The Sacrifice
Volunteer chasers before the clock runs out
1
The room gets a target number of chasers that need to be drunk.
2
A 30-second timer starts.
3
Tap the button to sacrifice a chaser - the target drops by 1 each time.
4
If time runs out before the target hits 0, everyone drinks.
5
If the target hits 0 in time, volunteers drink what they pledged.
The room fell short and you volunteered? Sorry - you drink both.
Room saved, per chaser pledged
Room falls short, per chaser owed
The Sacrifice puts a bill in front of the room and asks who is paying. A target number of chasers appears, a 30-second clock starts, and anyone can tap to take one of them. If the room covers the target in time, only the volunteers pay what they pledged. If the room comes up short, everyone pays one, and the volunteers pay their pledge on top. It is a game about the bystander effect, and it exposes who steps up and who waits for someone else to.
1
Pledge early if you are going to pledge at all. The points for a saved room, 10 per chaser, are the biggest reward in the game, and an early tap encourages the rest of the table to follow.
2
Know the room. A table that always saves itself is a table where volunteering is nearly free; a table that lets the clock run is a table where a pledge costs you twice.
3
Watch the target, not the timer. Once the number is down to one or two, the last pledge is a bargain, because it guarantees the room is safe.
4
Never volunteer out of spite in the last second unless the target is actually reachable. A pledge that still leaves the room short is the worst outcome available.
1
Named sacrifice: before tapping, a volunteer announces which specific drink they are taking on, and the table holds them to it.
2
Captain's call: one player each round is captain and must pledge at least one chaser, then persuade the rest of the room to cover the remainder.
3
Silent clock: no talking during the 30 seconds. Volunteering becomes a decision rather than a negotiation.
The Sacrifice works whenever the pledge costs something, and the cost does not have to be alcohol. Pledge sips of water, pledge push-ups, or play it purely for the points, which already swing further here than in any other round.