The Castle

About the Game

The Castle is a bouncing and elimination game where players compete to land their ping pong balls in a center cup filled with water. Players who make the shot are safe for the round. Players who miss may land in one of the surrounding moat cups and must drink its contents before continuing.

The last player who has not landed a ball in the center water cup is eliminated. The remaining players rebuild the castle and compete in another round until one player wins.

What You Need

• One ping pong ball per player.
• Solo cups to build the castle walls and moat.
• One additional cup for the center water cup.
• Water for the center cup.
• An alcoholic beverage to fill the moat cups, if playing with alcohol.
• A flat surface large enough to build the castle.

Setup

1. Place one Solo cup upside down in the center of the playing area.
2. Place a cup filled with water upright on top of the upside-down center cup.
3. Surround the center setup with a layer of upside-down cups to form the castle walls.
4. Build an outer layer of upright cups around the walls to create the moat.
5. Fill the moat cups with the chosen beverage.
6. Give each player a ping pong ball.

Make sure the center water cup is stable and the moat cups are within reach of the players.

How to Play

1. Start the Round

When the game begins, every player tries to bounce their ping pong ball into the center water cup. Players continue attempting their shots until they successfully land a ball in the center cup or are eliminated.

2. Make the Center Cup

If your ball lands in the center water cup, you are safe for the rest of the round. You no longer need to make additional shots that round.

3. Miss into the Moat

If your ball lands in one of the outer moat cups, you must drink the contents of that cup before continuing to attempt your shot into the center water cup.

After completing the penalty, retrieve your ball and continue playing until you make the center cup or the round ends.

4. Elimination

The last player who has not successfully landed their ball in the center water cup is eliminated from the game. Under the house rules, the eliminated player takes a shot.

5. Rebuild the Castle

Once a player is eliminated, reset the castle and moat for the remaining players. Refill the moat cups as needed and begin another round.

Winning the Game

Continue playing rounds and eliminating the last player who has not made the center cup. The final player remaining after everyone else has been eliminated wins The Castle.

Rules and Fair Play

• Each player uses their own ping pong ball.
• Players must bounce their ball when attempting the center cup.
• Making the center water cup makes a player safe for the round.
• A ball landing in a moat cup triggers its penalty before the player continues.
• The last player who has not made the center cup is eliminated.
• Rebuild the castle between rounds.
• The final player remaining wins.