Technology is a tricky form of entertainment at parties; it can be the difference between a rager and a dud. We’ve all been there, sitting around a computer or phone watching some dumb Youtube video you were just told was “hysterical” and that “you need to see.” But for every one of those, I’ve had ten times as many successful parties where video games were the center. It is tough though, as every common drinking game is played in the same room whereas video games want you to be online. However, not all games forgot the wonderful world of split screens and these are the best for party’s.

As always, have fun but drink responsibly. Real men don’t get sloppy drunk.

Rocket League
I absolutely love this game because they know how outrageous it is and just ran with it. You simply use rocket cars to play soccer, basketball and hockey, and they keep adding games like “Dropball” and “Rumble” (soccer with ridiculous power-ups). It takes a lot of skill to be good, but having some drinks and playing rumble is even better. Rocket League offers a 4-player offline and online split screen mode, but most impressive is that it’s cross-platform. PC players can face Xbox and PlayStation users and hopefully one day Xbox and PlayStation will finally get along so we’ll be able to play our friends on the other side.

Mario Kart
Speaking of ridiculous cars racing around blowing each other up, the Mario Kart series has been the cause of many fights and lost friendships (just slept on the couch last night because I’m obviously better than my girlfriend). But add alcohol to this and it becomes an instant drinking game classic, as you’ll be taking sips every time you get shelled or fall off the track. No matter which version you get, this 4-player split screen will cause shoving and shouting every time, aka an awesome party.

Super Smash Bros
To me, there’s only one Super Smash Bros (the original for N64), but they do keep the spirit of beating the crap out of each other alive in the newer games. It is tough to drink and key-smash at the same time, but having a sip each time you get killed will have your reaction time disappearing faster than your lives. Just be sure to keep the fighting on the screen…

MLB The Show
Ah baseball, what a calm and relaxing game…except when your sobriety slowly slips away each time you strike out. Pick your favorite team and play way worse than they ever would in real life. At least you’ll still beat your friends and get to enjoy some tasty adult beverages. The hours I’ve put into this with my friends is unreal, but it hasn’t been dull for a second.

Madden
We’ve all made fun of Jay Cutler’s interceptions, but I guarantee after a few rounds you’ll be throwing plenty yourself. Madden has always been a great 4-player game and my friends and I haven’t missed a release in years—mostly so that we never have a quiet night in. With such control over everything—like the power and lead you put on a throw—skill will be the difference between a touchdown for you or one for your friends. It’s not too bad if you are playing well, but add alcohol and you’ll really regret each missed pass.

NBA2K
Finishing up the sports with Basketball, NBA2K is king of the court. The controls are so detailed (just like Madden), which means making 3s gets rarer and funnier as the game progresses. Now, you shouldn’t take a shot for each missed shot, but if you always have a drink by your side while playing you’ll be dribbling around the court in no time.

Borderlands
This ludicrous series doesn’t have hours of game play, it has months of it. That’s good for you, your friends, and your drinking because you can’t fight each other here. Don’t worry though, because this 4-player co-op is full of guns, superpowers, bats**t crazy enemies and tons of explosions. I highly suggest getting this, especially after a heated Madden game...

GoldenEye
Sadly, this is a bit harder to play because the N64 has been obsolete for an exceptionally long time, but I can’t talk about split screen games without mentioning GoldenEye. Plus, what childhood nostalgia isn’t improved with alcohol? Running around as Oddjob with the golden gun might have been cheap as a kid, but when your hand-eye coordination is the first thing to go, maybe you need a little edge.

Call of Duty: Black Ops
I’m sure I went to college for a real degree, but my main studies were finding the best way to take on Nuke Town. Countless hours and nights with friends were spent playing COD:BO and while my personal favorite is the first one, the following iterations kept the split screen party alive.

Halo
The first time I had a party devoted to playing video games was for a Halo LAN party. That might have been utterly nerdy then, but it’s lived on to this day and alcohol has only made it better. While fans of the PlayStation are left out (Destiny tried), those on Xbox or PC need to have this classic. Nothing like the joy of sniping your drunk friends from across the map…again.