APT Drinking Game
Learn how to play the viral Korean APT drinking game that inspired Rosé's hit song. All you need are your hands and friends! Get the rules, strategies, and variations in this essential guide.
✍️ April 25, 2025
- 🥂 What is the APT Drinking Game?
- 🙌 How to Play the APT Drinking Game
- 🎮 APT Game Rules and Variations
- ❓ APT Drinking Game FAQs
Looking for a Korean drinking game that doesn’t need cards, dice, or fancy props? Meet the APT drinking game—a fast-paced, hand-gesture challenge that’s gone viral thanks to BLACKPINK’s Rosé.
This iconic Korean party game has been around for years, but after Rosé dropped her hit song “APT.” with Bruno Mars in 2024, it exploded into global pop culture. It’s chaotic, hilarious, and all you need are your hands, some friends, and a drink in hand.
Let’s break down how to play the APT drinking game, plus the rules, tips, and chaotic variations to try tonight.
👉 Also check out our ultimate list of drinking games for more no-fuss party hits.
🥂 What is the APT Drinking Game?
The APT drinking game is a Korean hand-gesture party game where players mimic apartment floors using their fingers.
Why it’s a fan favorite:
- No gear needed—just hands and drinks
- Simple to learn, hard to master (especially drunk)
- Relies on speed, focus, and coordination
- Known for causing hilarious, chaotic moments
- Recently went viral after being featured in Rosé’s 2024 hit song
The name “APT” is short for apartment (아파트 or apateu in Korean), and each hand gesture represents a different floor. Your job? Say one floor, do a different gesture, and pass it to the next player—fast.
🙌 How to Play the APT Drinking Game
Here’s a step-by-step guide to playing the APT drinking game the right (and slightly chaotic) way.
1. Get your group together
You’ll need at least 3 players, but 4–8 is ideal. Sit in a circle where everyone can see each other’s hands.
2. Learn the basic APT gestures
- 1st Floor (Ground): Palm flat on the table
- 2nd Floor: Two fingers held out
- 3rd Floor: Three fingers held out
- 4th Floor: Four fingers
- 5th Floor: Full open palm or two “V” signs (depending on your group’s rules)
You can keep going to higher floors if you’re feeling bold, but 3–5 floors is standard for beginners.
3. Start the game
The first player says a floor (e.g. “3rd!”) but makes a different hand gesture (e.g. shows 2 fingers), then points at someone else.
4. Keep it moving
The player who got pointed at must quickly:
- Show the hand gesture that matches the spoken floor number from before
- Say a new floor number
- Do a different hand gesture than the one they just said
- Point to another player
It’s a tongue-twisting, brain-breaking loop of chaos.
5. Mess up? Take a drink.
You drink if you:
- Hesitate or freeze
- Say a number that matches your gesture
- Do the wrong hand sign
- Call a floor that doesn’t exist (unless you’re using 10+ floors!)
💡 Pro Tip: The faster it goes, the funnier (and drunker) it gets.
APT Drinking Game Rules & Fun Variations
Want to make it harder or funnier? Try these popular APT game rule variations:
🌀 Speed Round
Keep a beat (clap, snap, or tap) that everyone must follow. Break the rhythm? Drink.
🏢 Dual Buildings
Add a second “apartment” building with different gestures. Players must specify the building before calling the floor.
🔁 Reverse Uno
Add a special move (like a double snap) to reverse the direction of play.
🚫 Under Construction Rule
Declare a floor (e.g. “3rd”) as under construction. Anyone who calls or gestures it drinks.
🍺 Penalty Escalation
1st mistake = sip, 2nd = half glass, 3rd = chug. Brutal but hilarious.
🧱 Floor Limit Flex
Beginners? Stick to 3 floors. Chaos junkies? Go wild with 7–10.
The APT drinking game hit global fame after BLACKPINK’s Rosé dropped her 2024 song “APT.” featuring Bruno Mars. She referenced the game in the lyrics and even taught fans how to play it in TikTok tutorials and interviews.
- Released: October 18, 2024
- Views: 177M+ YouTube in 10 days
- Charted: Top 3 in over 25 countries
Now K-pop fans around the world are slapping tables and pointing fingers while tipsy—just as Rosé intended.
APT Drinking Game FAQs
1. What does APT stand for in the drinking game?
“APT” is short for apartment, a loanword commonly used in Korean. The game mimics apartment floors using hand gestures.
2. Is APT hard to learn?
Not at all! The rules are simple, but things get tricky when speed and drinks are involved.
3. Can you play APT without alcohol?
Totally. Swap drinks for dares, points, or spicy truth-or-dare questions. It’s still a blast.
4. How many people can play APT?
3 is the minimum, but 4–8 players make it way more fun. For big parties, play in smaller circles.
5. How is it different from other drinking games?
No cards, cups, or dice—just hands. It’s fast, social, and all about quick reflexes.
🎉 Ready to Play the APT Drinking Game?
Whether you’re a K-pop stan, a drinking game connoisseur, or just bored at a party—APT is your new go-to.
Quick to learn. Impossible to master. Hilarious to fail.
So grab some friends, free up your hands, and remember: if the gesture and the floor match… bottoms up!
