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Polish Drinking Games to Elevate Your Night Out in Krakow!
Polish Drinking Games to Try in Kraków (Cultural Chaos Included)
Alright, so here’s the deal: Kraków nightlife is wild, we all know that. Clubs are pumping, shots are flowing, and the vibes? Immaculate. But if you wanna spice things up with a little local flavour (and not just more vodka), it’s time to learn the ancient, chaotic art of Polish drinking games.
And look, I get it. When I travel, I tend to go full-send into the party scene and kinda forget there’s, y’know, actual culture in the country. So here’s your cheat code: party and do something vaguely cultural at the same time. Let’s go.
1. Czółko (Forehead)
(Polish: Chool-ko)
This one's a classic, Polish or not. But the locals love it, so it counts.
You write the name of a celeb, character, or random weird thing on a sticky note and slap it on your friend’s forehead (without them seeing it, obviously). Then they ask yes/no questions until they guess who they are. Wrong answers = drink.
Pro tip: Don’t go too obscure unless you wanna be playing till sunrise.
2. Jedzie Pociąg z Daleka (The Train is Coming)
(Polish: Yed-zie Po-tsyong z Da-leh-ka)
This one’s got chaos written all over it. Everyone stands in a circle like you’re back in primary school PE class and starts singing this song that basically means “the train is coming from far away.” You make train movements (no one knows what this actually means, but everyone does it anyway), and then the song stops. The "driver" (usually whoever knows the song best...or just shouts loudest) picks someone to drink.
It’s weird. It’s loud. It’s perfect.
3. Koci Łapki (Cat Paws)
(Polish: Kot-si Wap-ki)
You will mess this one up. Guaranteed.
Everyone puts their hands in the middle, crossing over each other in a pattern, and then you all start tapping the table in sequence—left to right. If you tap out of order or hesitate? DRINK.
It starts chill, then your brain collapses. Think drunken Whac-A-Mole with your hands.
Great icebreaker. Terrible for your dignity.
4. Picie na Komendy (Drink on Command)
(Polish: Pee-tsie nah Ko-men-de)
Simon Says, but way more dangerous. One person becomes the commander (usually someone who enjoys power a little too much) and starts shouting commands—“cheers,” “stand up,” “touch your nose,” “drink,” etc.
If they say it without “Komenda says” (or just scream it fast), and you mess up? Yep, you drink.
This one's a good time... until the commander starts speed-running like they’re hosting a Polish version of Squid Game.
5. Ciepło-Zimno (Hot-Cold)
(Polish: Tsyep-wo Zim-no)
Okay, this one's kinda wholesome. It’s basically drunk hide and seek.
One person hides an item (shot glass, wallet, your dignity), and the rest of the group has to find it based on whether they’re “ciepło” (warm) or “zimno” (cold).
When someone finds it, they get to pick a person to drink. Honestly, this is a great way to make a game out of trying to find your phone charger in a hostel.
Culture + Chaos = Kraków Night Done Right
So yeah, these games are goofy, a little messy, but 100% fun, and bonus: locals actually do play them. You’ll make friends, start conversations, and probably forget how to pronounce any of these names by the end of the night. Doesn’t matter.
You’re here to experience Kraków, right? So mix some culture into your club crawl. Get silly. Get a little competitive. Just maybe don’t try Koci Łapki on the dance floor.
Wanna test these out with fellow chaos-lovers?
Jump on our Kraków Party Animals Pub Crawl, we might just bust out “The Train is Coming” between tequila rounds.
Click here to join the madness.
Na zdrowie, legends.