The Most Dangerous Games: O Jogo das Tres Formas, Or The Three Cups Game

Previously: The Shadow Doll Game.

Note: Please don’t copy/paste, republish, or narrate this post on other websites, video platforms, etc. without permission.

The ritual game known in Brazil as O Jogo das Três Formas — translated from Portuguese, something like the Game Of The Three Forms (or possibly Three Shapes, depending), but perhaps better understood as something like The Three Cups Game — is easily played from a logistical standpoint; it’s also, however, a high-risk, high-reward game. If you’re looking for a way to induce something good to happen to you, you might play it for that purpose. Just… be prepared for the possibility that you might not get what you want. In fact, be prepared for the possibility that you might get the opposite of what you want.

O Jogo das Três Formas (which is sometimes written as O Jogo das 3 Formas) doesn’t seem to have circulated very widely. I’ve seen it only in a few places — a now-defunct horror Tumblr, a now-defunct horror Facebook page, and a horror-centric forum called Terra Proibida, or Cursed Land. Dated Nov. 13, 2012, the Terra Proibida version is the oldest one of the three; however, the Facebook one is dated just two weeks later, and they’re all the same piece of text, copied and pasted, word for word anyway. In that sense, it seems like it might be a creepypasta in the original sense of the phrase.

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What’s sort of interesting about this one is the fact that the name of the one entity named that might make an appearance while playing this game is written as “ThreeForms” — that is, it’s in English, and a sort of smushing-together of two separate words made into one unusually-rendered proper noun. I wondered if this indicated a possible English language origin, but I haven’t been able to dig up any sources in English on this game, so for now, I’ve concluded that it may not.  

In any event, here’s a version of it adapted and rendered in English, although note that, as always, I’m dealing with my own cultural and linguistic limitations as a researcher here. Also remember that even though O Jogo das Três Formas/the Three Cups Game isn’t complicated to play… it sure as heck isn’t safe.

As always, play at your own risk.

Players:

• Three principals — no more, no less.

Requirements:

• Three drinking glasses.
• Three candles.
• Matches or a lighter.
• Six small pieces of paper.
• Three writing implements.
• Tape or other adhesive.
• A time-keeping device.
• A flat surface on which to play — a table, the floor, etc.
• A safe place to hide.

Instructions:

The Preparations:

1. Begin prior to midnight.
2. Gather together all participants and requirements.
3. Separate out three of the pieces of paper. On one, use the writing implement to write the word “good.” On the second, write the word “bad.” On the third, write the word “nothing.”
4. Using the tape or adhesive, fasten each piece of paper to one of the drinking glasses, such that the words face the insides of the glasses (that is, looking at the glass from the outside, you should not be able to see the words).
5. Arrange the three glasses and the three candles on the flat surface into the following formation (see diagram for details): The glasses and candles should be placed in two lines parallel to each other, with one line consisting of a glass, then a candle, then another glass, and the second consisting of a candle, a glass, and then another candle. You should not be aware of which glass is labeled with which word.

6. Once the glasses and candles are in place, take the remaining pieces of paper and hand one to each participant. Each participant should also take a writing implement, and use it to write their own name on their piece of paper.
7. Now: Gather the pieces of paper with your names on them, and mix them up so that you are no longer certain which piece of paper contains which name. You may do so however you like: Place them face-down on the flat surface and slide them around with your hands; take them in your hands shuffle them as you would a group of playing cards; etc.
8. Do NOT attempt to mark or distinguish any of the pieces of paper from each other. By the end of the mixing process, you MUST NOT KNOW which paper belongs to which participant. DO NOT cheat, either inadvertently or on purpose.
9. Wait.
10. Keep an eye on the time.
11. Is it midnight?
12. No?
13. Keep waiting.
14. What about now?
15. Yes? It’s midnight?
16. Good. You may proceed.

