• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Stories
  • Games
    • View All
    • FAQ
  • Encyclopaedia
  • About
  • Support TGIMM
  • Shop
  • Contact

The Ghost In My Machine

Stories of the Strange and Unusual

The Most Dangerous Games: Lady Spades

January 4, 2016 by Lucia

Previously: The Stranger Ritual.

The current prevailing version of Lady Spades hails from redditor jazzyfingers at the Three Kings subreddit; it may also be referred to as The Queen of Spades or Dama Pika. It’s similar to Bloody Mary in that the ritual involves calling up a woman — or at least, something that looks like a woman — in a mirror. Unlike Bloody Mary, however, the successful summoning of Lady Spades grants you the chance to make a wish… for a price, of course.

the royal cards in the suit of Spades

There used to be a variation of this game available on the Creepypasta Wikia, although it appears the page was deleted in September of 2015. I’m unclear on the reason for the deletion, but as I recall, the story as it stood wasn’t particular well written, so maybe it was a QA kind of thing. That particular version involved multiple participants; to see it in action, head here. 

[Like what you read? Check out Dangerous Games To Play In The Dark, available from Chronicle Books now!]

For what it’s worth, the famed Russian writer Alexander Pushkin wrote a short story called “The Queen of Spades” in 1833, later publishing it in 1834. It, too, involves a game of cards, although it’s more a game of chance than the one seen here. Either way, though…

Play at your own risk.

Players:

  • One principal.

Requirements:

  • A candle.
  • Matches or a lighter.
  • Lipstick, preferably red, although other colors may also be acceptable.
  • A quiet, dark room.
  • A mirror. The mirror may be a fixture of the room (e.g. a bathroom mirror).
  • The Queen of Spades, pulled from a deck of cards.

Instructions:

The Summoning:

  1. Begin at midnight.
  2. Enter the quiet, dark room. Make sure all the lights are off.
  3. Place the candle in front of the mirror and light it with your matches or lighter.
  4. Using the lipstick, write “Lady Spades” on the mirror. Then hold the Queen of Spades in your hand such that she is facing the mirror.
  5. Close your eyes. Empty your mind. Relax, as much as you are able. Then repeat the words “Lady Spades, appear” aloud seven times.
  6. Keep your eyes closed and call up the image of Lady Spades in your mind. She will be dressed in black, with eyes to match, and although her smile can melt even the coldest of hearts, her face will be mangled and scarred. Do not panic if you hear a woman’s voice or laughter, or the echo of footsteps nearby; these sounds indicate a successful Summoning.
  7. Open your eyes.

The Wishing:

  1. If, upon opening your eyes, any of the following occur, do NOT proceed:
    • The candle is out;
    • The card is facing you;
    • The card is missing;
    • You see a woman in the mirror with her hands pressed up against it.
  2. Should any of these occurrences be observed, immediately enact the appropriate Ending for your situation as indicated below. If, however, you open your eyes and see a woman in the mirror with her hands by her sides, you may proceed.
  3. State your wish to the woman.
  4. No matter what happens next, do NOT break eye contact with her. If you do, immediately enact the appropriate Ending for your situation as indicated below.
  5. If she decides to grant your wish, she will smile at you and say, “Yes.”

The Ending:

  1. If the ritual is successful: Say the words, “Lady Spades, disappear.” Then wipe her name from the mirror, blow out the candle, and turn the lights on. Burn the Queen of Spades card to ash as soon as possible. Your wish should come true shortly.
  2. If the ritual is unsuccessful: Proceed as directed for each situation.
    • If you open your eyes and the candle has gone out: Relight it as quickly as possible, say the words, “Lady Spades, disappear,” wipe her name from the mirror, blow out the candle, and turn the lights on. Burn the Queen of Spades card immediately.
    • If you open your eyes and the card is facing you, rather than the mirror: Rip the card in half, say the words, “Lady Spades, disappear,” wipe her name from the mirror, blow out the candle, and turn the lights on. Burn the pieces of the Queen of Spades card immediately.
    • If you open your eyes and the card is missing: Break the mirror, turn on the lights, and attempt to locate the card in the room. If you find it, burn it. If you don’t, leave it and vacate the premises immediately.
    • If you open your eyes and the woman’s hands are pressed against the mirror: Break the mirror immediately. Vacate the premises and burn the card.
    • If you fail to maintain eye contact: Break the mirror immediately. Vacate the premises and burn the card.
    • If she declines to grant your wish: Break the mirror. Blow out the candle. Burn the card. Hope for the best.
  3. Do not attempt the ritual again. Ever.

