Starbucks just turned its holiday menu into a playable snack. The coffee giant flipped its blockbuster cup frenzy into a real game, live today, that hands out drinks, Stars, and a shot at Starbucks for Life. It is fast, it is festive, and it is designed to keep you sipping through New Year’s.
The Game, Live Now
The holiday promotion is called Starbucks for Life, Merrython. It runs December 8, 2025 through January 4, 2026, in the Starbucks app and at starbucksforlife.com. The format is an arcade style runner. You steer a tiny avatar for 90 seconds through holiday cities, Seattle, Milan, Tokyo, and New York. You collect red cups and bonus items, then flip that run into prizes.
Every player gets one free Prize Play each week. You can earn more, up to two per day, by making purchases and finishing weekly challenges. Think sending a Starbucks e gift card or trying a seasonal drink. Each play can trigger an instant prize, from drinks and food to Bonus Stars, and it also drops entries into sweepstakes. Starbucks for a Year is featured the weeks of December 22 and December 29. Starbucks for Life, daily food or drink credits for 30 years, runs through the end.
Dates to know: Play from Dec 8, 2025 to Jan 4, 2026. One free weekly Prize Play, then up to two extra plays daily with purchases and challenges.
The Bearista Cup, Back The Sneaky Way
The star merch is the Bearista Cold Cup, a 20 ounce glass teddy bear with a knit cap lid and a candy stripe straw. It sold out in stores within hours in early November. The brand is not restocking shelves. Instead, it tucked 17,000 instant win Bearista cups inside Merrython, one per winner. The cups are game exclusive. If you score one, you will get an email to claim it, while supplies last.
This is clever food culture math. Scarcity plus design created a collectible. The game turns that heat into daily play, and keeps attention on the holiday menu backdrop, from Peppermint Mocha to those nutmeg dusted cold foams we keep seeing in line.
Why This Hits Coffee Culture
A coffee run is already a ritual. The game turns the ritual into a loop. Order, play, repeat. It is not just about merch. The cities inside the run read like a set of flavor prompts. You can taste the map.
- Seattle, a maple spice cold brew with a nutty sugar rim at home.
- Milan, an affogato style cold foam over iced espresso, a few drops of almond.
- Tokyo, a yuzu spritz espresso tonic, bright and crisp for winter afternoons.
- New York, a black and white mocha, half dark chocolate, half white, extra salt.
These ideas mirror what makes the Starbucks holiday calendar work. Classic flavors, with snap, easy to customize. The game simply nudges you to try another sip tomorrow.
How To Play Smarter, And Kinder
If you want to maximize your shot, your choices matter. You get one free weekly play. Plan your extras.
- Use your free weekly play as soon as it lands, then stack a purchase for a second play later that day.
- Finish the weekly challenge on Monday, common tasks include an e gift card or a seasonal drink.
- Batch your orders, a single qualifying purchase can feed your daily cap without overbuying.
- Keep your Starbucks Rewards email current, winners get notifications there.
Play in quick bursts. The 90 second run is short, so two clean runs a day beat one messy marathon.
There is also the real world. Stores will feel the push. Expect morning lines to thicken, especially near transit hubs. If you chase a holiday drink for a play, place the order in app when you can. Baristas are juggling speed, foam art, and game driven volume. A thanks goes a long way.
Only play in the Starbucks app or at starbucksforlife.com. Avoid third party links and do not pay resellers for “winning codes.”
The Backdrop Everyone Will Notice
This splashy rollout arrives while the company faces ongoing labor tension. Some stores have staged walkouts this season. The game does not change that reality, but it does change traffic patterns. Higher volumes can stress systems. The brand is betting that a playful arc through Milan and Tokyo, plus a shot at a teddy bear cup, will keep the line moving and spirits up. The test will be execution, in the app and at the handoff counter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How do I find the game?
A: Open the Starbucks app and look for Merrython under the Starbucks for Life banner, or go to starbucksforlife.com and sign in with your Rewards account.
Q: How often can I play?
A: You get one free Prize Play per week, then you can add up to two plays per day by making qualifying purchases and completing the weekly challenge.
Q: What are the biggest prizes?
A: Instant wins include drinks, food, and Bonus Stars. Entries roll into sweepstakes for Starbucks for a Year on select weeks, and Starbucks for Life through January 4.
Q: How do Bearista Cold Cup wins work?
A: The cups are instant win only, 17,000 total, one per person. Winners get an email to claim while supplies last.
Q: Do purchases change my odds?
A: Purchases unlock more plays, which means more chances. A single purchase does not raise the odds of any one play.
Starbucks just married gameplay, scarcity, and holiday flavor in one neat cup. The Merrython works because it rewards the habit, quick hits, clear prizes, and a few charming surprises. Sip, run, repeat, and maybe, bring home a little glass bear.
