Previously: The Ritual Of Static.
Posted to both r/NoSleep and r/ThreeKings by Redditor u/kukla-ne-plach in December 2016, the Nesting Doll Game — also known as Уда́чная матрешка (phonetically: “Udachnaya Matryoshka”), or “Lucky Nesting Doll” — hails from Russia. According to u/kukla-ne-plach, who says they first heard about it at summer camp when they were around nine or 10 years old, it’s a dare frequently taken on by kids; in that respect, it sounds somewhat like Bloody Mary.
Notably, I haven’t been able to find the Nesting Doll Game anywhere else, either in English or in Russian — which means there are two possibilities here: If we assume that the background information provided by u/kukla-ne-plach is true, it’s been passed around verbally and hadn’t previously made it to the internet; or, if we assume that the background information is fabricated, then the whole thing is more along the lines of, say, 11 Miles (that is, it’s totally made up).
[Like what you read? Check out Dangerous Games To Play In The Dark, available from Chronicle Books now!]
Both possibilities are equally likely, so in the absence of further information, go with whichever one you like the most.
In any event, although the concept of nesting objects is ancient, matryoshka dolls themselves didn’t come into being until the late 19th century. In 1890, Vasily Zvyozdochkin crafted the very first matryoshka set based on a design by Sergey Malyutin. The set included eight dolls, with the largest being a girl in traditional dress holding a rooster and the smallest being a baby. You can see what it looks like here — and you can even still visit it in person: It’s part of the collection at Sergiev Posad’s Toy Museum.
As far as I know, matryoshka dolls aren’t generally considered to be good luck charms; however, it’s said that if you play this game correctly, then you’ll be rewarded either with good luck or your fondest wish.
A note on clarity: In this set of rules, “matryoshka doll set” refers to one complete matryoshka, encompassing all of the dolls of which it is made, while “doll” refers to an individual doll within the set. I’ve also cleared up part of u/kukla-ne-plach’s original instructions: Although they frequently referred to “pieces” throughout their post, they noted in a later comment that by “pieces,” they meant the total number of dolls in the set, not the actual number of pieces that make up all the dolls.
Oh, and, uh… remember what I said about what happens if you play the game correctly? Well, do not play it incorrectly. Seriously. Don’t screw this one up. It’s going to turn out very badly for you if you do.
As always, play at your own risk.
Players:
- One principal.
Requirements:
- At least one full matryoshka doll set. It is recommended that you acquire several sets before you begin.
- A windowless room.
- A large mirror. The mirror should be affixed to the wall or otherwise capable of standing upright on its own. (E.g., do not use a hand mirror.)
- Candles. At least 10 is recommended, although it may be prudent to gather more (see: Making The Wish, Step 2).
- A lighter or matches.
- Paper.
- A writing implement.
- A supply of salt.
- A bin, large container, or garbage can. It is not necessary to use a bin liner or trash bag within the bin.
- A power object. A “lucky charm” is recommended.
- A wish or desire.
Instructions:
Choosing The Set:
- Begin at night.
- If it is not already present, set up the mirror in the windowless room.
- If it is not already present, position the bin inside the windowless room.
- Hang your power object/lucky charm on the doorknob or handle on the outside of the windowless room.
- Enter the windowless room with the matryoshka doll set(s), candles, lighter or matches, salt, paper, and writing implement.
- Close the door behind you.
- Pick up a matryoshka doll set, disassemble it, and count the total number of dolls — not individual pieces — within the set.
- If there are an even number of dolls: DO NOT PROCEED. Do not put the matryoshka set back together. Place all of the set’s pieces in the bin and cover them with salt. You may try again with a different matryoshka doll set, or you may abort the ritual. If you abort the ritual, you may also try again another time.
- If there are an odd number of dolls: You may proceed. Put the individual dolls back together, but do not nest them; each doll should remain separate.
Making The Wish:
- Arrange the dolls in a line in front of the mirror. Their faces should be turned towards the mirror.
- Position a candle behind each doll (see: Additional Notes).
- NOTE: If you do not have one candle per doll, DO NOT PROCEED. Abort the ritual, gather the appropriate number of candles, and try again another time.
- Light the candles using your lighter or matches.
- Turn off the lights. The only source of light in the room should be the candles.
- Face the mirror.
- Examine each of the dolls through the mirror (that is, examine their reflections). Look carefully. Memorize every detail of each individual doll. Miss nothing; observe everything.
