The Most Dangerous Games: Sara Sarita

Previously: How To Use A Mirror As A Window Into Another World. 

According to most sources, the game Sara Sarita, or El Juego de Sara Sarita, comes out of Mexico. Many liken it to Charlie, Charlie, but to be honest, it reminds me more of the Red Book Game: Both are information acquisition rituals that require asking for permission to enter, as well as to leave. The difference, I think, is that whatever you’re speaking with in the Red Book Game doesn’t seem to be especially interested in lying to you, whereas in Sara Sarita, the answers you receive to your queries can be… questionable.

There are a few different backstories associated with this one. In one, Sara Sarita is a single entity said to be the daughter of Lucifer; however, in another, more common legend, Sara and Sarita are two different entities — sisters — who met a terrible fate one day after school. This second version has even given rise to an alternate name for the ritual: The Sister Sister Game.

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

But whatever or whomever you believe you’re speaking to — whether it’s the daughter of the devil or spirits of two wronged girls — stay on your toes. As always…

…Play at your own risk.

Players:

• Two principals.

Requirements:

• Two coins, one for each player. The coins must each be of the same denomination.

Instructions:

Asking Permission:

1. Begin at any time.
2. Sit on the ground, with both principals facing each other.
3. Speak, in unison, the words, “Sara Sarita, may I enter your game?”
4. Together, have each principal throw their coins gently over their shoulders so that they land on the ground behind them.
   • If both coins are heads up: Permission has been granted. You may proceed to The Conversation.
   • If both coins are tails up: DO NOT PROCEED. You do not have permission to enter the game. You may ask again, but if both coins continue to fall tails up, it is NOT recommended that you persist in trying. Instead, apologize for being a nuisance and leave the room. You may try again another day.
   • If one coin is heads up and one coin is tails up: Proceed, but with caution. It is recommended that both principals ask to enter the game again; you may continue asking until you receive a clear answer (i.e., until both coins land either tails up or heads up).

The Conversation:

1. Once permission has been received by both participants, you may begin asking questions. Ask ONLY yes or no questions, and be sure to address “Sara Sarita” at the beginning of each one. Take turns, one at a time, speaking your questions clearly out loud. After each question, both principals should throw their coins over their shoulders.
   • If both coins are heads up: The answer to your question is “Yes.”
   • If both coins are tails up: The answer to your question is “No.”
   • If one coin is heads up and one coin is tails up: The answer to your question is “Maybe.”
2. When you have finished asking questions, proceed to The Farewell.

The Farewell:

1. To exit the game, speak, in unison, the words, “Sara Sarita, may I leave your game?”
   • If both coins are heads up: Permission has been granted. You may leave the game.
   • If both coins are tails up: You do NOT have permission to leave the game. Ask for it again.
   • If one coin is heads up and one coin is tails up: You do NOT have permission to leave the game. Ask for it again.
2. Do NOT exit the game until you have received permission to do so.
3. Keep the coins somewhere safe. It is not advisable to spend them.

Additional Notes:

The game may be played in any location; however, outdoor locations are not recommended due to the ease with which coins may be lost in such places. Do not play in any location where it would be easy for the coins to become lost. Losing your only means of exiting the game would be catastrophic.

You may get up from your sitting positions to retrieve your coins whenever necessary. Resume the sitting positions as soon as the coins have been retrieved.

Some sources recommend conducting the game in Spanish only; the reasoning is that it is preferable to conduct any ritual in the language native to the its country of origin (i.e., whoever or whatever you’re speaking with during the ritual may not understand a different language, or may be upset with you for using a language other than their own). However, not all sources agree on this point.

Some variations of the game deal differently with a “Maybe” response received during Asking Permission and The Farewell:

• Should one coin fall heads up and the other tails up during Asking Permission: This response may be interpreted as one principal having received permission to enter the game and the other having been denied it. In this interpretation, only the principal whose coin fell tails up must ask for permission again; once this principal’s coin has fallen heads up, both participants may proceed. If the principal’s coin continues to fall tails up, it is recommended that you cease trying; in this case, the principal who had previously been granted permission to enter should then ask permission to leave.
• Should one coin fall heads up and the other tails up during The Farewell: This response may be interpreted as one principal having received permission to leave the game and the other having been denied it. In this interpretation, only the principal whose coin fell tails up must ask for permission again; once this principal’s coin has fall heads up, both participants may exit the game.

It is not known if one interpretation of the “Maybe” response during these two sections is safer or more accurate than the other.

You may ask as many questions as you like, for as long as you like; however, pay attention to the responses. If you begin receiving a succession of “Maybes,” or if something feels otherwise “off,” it is advisable to proceed to The Farewell and end the game.

Do NOT attempt to rig the game in any way, shape, or form — e.g. using coins weighted to land on one specific side, throwing the coins in certain ways in order to solicit a certain answer from them, etc. Cheating is never advisable.

Do NOT put too much trust in the answers you receive. Whatever you’re talking to may not be telling the truth.

On that note:

Concerning The Farewell:

Exiting the game may not be as simple as it seems. According to some reports, it is possible to “receive permission” to leave the game, only to realize hours or even days later that something is… off. Maybe you feel as if you’re always being watched. Maybe you catch something out of the corner of your eye, but find nothing there when you turn to look at it head on. Maybe you think you hear whispers when you’re alone in the room.

Should you then ask, “Sara Sarita, am I still in your game?” and throw your coin you’re your shoulder…

…Well, you can guess the side on which the coin is likely to land, can’t you?

Sara Sarita: FAQ.

***

Please don’t copy or republish this post on other sites. Linking to it or sharing the URL is fine (and encouraged!), as is writing your own unique version of the game, but copying/pasting, republishing, or otherwise reproducing the text of this piece in its entirety or near-entirety on other websites without permission isn’t.

***

Follow The Ghost In My Machine on Twitter @GhostMachine13 and on Facebook @TheGhostInMyMachine. And don’t forget to check out Dangerous Games To Play In The Dark, available now from Chronicle Books!

[Photo via shotput/Pixabay]