Additional Notes:

If you open your eyes during the Summoning and everything is normal save for the mirror being empty or the absence of voices, laughter, or footsteps, the ritual has failed. There are no negative consequences for the ritual failing in this manner; however, it is still a good idea to repeat the words, “Lady Spades, disappear,” wipe the mirror clean, blow out the candle, and turn on the lights. Burn the card at your soonest convenience.

Do not attempt to end the game between the statement of your wish and the woman’s response. She doesn’t like being interrupted.

Lady Spades has a habit of sticking around. Even if the ritual is a success, it comes with a price.

Story Time:

Once upon a time, a young woman moved to a village in Eastern Europe from somewhere no one had ever heard of. Extraordinarily beautiful, she received rather a lot of attention from the men of the town; it was said that her smile could melt the heart of anyone upon whom she bestowed it. She dressed all in black, earning her the nickname Lady Spades, thanks to her resemblance to the playing card of the same name.

But her beauty was also her undoing. Brother turned upon brother, father against son, friend against lifelong friend, all in the name of winning just one, single smile from her. The women turned against her, too, blaming her for seizing the attention of their husbands and sweethearts. In an effort to save their village, the elders decided that there was only one solution: That she be removed from the equation.

An angry mob descended upon her house and found her brushing her hair before the mirror. The mob beat her savagely, tearing her beautiful face to shreds. Then they left her to die, with only her mirror — and her own ravaged visage — for company.

For three days she wept, her cries echoing through the village, until finally silence fell. But with her last breath, she cursed anyone who dared to say her name in front of a mirror. If you’re polite, she will make your fondest wish come true… but you don’t want to know what happens if you’re impolite.

And Whatever You Do:

Do NOT let her out of the mirror.

Lady Spades: FAQ.

***

Support The Ghost In My Machine on Patreon for behind-the-scenes access and other bonus content. You can also follow on Twitter @GhostMachine13 and on Facebook @TheGhostInMyMachine.

[Photo: Naira Dias/Flickr]

Filed Under: Games Tagged With: card games, games you shouldn't play, Lady Spades, rituals, summoning rituals, The Most Dangerous Games, wishes

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Annabelle says

    March 13, 2021 at 11:17 pm

    so would i be able to wish to see my dead grandma again? i just never got to say goodbye

    Reply
  2. Lanka Kumari says

    March 10, 2021 at 9:02 am

    Should i break the mirror necessarily? You said burning the card is enough. What if i don’t use a card?

    Reply
  3. bri says

    February 17, 2021 at 10:32 pm

    can you record while playing?

    Reply
  4. KxTT3N says

    October 21, 2020 at 12:59 am

    can you wish for her to return to her former beauty? jw

    Reply
  5. Ekaterina says

    April 18, 2020 at 4:41 am

    Guys what is her real name?

    Reply
    • ghostkittygacha says

      November 20, 2020 at 2:05 pm

      what time does this thing start like does it start a 12:01 or 12:00

      Reply
  6. Glitch Queen says

    October 29, 2019 at 1:49 pm

    I wonder what would happen if your wish was for her to be free or for her to be happy.

    Reply
  7. Aaron J says

    June 11, 2019 at 7:01 pm

    It says the mirror may be fixed. Does that I can only use a fix mirror or is any type of mirror useable?

    Reply
  8. Black_Winter says

    May 5, 2019 at 1:55 pm

    I know it’s stupid, but what would most likely happen if one would wish for her to came out of mirror or anything involved with it?

    Reply
  9. PATATO CHISPS says

    February 11, 2019 at 6:11 pm

    If everything goes right with the wish making and everything then can you still uphold a conversation? Or do you HAVE to end and then you can talk to her if she stays?

    Reply
  10. Hannah says

    January 22, 2019 at 1:00 am

    Honestly, can you wish to be a vampire? I mean in a way your quite the same as her. Former human but always will live and kill living beans. If being a vampire means your giving up your life to be immortal means you’re greedy right. So would she not grant your wish. Probably she wouldn’t grant it because it’s greedy right?

    Reply
  11. Missiiie says

    December 2, 2018 at 4:20 pm

    What kind of stuff can you wish for? For example can you wish that you’d become an animal, or like an anime character?

    Reply
    • Creepie says

      December 23, 2018 at 2:39 pm

      Yes and no. You can not become an anime character because they don’t exist really. But you could become an animal, but… would you really want to spend the rest of your life as a (for example) dog? I mean, there’s no way back…

      Reply
  12. Risha says

    November 17, 2018 at 8:35 am

    Good Evening Ms. Lucia,
    If I wish to become a good artist and writer, is there any possible for her to grant my wish or will she kill me if she thought of me being greedy?

