How to Create Custom Drinking Game Cards in Drinxie (Step-by-Step)

Creating custom drinking game cards in Drinxie takes less than 2 minutes using the Game Master mode, which allows unlimited cards with dynamic placeholders and 280 characters per card. Whether you want inside jokes with friends or personalized challenges, Drinxie’s custom card system makes every party unique. Here’s your complete step-by-step guide.

What Makes Drinxie Custom Cards Special?

Drinxie offers one of the most flexible custom card systems among drinking game apps:

Available in demo version: Test custom cards FREE before upgrading
280 characters per card: Plenty of space for detailed challenges
4 dynamic placeholders: {{player}}, {{drinks}}, {{seconds}}, {{number}}
Unlimited cards: Create as many as you want
Export/Import: Share card decks with friends via JSON
15 languages supported: Create cards in any of Drinxie’s languages

See our Game Master Mode guide for comparison with other apps.

Step 1: Access Game Master Mode

From Main Menu:

Open Drinxie app
Tap the ☰ Menu icon (top left or bottom navigation)
Select “Game Master” or “Custom Cards”
You’ll see your custom card library (empty if first time)

First Time Users:

If prompted, the app will show a quick tutorial explaining placeholders and card creation. Read through it—it only takes 30 seconds and covers the basics.

Step 2: Create Your First Custom Card

Tap “Create New Card” or “+” Button

The card editor opens with these fields:

Card Text: Your challenge, question, or dare (max 280 characters)
Category: Select from existing or create new custom category
Location: Choose “All Locations,” “Party Only,” or “Bar Only”
Drinking Rule: Optional instructions (e.g., “Loser drinks 2”)

Write Your Card Text

Start simple. Here are beginner-friendly examples:

“Everyone who has traveled to Europe drinks!”
“Name 5 countries in 10 seconds or drink 2!”
“Tell your most embarrassing date story or take 3 sips!”
“Truth: What’s something you’ve never told anyone here?”

Character counter: Watch the “X/280” counter at the bottom. Keep it punchy and clear.

Step 3: Use Dynamic Placeholders

This is where Drinxie’s custom cards become powerful. Placeholders change every time the card appears:

{{player}} – Random Player Name

Automatically inserts a random player’s name from your game.

Example card: “{{player}} must do an impression of someone in the room or drink!”

In-game result: “Sarah must do an impression of someone in the room or drink!”

{{drinks}} – Random Drink Count

Inserts a random number (typically 1-5).

Example card: “Everyone wearing jeans drinks {{drinks}}!”

In-game result: “Everyone wearing jeans drinks 3!”

{{seconds}} – Random Time Duration

Inserts random seconds for timed challenges.

Example card: “{{player}} must hold a plank for {{seconds}} seconds or drink!”

In-game result: “Mike must hold a plank for 25 seconds or drink!”

{{number}} – Random Number

Inserts a random number for counting challenges.

Example card: “Name {{number}} Disney movies in 20 seconds or drink!”

In-game result: “Name 7 Disney movies in 20 seconds or drink!”

Combining Multiple Placeholders

Create dynamic, reusable cards:

“{{player}} and {{player}} have a staring contest for {{seconds}} seconds. First to blink drinks {{drinks}}!”

This becomes: “Emma and Jake have a staring contest for 15 seconds. First to blink drinks 2!”

Step 4: Choose Category and Location

Category Options:

Default categories: Challenges, Truth or Drink, Never Have I Ever, etc.
Custom categories: Create your own (e.g., “College Memories,” “Couples Only”)
Tap “Create New Category” if you want a dedicated section for your cards

Location Settings:

All Locations: Card appears in both party and bar modes
Party Only: For home/private settings (louder, more active challenges)
Bar Only: For public venues (quieter, conversation-based)

Pro tip: Physical challenges work better at parties; trivia and conversation cards work better at bars.

Step 5: Preview and Save

Live Preview

Drinxie shows how your card will look in-game. Check:

Text readability
Placeholder formatting
Character count (stay under 280)
Grammar and spelling

Save Your Card

Tap “Save” or “Create”
Card is immediately added to your library
It will now appear during games when that category is active

Managing Your Custom Cards

View All Cards

In Game Master mode, browse your complete card library:

Search by keyword
Filter by category
Sort by date created
See card counts per category

Edit Existing Cards

Tap any card in your library
Select “Edit”
Make changes to text, category, location, or rules
Save—changes apply immediately

Activate/Deactivate Cards

Don’t want to delete but temporarily remove from gameplay?

