Instruction Manual: Taps

Here's a drinking game I was reminded of last night when no one wanted to play dominoes, Cards Against Humanity, Checkers, Taboo, Risk, Monopoly, or make a puzzle.  And when I started talking about it, no one else in the group of 10 we have at this cabin had ever played it before.  Given it's hilarious, easy to play but fun to lose, and only requires a circle of humans and a bunch of drinks, I thought I'd share it with you so you too can enjoy the game known as Taps.  I think I was taught this by Topher.

This is a directional counting game.  You object is to count as high as you can, moving around the circle using hand signals as you count out loud.  For beginners, getting to 20 is usually the goal.  You need at least 3 people to play, but there's no limit to how many can play.  The count and rotation must go smoothly and quickly.  A hesitation, a missed hand signal, the wrong person making a hand signal, basically any point that messes up the count or isn't the correct move results in the person who made the mistake taking a drink.  After they've taken the drink, they begin the count again at 1.  You must be strict with the rule.  It's easy to count as high as you want in this game if you allow sloppy moves to count.  If the move does not keep the rhythm of the rotation, stop and drink.

1)  Get your drink.
2)  Sit in a circle.

There are three types of hand signals:

1)  The signal for any number that is not a multiple of 5.  This signal, as shown below, can point right or left.

2)  The signal for any number ending in 5 (5, 15, 25, etc)  The trick with this number is that the direction it point changes depending on which number you're on.  At 5, this hand signal points with the bottom hand.  At 15, the direction is dictated by the top hand.  At 25, it's back to the bottom hand and so on.

3)  Signal for any multiple of 10.  The person at 10 picks whoever they want in the circle, points to them and says, "10."  However, at 20, 40, 60 if you ever get that high, you point and DON'T say the number out loud.  So, 10, 30, 50, say the number out loud and point, on the even multiples, point but don't speak.

To begin, pick the player you want to start, have them say, "1" while making one of the two signals in (1) above.  If they go left hand across to their right shoulder, the person to their right says, "2" while making their signal go to the direction of their choice.  If it is their left hand to right shoulder, the person to their right is 3.  If it's their right hand to their left shoulder, it goes back to the person who said one.  Same for 3 and 4, and then comes the hand signal for 5.  Six is back to the cross over the chest move until 10 which brings in the point, 11 is back to the cross over the chest.  And so on.  

You get the point.  Ready, set, drink.