The Main Event:

1. At precisely midnight, light each of the three candles using the matches or lighter and place one piece of paper — the ones bearing your names — in each glass.
2. Now: Wait.
3. You need not close your eyes, but you may if you wish.  
4. Wait.
5. If you have performed the ritual correctly thus far, you will each see, in your mind’s eye… something. The something you see will reflect the glass your name has been placed within.
   • If you see nothing: You will know that your name sits within the glass labeled “nothing.”
   • If you see a strikingly beautiful person: You will know that your name sits within the glass labeled “good.”
   • If you see a strange creature: You will know that your name sits within the glass labeled “bad.”
6. Do NOT tell each other what you see. Keep this information to yourself.
7. Observe these images until 10 minutes past midnight. At precisely 12:10am, remove the names from the glasses, mix them up again, and redistribute them into the glasses. Do NOT look at the names. Do NOT look at the labels on the glasses.
8. Wait.
9. You need not close your eyes, but you may if you wish.  
10. Wait.
11. If you have performed the ritual correctly thus far, you will again each see, in your mind’s eye… something.
    • If you see nothing: You will know that your name sits within the glass labeled “nothing.”
    • If you see a strikingly beautiful person: You will know that your name sits within the glass labeled “good.”
    • If you see a strange creature: You will know that your name sits within the glass labeled “bad.”
    • If you see the same thing you saw before: You will know that your name sits within the same glass it was placed in the first time.
12. Observe these images until 20 minutes past midnight. At precisely 12:20am, remove the names from the glasses, mix them up again, and redistribute them into the glasses once more. Do NOT look at the names. Do NOT look at the labels on the glasses.
13. Wait.
14. You will not see anything this time, but wait.
15. Wait until 30 minutes past midnight. At precisely 12:30am, retrieve your names from the glasses — and this time, make sure you take note of which name corresponded to which glass.
    • If your name was in the “nothing” glass: For you, the game ends here. You will neither experience anything good, nor anything bad in the coming days. Vacate the premises, and go about with your daily life.
    • If your name was in the “good” glass: For you, the game ends here. You will experience something very good in the coming days. Vacate the premises, and go about your daily life, and be thankful.
    • If your name was in the “bad” glass: For you, the game does NOT end here. You will experience nothing good in the coming days. Vacate the premises for now, and go about your daily life for now — but also continue to the next step.

The Next Step:

If your name was in the “bad” glass, the followings instructions are for you, and you alone:

1. Each night hereafter, you must hide between midnight and 12:30am. If you are unable to hide, you will experience your worst nightmare, night after night, brought to you by the figure known as “ThreeForms.”
2. There is only one reason not to hide:
3. You have decided to play the game again.
4. You may play with the same participants as last time, or with two new participants to join you — the choice is yours.
5. But you must play the game — if you want the nightmares to stop.
6. You must play the game until your name finds its way into the “good” glass.
7. You may play it as many times as necessary to achieve this result.
8. Now: Think carefully.
9. Do you really want to start playing in the first place?

Additional Notes:

Due to the use of lit candles and open flames in this game, it is recommended that players take common sense fire safety precautions: Ensure that nothing flammable is positioned near the candles, matches, or lighter; procure an operational fire extinguisher and familiarize yourself in how to use it; etc.

Do NOT attempt to rig the game in any way, shape, or form. At best, the ritual will simply not work. At worst… well. Best leave that possibility where it lies.

If any of the candles unexpectedly goes out during the course of the game, you MUST relight it immediately. Do not dawdle; there simply isn’t time.

On The Cyclical Nature Of This Ritual:

Sources are not clear whether a participant whose name is discovered in the “bad” glass in the third round of the game must discover their name in the “good” glass specifically in the third round of successive games to eliminate the threat to their person, or whether it is sufficient for their name to be discovered in the “good” glass during the first or second round of successive games. Regardless, it is recommended that, should you find yourself in the position of having your name in the “bad” glass in the third round of a game, you play any successive games fully to their conclusion.

Note that this means that, when your name is finally cleared… someone else will now be in your former position.

The only way to end the cycle… is to bear the burden yourself.

Forever.

The Three Cups Game: FAQ.

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[Photo via ribeiro76/Pixabay]