- When you are absolutely certain you have memorized the appearance of each doll, turn your back to the mirror. You may close your eyes, although it is not necessary to do so. Slowly — deliberately — count to seven.
- When reach the number seven, turn around to face the mirror once more.
- If one or more of the candles has gone out: DO NOT PROCEED. Instead, continue directly to If Anything Should Go Wrong.
- If one or more of the dolls looks different from what you memorized: DO NOT PROCEED. Instead, continue directly to If Anything Should Go Wrong.
- If the smallest doll is in the same position it was before: DO NOT PROCEED. Instead, continue directly to If Anything Should Go Wrong.
- If the smallest doll has fallen over or otherwise moved: You may proceed.
- Using the writing implement, write your wish or desire on the piece of paper. Then fold the paper up an odd number of times.
- Open up the second smallest doll — that is, the smallest of the dolls which is capable of opening — and place the folded paper inside.
- Set aside the smallest doll (the one that cannot be opened).
- Reassemble the matryoshka set, leaving the smallest doll out. (The folded paper has effectively taken the doll’s place.) As you put the set back together, make sure all of the dolls are facing the same direction, and that both pieces of each doll are lined up properly. Do NOT assemble the set with any pieces misaligned, or with any dolls facing a different direction from the others.
- Extinguish the candles.
- Open the door and leave the room, taking both the reassembled matryoshka set and the smallest doll with you.
- NOTE: If the power object/lucky charm is no longer hanging from the doorknob of the room, vacate the premises immediately. See: If Anything Should Go Wrong.
- If you previously discarded one or more matryoshka sets by placing them in the bin and covering them with salt, enlist a person you trust to retrieve the bin from the room and dispose of the discarded sets.
- Within an hour of leaving the windowless room, burn the matryoshka set except for the smallest doll. Burn it completely until it is nothing more than ash.
- When you go to bed that night, place the smallest doll under your pillow.
Reaping The Rewards… Or Paying The Price:
- When you wake up the next morning, look under your pillow.
- If the doll is gone: You have successfully completed the ritual. Pay attention in the coming days; your wish will soon be yours.
- If the doll is present: Your wish may not come true, but you have still succeeded in some small way. Keep the doll; it may bring you good fortune.
- If the doll is present, but looks different from how you remember it: Listen carefully:
Did you well and truly memorize each and every detail of each and every doll? Really? Did you? Or did you… fake it? Did you notice something different about one of the dolls in Making The Wish: Step 8 and continue anyway? Did you ignore a candle going out in Making The Wish: Step 8 and continue anyway? Did you disregard the position of the smallest doll in Making The Wish: Step 8 and continue anyway? Did you find your power object or lucky charm to be missing and continue anyway? Did you put the matryoshka set back together incorrectly? Did you lack the appropriate number of candles? Did you play with an even-numbered set?
You did, didn’t you?
You should not have done that.
At best, you now find yourself facing a year’s worth of poor luck. Anything you wish for will not come true. Anything you attempt will fail. Anything you desire will remain far from your grasp. And at worst? It… doesn’t bear thinking about.
You can burn the doll if you like, but there is no guarantee that doing so will have any effect.
I’m sorry.
But you have only yourself to blame.
Additional Notes:
Ideally, your location should be empty of all other people, pets, etc. before you attempt to play. If you are not able to clear the space out, instruct them not to interrupt you — no knocking on the door to the room, no making additional noise, and absolutely no removing your power object/lucky charm from the doorknob.
The room and mirror requirements may be easily satisfied if you have access to a bathroom with a vanity mirror and lots of counter space. However, it is not recommended that you perform this ritual in your own home. See: If Anything Should Go Wrong.
The correct setup for the matryoshka dolls, the mirror, and the candles in Making The Wish: Step 2 should look like this:
Concerning The Matryoshkas:
Newly purchased matryoshka sets may be used; however, they are not recommended. The ritual is much less likely to succeed with a brand new, store-bought set. Older is better; if you can, acquire yours through a garage or rummage sale, a thrift store, or an antique store. Better yet, use a set that has been passed down to you from an older family member — but do NOT “borrow” someone else’s set without asking for permission to do so first. Make sure they know that there’s a chance you’ll have to burn or otherwise destroy the set when you ask.
The rewards are greater when the game is played with a large set filled with many dolls; however, the risk is also much greater. The more dolls there are, the more details you must remember.
DO NOT play this game with a matryoshka set containing an even number of dolls.
If Anything Should Go Wrong:
Should your game be interrupted at any point, or should you encounter any red flags, immediately enact the following procedure:
- Extinguish all of the candles.