    Reply
  13. Ainz Oal Gown says

    October 28, 2018 at 9:57 am

    Why does lady Spades need to kill you when she comes out. Does that make any sense??

    Reply
  14. Ecthelion75 says

    August 11, 2018 at 5:35 am

    I know this might sound a bit strange but what if instead of making a wish for yourself, you wish for something like Lady Spade’s lost beauty to be restored to her. What would happen?

    Reply
  15. 90'sKid says

    January 7, 2018 at 12:43 am

    What if you wished to be taken back in time on the night she was attacked and you stop it from happening and save her, then go back to the present time. Would the ritual even exist anymore?

    Reply
    • horrorgame46 says

      May 11, 2018 at 6:56 am

      I think that the ritual might be only for questions which might be possible in her power. Because you can’t guarantee that she would be able to grant you that wish.

      Also, even if she does happen to be able to grant you the wish, how are you going to come back to the present?

      Or better yet, how are you going to defeat the people who come at her? The article says that there was a mob of people, and if they’re strong enough to tear apart your face, then they can probably just tear you apart.

      Reply
  16. Anurag patel says

    January 5, 2018 at 11:59 am

    I am an indian..I want to talk about the paranormal game ‘lady spades’.As an indian can… I perform the game in my language(Hindi) or english is more better?? my 2nd question is that..when the lady spades is getting out of the mirror then what to do??Is it they will haunt me daily after completing the game successfully??

    Reply
    • horrorgame46 says

      May 11, 2018 at 6:52 am

      (I’m an Indian too, and perhaps it would be better to speak in English, because that is a universal language, and Hindi isn’t.)

      Also, if Lady Spades is attempting to come out, you have to break the mirror. The mirror is like a portal allowing her to communicate with mortals. So if you break it, the portal or the connection will be broken, so she won’t be able to come out.

      Reply
    • Dreemurr says

      August 11, 2019 at 3:47 pm

      After you completed the ritual AND break the mirror she will never come back, if you keep the mirror she might come for a little chat around. She will only haunt you if she managed to escape the mirror.

      Reply
  17. Sebastian says

    December 21, 2017 at 3:12 pm

    Honestly, I’d probably make my wish something that allows her to use my mirrors as a way of communication. Like, she can’t get out, but if I walk by and she’s there, I can talk with her. Her story/past makes me grieve for her and it sounds like company would be nice (I’m also extremely lonely, so it’d do me some good too).

    Reply
  18. Riliane says

    December 21, 2017 at 11:49 am

    If I ask her to kill someone, would she agree?

    Reply
    • Master Langdon says

      June 25, 2019 at 9:28 am

      Usually, you can’t make wishes that bring harm upon others. So I guess not.

      Reply
  19. Meteor Girl says

    October 28, 2017 at 3:31 am

    If I did this, my mom will get mad at me for drawing on the mirror with her lipstick.

    Reply
  20. Meteor Girl says

    October 28, 2017 at 3:24 am

    Out loud. Otherwise, she won’t know you’re summoning her and the ritual will fail.

    Reply
« Older Comments

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Top Stories

‘Dangerous Games To Play In The Dark’ Is Now Available From Chronicle Books!

The Most Dangerous Games: The Elevator Game, Revisited

16 Ritual Games That (Supposedly) Transport You To Another World

About

The Ghost In My Machine is an internet campfire of sorts. Gather round, because it wants to tell you strange stories, take you on haunted journeys, and make you jump at unexpected noises.

Continue Reading >

Support

Like what you read? Support The Ghost In My Machine!

 

Support

Follow

Facebook Twitter Patreon

From the Vault

  • Bloody Mary & Other Games We Shouldn’t Play

    Scare Yourself Silly

  • This Man

    Creepy Things That Seem Real But Aren’t

  • The Dionaea House

    Creepy Things That Seem Real But Aren’t

  • The Noise Coming From Inside Children

    Scare Yourself Silly

  • NoEnd House

    Is It Real?

  • Killswitch

    Creepy Things That Seem Real But Aren’t

  • Suicidemouse.avi

    Is It Real?

  • 200 Phenomena In The City Of Calgary

    Scare Yourself Silly

View All >

Letters from the Beyond

Enter your email to receive blog posts and updates by email

  • Stories
  • Games
  • Encyclopaedia
  • About
  • Support TGIMM
  • Shop
  • Contact

Copyright © 2021 · Keeper On Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

Privacy Policy

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Close