Toggle the card to “Inactive”
It stays in your library but won’t appear in games
Reactivate anytime without recreating

Delete Cards

To permanently remove:

Tap the card
Select “Delete”
Confirm deletion (this is permanent!)

Best practice: Deactivate first to test if you’ll miss the card before deleting.

Creating Custom Categories

Organize cards into themed collections:

How to Create a Category:

In Game Master, tap “Manage Categories”
Select “Create New Category”
Enter category name (e.g., “College Throwbacks”)
Add optional drinking instructions
Save

Custom Category Ideas:

🎓 College Days
💑 Couples Challenges
🎬 Movie & TV Trivia
🏈 Sports Fans
🎵 Music Knowledge
🔥 Roast Mode
👶 Childhood Memories

Export & Import Card Decks

Export Your Cards (Backup & Share):

Go to Game Master settings
Select “Export Cards” or “Backup”
Drinxie generates a JSON file with timestamp
Save to device or share via text/email/messaging

Import Cards from Friends:

Receive JSON file from friend
Open Game Master in Drinxie
Select “Import Cards”
Choose the JSON file or paste JSON text
Select import mode:

Merge: Adds imported cards to your existing collection
Replace: Deletes your cards and replaces with imported set (use carefully!)

Backup Best Practices:

Export your cards monthly
Save to Google Drive or iCloud
Create backups before app updates
Keep multiple versions if you have themed decks

Custom Card Ideas & Inspiration

For Friend Groups:

“Who said this? [Insert inside joke quote]”
“{{player}} must reenact the time we [specific memory]!”
“Most likely to become a millionaire? Everyone points. Most votes drinks!”
“Share your worst roommate story or drink {{drinks}}!”

For Couples:

“What’s my favorite thing about you? Wrong answer = drink!”
“First one to say ‘I love you’ drinks!”
“Name 3 things about our first date or both drink!”
“Kiss for {{seconds}} seconds or both take {{drinks}} sips!”

For Themed Parties:

Halloween: “Tell your scariest experience or drink!”
Birthdays: “Share your favorite memory with [birthday person]!”
New Year’s: “Biggest regret of the year? Drink if you lie!”
Bachelor/ette: “Share the wildest thing [guest of honor] has done!”

Best Practices for Custom Cards

Do:

✅ Keep cards under 200 characters for quick readability
✅ Test new cards with close friends first
✅ Use placeholders for reusability
✅ Create themed category sets for different occasions
✅ Respect everyone’s boundaries
✅ Mix difficulty levels (easy, medium, hard)
✅ Include both drinking and non-drinking alternatives

Don’t:

❌ Create offensive cards for public/mixed groups
❌ Overuse placeholders (max 2-3 per card)
❌ Make cards too complicated to understand quickly
❌ Forget to set appropriate location (Party vs Bar)
❌ Create cards that could embarrass someone publicly

Testing Custom Cards (Demo Version)

Unlike most apps, Drinxie lets you test custom cards in the FREE demo version:

Download Drinxie demo
Create custom cards in Game Master
Start a demo game (max 3 players)
Your custom cards will appear mixed with demo content
Test if they work well before upgrading to Pro

Why this matters: You can perfect your custom card decks before committing to a subscription.

Download Drinxie & Start Creating

📱 Download Drinxie Free

Troubleshooting Common Issues

“My card isn’t appearing in games”

Check if the card is set to “Active”
Verify the category is enabled in game settings
Ensure location matches (Party/Bar/All)

“Placeholders aren’t working”

Use exact syntax: {{player}} not {player} or {{Player}}
Ensure no spaces inside brackets
Update app to latest version

“Character limit too restrictive”

Drinxie: 280 characters
If you need more, consider Dronko (500 characters)
Keep cards punchy for better party flow

Conclusion

Creating custom drinking game cards in Drinxie transforms generic party games into personalized experiences. With 280 characters, 4 dynamic placeholders, unlimited cards, and demo access, you can test and perfect your custom decks before upgrading.

Whether you want inside jokes with friends, romantic challenges for couples, or themed decks for special events, Drinxie’s Game Master mode makes it simple. Start with a few basic cards, experiment with placeholders, and build your perfect party deck. Download Drinxie and create your first custom card in under 2 minutes!

Next up: POST-009 covers Dronko’s custom card system (500 characters, premium-only).