- Do NOT turn on the light.
- Grasp the doorknob and close your eyes.
- While you are holding the doorknob with your eyes shut, repeat the following phrase seven times: “Я не хочу играть.” (Phonetically: “Ya ne hochu igrat.” English translation: “I do not want to play.”)
- Open the door and exit the room. Do NOT take anything with you, and do NOT return.
- If the power object/lucky charm is still attached to the doorknob: Enlist the help of a person you trust to place all the dolls and sets in the bin, cover them in salt, remove them from the room, and dispose of them completely.
- If the power object/lucky charm is no longer attached to the doorknob: Vacate the premises immediately. Do not return. Ever.
One Last Warning:
If, at any point, you notice that one of the dolls has begun to look like you yourself…
…It’s already too late.
I’m sorry.
***
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!
[Photos via Schwoaze/Pixabay; Lucia Peters/The Ghost In My Machine]
Morticia Addams says
I sometimes see “power objects” mentioned in ritual game descriptions but I can’t seem to find an explanation of what a power object is. Is it just an object with a lot of personal significance to the player? An object with a lot of positive energy or luck? Or does it depend on the ritual?
Nana says
I remember reading a story few years back in one of those comics where they draw out short horror stories (which I still don’t know if they’re real or not) .
In the story, there was this actress who was easily agitated and was at a hotel which she considered ‘cheap’ and ‘tacky’. In her room, there was a set of those dolls – 7 if I remember correctly.
Well, this actress heard whispers which she presumed to be from neighbouring rooms and made complaints to her managers. I remember her accidentally breaking the smallest doll with her heel when she tripped over it. She got even more angry and started insulting it.
I think she died in an accident after that, don’t remember how. But at the end, another person looked at the dolls, and said something along the lines of “Hey, doesn’t this one look particularly like [actress name] ?”
I remember the doll looking angry too…
Ziaheart says
What would happen if you used a set that you got from a thrift store/garage sale that were, unbeknownst to you, missing a doll or two? I know it recommends not using a new set, but I feel like it’s too risky to use a set whose history you don’t know.
Carmen says
Ok, so concerning the deal with if the dolls start to look like you. What if they were already made to look like you?
bob says
ok, this is really freaking me out right now. I own a set of nesting dolls, but I didn’t buy them for this. I bought them because of Carmen Sandiego
Dark_Little_Raven says
What if you made your own set? Would that work or not?
Ash says
What if I were to use a set of dolls that I’ve had since childhood? The emotional connection would be stronger, but I’m also very familiar with the pattern and I know there are 7. Is that cheating?
Spencer says
It helps if they’re old, in fact it recommends it. So I don’t think memorization or counting on the spot is as required
Hannah says
I might get someone else to do this for me (lol) but in case I do it, would it be cheating to use IDENTICAL dolls so you just have to memorize one pattern? And what if it doesn’t have a face anyway?
nicette says
Does your wish on the piece of paper have to be in russian for this to work? I mean, if you have to end the ritual in russian it’d be safe to assume the ritual itself should be done in russian. What about the counting up to seven?
And concerning the Matryoshkas: Most traditional Matryoshkas have a lot of details; what if one of the dolls DOES change but it’s so small that you don’t notice? You’d die, right? Then it’d be recommended to use a set without tons of details. Or would that be considered cheating?
Not that i’d ever do this, i’m a chicken and there are too many ways this could go wrong.
Jia says
An okay… Last paragraph was the scariest…. Love ya Lucia!!!???
Mayflower says
OMG don’t play this in your house. you may never be able to return…(if anything should go wrong, power object gone…)
iLoveChocolate says
What exactly happens once a doll starts looking like the player?
Purple Girl The Horror Fan says
You die.
Mayflower says
Yep… I believe doing this process brings a spirit to the nesting dolls. If the nesting doll begins to look like you, it means the spirit is haunting you, I guess?
mindy says
I’m assuming since the smallest one cannot be opened, your soul will be stuck there.
Solis says
This is freaking real!!! My mother had knowledge of and did something very similar to get her way. I’m a little spooked cause I’m only just now registering this. Also I think my grandma knew of this too.
Emm says
Could you ask them how it went about?
A. T. says
I’m a Christian orthodox. Lately I’ve been concerned about whether playing these games is regarded as a sin concerning my religion. Even though I’ve asked many people, not one has ever given me a valid answer. I just want to know if and why these games are considered sinful. Is there anyone that could help me?
