a kiss?

Community Answer

Do only what you are comfortable with. No game gives any person the right to expect more from you than what you want.

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What do I do if someone kisses me while playing Spin the Bottle?

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If you don't want to kiss them, then push them away and tell them to stop. If you are fine with it, then go for it and pucker up!

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Is there anything special done if you spin the same person twice in a row?

Community Answer

Often it depends on how you play. Some people will make it a longer kiss the second time, and longer and longer each time after. Others keep it as it is. It's a good idea to discuss the rules before playing, so that things like this can be agreed upon by all players ahead of the action.

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Tips

The common time for the kiss to last is 3 seconds, but be creative! Make it longer or maybe even shorter if you want.

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If you like the person you wind up kissing, feel free to chat them up after the game, but try not to get your hopes too high: it's just a game, and they may not return your feelings.

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As a courtesy to your fellow players, make sure your breath smells fresh! Brush your teeth or pop in a mint prior to gameplay.

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Tips from our Readers

The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.

Some more ideas for a good Spin the Bottle twist are: 1) If you're an animal owner and you're at your home, the reward is the player who gets the point pets your pet! Or 2) If you're a gamer and you have your gaming device, the reward is the player who gets pointed at gets to take a try at one of your games.
Try not to be too romantic or anything while playing. A light, gentle, to-the-point kiss will do. You don't want to get the reputation of being the sloppy kisser at Spin the Bottle parties!
Be sure that if you or others have a boyfriend or girlfriend, get consent from them first. Otherwise, this could lead to some awkward situations.
Don't say mean things about the person you have to kiss. If you aren't willing to kiss anyone that's playing, then don't play Spin the Bottle!

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Warnings

Make sure no one is sick! This is a very important step. You don't want to catch any illness from kissing people. It is not fun.

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If your parents really don't want you playing, don't play. You might end up getting grounded or punished.

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Don't feel like you need to do anything you don't want to do. Don't let peer pressure get to you! Also, don't force anybody into doing something they don't want to do either.

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If you're dating someone, don't play unless you have their consent.

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