What We Do In the Shadows Drinking Game

I’m not one for TV series, but every once in a while something comes along that is so good, even I can’t resist the binge session. The last few shows, particularly comedy, in which I watched multiple episodes at a time were IT Crowd and Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Lucky for me, What We Do In The Shadows has something in common with both.

I haven’t seen the movie on which the show is based, but it takes minimal effort to jump in and get hooked without any additional context. Even considering the fact that I’m not a huge fan of the “mockumentary” style made popular by The Office, this show quickly became a favorite of mine. As I binged through the second season, I noticed a few things that were somewhat common or referenced from episode to episode. This, of course, means it’s time to make another drinking game!

Disclaimer - Of course, DagonDogs.com and its contributors do not endorse binge drinking and ask that you drink responsibly.

Hair of the Dog - What We Do In The Shadows Drinking Game

Bat!

There are plenty of vampire references to go around in this show, but perhaps the most frequent thing to occur is when one of the group turns into a bat. Lazlo (Matt Berry) often likes to shout it out loud as he does it, but it often doesn’t seem necessary. Regardless of the specifics involved in transforming into a bat, it happens frequently enough to warrant a rule.

Take a sip of your beverage whenever a vampire transforms into a bat.

Hiss

Almost as frequently as someone turning into a bat, the vampires get mad at each other and start arguing. This usually ends in a hissing match where the culprits start snarling through their teeth like cats and raising their arms in a menacing stance. I wouldn’t recommend taking a sip for every hiss, as there are some moments when the hissing gets out of hand and sounds like a tractor tire losing air.

Take a sip of your beverage whenever a vampire hissing match starts.

At Guillermo’s Expense

Young Guillermo (Harvey Guillen) is a simple, friendly, slightly nerdy vampire familiar. He desperately wants to become a vampire, but for now (and probably forever) he's obligated to remain his master’s servant. As the only human in the vampire house (aside from the documentary crew), he often is treated as such with disparaging comments or not-so-subtle insinuations about his inferiority. Some of this rolls off his back and some of it clearly stings from the pained look on Guillermo’s face. This is probably the most frequent thing in the show, so use your own discretion.

Take a sip of your drink whenever the vampires treat Guillermo with disrespect
Take a sip of your drink whenever Guillermo realizes something, causing him to make his ‘eternal sadness’ pouty face

Death of an Immortal

Despite the reputation of vampires being all-powerful beings, they also have the reputation for being pretty fragile in some ways. There are certainly a ton of rules to how they can die in different books, movies, and shows, but the fact remains that no vampire is completely immortal. In fact, quite a number of them end up kicking the bucket somehow in this show. This rule is a bit more infrequent over the entire show but can come in waves.

Take a sip of your drink whenever a vampire dies.
BONUS - Finish your drink whenever a ‘named’ character dies.

Sexual Prowess

While vampires are often portrayed as sensual creatures of pleasure and sexuality, rarely is sex the actual thing that matters to them. What We Do In The Shadows decides to take the road less traveled, however, and make it a primary focus of the vampire culture. Lazlo is certainly the one most obsessed with sex, but the frequency with which orgies are mentioned by everyone warrants a rule.

Take a sip of your drink whenever something sexual (most likely involving Lazlo) is referenced or occurs

Modern Ignorance

Despite the fact that the main vampires of the show have lived among humans for generations upon generations, they obviously don’t get out much. In every episode, one of them is making a new discovery about pop culture, how to use a computer, or how to pronounce modern human names like “Jeff.” This fish-out-of-water comedy technique would be a cliche if it wasn’t so dang funny and works in every episode.

Take a sip of your drink whenever one of the gang makes a new pop culture discovery or simply shows that they do not understand something about the modern world (i.e. what is a chain email? Who wrote “Come on Eileen”? Fashion sense)

So Tired

One of the more unique additions to the vampire household is that of Colin Robinson (Mark Proksch), an energy vampire. I’ll let the show explain who he is if you haven’t seen it, but just know that he’s not like the rest and feeds a bit differently from your average blood-sucker. To demonstrate to the audience that he’s feeding, other characters will often show their weakness in the scene, but there will sometimes be a briefer moment in which we see him gain energy and power when his eyes change color. Look for this for your sips.

Take a sip of your drink whenever Colin Robinson’s eyes glow to demonstrate that he’s feeding

Other Typical Vampire Stuff

Since vampires have been portrayed time and again through various forms of entertainment, there have been a lot of different symbols and objects associated with them over the years. Garlic, crosses, sparkly skin, etc. What We Do In The Shadows references a lot of that so keep your eye out for another opportunity to take a sip.

Take a sip whenever one of those typical vampire tropes appears.

Wrong Neighborhood

The group all live in a cool-looking house. Unfortunately for them, it’s on Staten Island. I haven’t been there since I was a kid, so I can’t personally speak to the quality of life there, but the show makes no effort in terms of building it up as a cool place to visit. It is, however, mentioned quite frequently among the cast.

Take a sip of your drink whenever Staten Island is mentioned

Thanks for reading! Hopefully you were entertained by the list of rules provided and hopefully you’ll find even more enjoyment watching What We Do In The Shadows with a cold beverage in your hand!