A. T. says
P.S.: When playing these games, I’m definitely NOT looking for trouble surrounding the matter of religion, I just want to have fun with my friends and do things that are out of the ordinary.
E_mme says
I’m a Christian (non-Orthodox, though; practicing Protestant). I’m not sure if I can give context to your particular beliefs or practices, but in my faith things like divination and spiritual contact are prohibited. This includes (but is not limited to) seances, palmistry, Tarot readings, Ouija boards, attempts at contacting deceased/demonic/ghostly/mythical entities, and so forth.
Like you, I think it’s interesting to contemplate things that are “out of the ordinary,” and wonder about the invisible forces at work in our world (if there are any, and I’m not here to discount that possibility). But I would never attempt any of these because A) I’m a chicken; and more importantly, B) my faith prohibits it.
Granted, I’m not saying that I believe that dark forces would attack me if I played the Nesting Doll Game incorrectly. But if I were to perform a ritual (even half-heartedly) that purports to tell me my future or summon a spirit, that would be incongruous with my beliefs. So to the best of my understanding (for my own faith, anyway) it’s better to not mess with it, even in fun.
(But again, that’s my understanding of my own religion, and my own relationship with that religion. As a Christian, I can’t participate in good conscience; but that doesn’t mean other people can’t, or that I can’t enjoy these games in theory or as creative works! I have absolutely no intention of disrespecting anyone who wants to take a crack at any of these rituals, or has a different understanding of and/or relationship with spiritual practice(s) than I do.)
Mark says
I’m not a Christian so I can’t give you an accurate answer, but I’ll try to give you a few ideas of what you’re doing so you can figure it out.
In these games you are summoning something else, something that isn’t exactly benevolent. You are making a deal or gamble with them.
On the other hand, just going into this as a weird fun game? I think you’ll be safe. Intent is a large part of these things. You’re not intending to make a deal, or summon something. You are just playing.
I can’t give you a definitive answer unfortunately, you’d have to decide that on your own.
Purple Girl The Horror Fan says
I think that depends on the game you play. In games like the gambler’s game, you’re striking up a deal with an entity to provide you with success and good fortune, instead of working for it. In la cegua, the stranger ritual, etc, you’re summoning an entity, giving it presents, and in return you ask it to harm or give you the power to harm another person. And you don’t need to do that. If there is someone who has wronged you, don’t worry, God will slap them back in the face soon. If the game you wish to play falls in any of these two categories, it can be a sin. While in games like hide and seek alone, you’re merely doing it to explore the world of the paranormal, which is definitely not a sin.
Choose a game carefully.
Hope this helped! 🙂
Purple Girl The Horror Fan says
I have a doll set which is sort of like the one in the picture, but they aren’t exactly ‘dolls’. They are penguins. Will a set like that work? If yes, I’m digging that thing up from my boxes of childhood toys.
Mayflower says
…I doubt it. I love penguins though. ?❤️
LoneComa says
Yo, at some point you should put the Mimal the elf game on here. I just got done watching a video on it.
Jeremy says
What happens if the dolls don’t change and everything does go as planned but you choose not to continue?
ArizaLuca says
I don’t think anything would really happen? I’d apologize to the spirit and say that you don’t want to play anymore, and maybe do the ‘If Anything Goes Wrong’, but again… not sure.
Katrina says
Never playing this. Too dangerous. I think this game has one of the highest chances of going wrong, probably more than the Dark Reflection ritual. Who the hell even had the idea to create such a dangerous ritual??? A seriously messed up person, that’s who. LOL. BTW Lucia, do you have Pinterest? If so, I don’t know what you go by, so I’m wondering. If not, its ok. Thanks!
Lucia says
Hi! I’m not really an active Pinterest user. Sorry!
Katrina says
That’s ok!
Mayflower says
I think so too, there are way more endings (red flags?) that end in you DYING compared to good. The reward is great but the price you pay if you fail… it’s almost irreversible.
Mayflower says
…because if you have poor luck, surely you have a better chance of dying?
Alex says
Is it cheating if we count the number of dolls in the set beforehand to make sure we have an odd number? Also, you’re supposed to have a candle for every doll, but is it okay to have more candles than dolls?
Sunset Fountain says
Yes, that would be considered cheating. Even the OP of this recipe says that you should buy multiple sets just to be sure there is one of them with an odd number of dolls.
You could bring more candles just in case some won’t light. Just don’t use more candles than dolls, the spare candles should be put away in the room where you’re performing the ritual.
Adya says
What happens if the doll starts to look like the player?
The Auctioneer says
I’m curious about what happens when a doll begins to look like you. Does your soul get stolen and possibly placed inside the doll that looks like you? Do you get possessed?
memes says
What if you were to complete any of these rituals in a dream or lucid dream? Would there be the same consequences or any at all?
Katrina says
Considering that the the spirit realm, dream realm, and our realm are all connected, there would probably be some consequences.
Mark says
I would suggest you don’t. Dreams do not have any kind of barrier between the supernatural and you, while in the real world you have the physical barrier between you. Entities would be far stronger and your fail safes will be far less efficient. Being lucid might protect you from it in your dream, but nothing’s to say it’s not going to follow you out.
Unknown says
I remember a story I read that a famous but arrogant Russian actress checked into a hotel one night and received some of those dolls. At night she keeps hearing whispers in the dark. One day, she got pissed off when she tripped on the smallest doll (I think the one can’t be opened) and smashed the doll. In the dark, she keeps hearing ‘Lost one’. During a shooting, she was driving a car when the wheel went out of control and killed her. Russia was devastated. When her director went to her room to pack all her stuff, he was surprised when he saw that one of the dolls had the face of the actress.
ArizaLuca says
Who was the actress?
Purple Girl The Horror Fan says
WTF!?
wolfgirl0224 says
Ohhhh I remember this one, except I read it in a comic.
Summer says
I love these games. It always gives me chills down my spine. What happens if the doll looks like you?
Newton says
What happens when the dolls start to look like you??
Larryann343 says
I’ve heard (ironically, from summer camp) that you become totally catatonic within the coming days from what you see after a doll starts to look like you. It traumatizes you with some kind of vision. IDK exactly what kind.
Sunset Fountain says
Then all is lost… You have been marked.
What says
Marked with what, though? With like, a marker?
SuperCaligro says
It’s just another way of saying you have been targeted.
Kathryn says
Must you say the failsafe phrase in the native language, or are you allowed to say it in your own language?
Iconus says
As per all rituals, it is safer to stick to the instructions exactly. Doing so in a language you’re more comfortable with that deviates from the instructions would at best, void the ritual and make it ineffective, and at worst anger whatever is being called during the ritual.
In this case, not using the ritual’s native language would indicate to the entity that you still want to play – simply because you didn’t follow the failsafe exactly.
Mon says
Well, you should say it in native language. The author even post the pronunciation and translation as optional.
Magic Kingdom Snake says
Why put the charm on the door if the entity/bad energy is already inside of the room? Is it a sort of failsafe?
Iconus says
Imagine this: you are already engaged in a ritual with an unknown entity. Such rituals tend to attract more of their ilk. You don’t want to be disturbed.
Sunset Fountain says
I believe that the charm would act as some kind of link with the outside “normal” world. The room where the ritual is performed becomes a place that is affected by the ritual. Who knows? Maybe if you decided to not put the charm and go outside after completing the ritual you would wake up in a totally different reality.
Sunset Fountain says
You said that we should place a candle BEHIND every doll. But in the picture the candle is in the front of the doll. Am I missing something here?
Lucia says
The picture is an aerial view — the dolls’ faces should be facing the mirror, so the candles are placed behind them (at the dolls’ backs). Hope this helps!
Sunset Fountain says
Are you sure this is right? I read the recipe from r/Nosleep and the comments and there’s nothing that implies that the dolls should be facing the mirror. Also, can you touch the dolls and rotate them in order to look for the details?
Sunset Fountain says
Sorry just got it. I must have overlooked that detail. It is so easy to oversee these things… and everything to take a wrong turn. But the question with touching still remains.
Lucia says
The instructions in the source links don’t state that you can pick the dolls up while you’re examining them, so I wouldn’t touch them once you’ve set them up — the reason the dolls’ faces are supposed to face the mirror is so you can examine their reflections during the memorization step. My sense is that it would be too easy to complete if you were allowed to pick them up (there’s more of a challenge if you have to memorize them through their reflections, which makes sense, given the worth of the reward if you succeed); besides, there’d be no point in setting up the whole mirror-dolls-candles arrangement if you were just going to pick up the dolls again during the memorization step.
Hope this helps!
Iconus says
The thing about these kind of rituals is that if any action is not explicitly stated in the instruction, it isn’t allowed. Doing so will most likely mess up the ritual. In this case, rely on the mirror to observe the front of the dolls, tilt your head slightly to observe the rear and sides of each doll.