The Most Dangerous Games: Answers In The Dark

Previously: The 10-Day Dream Ritual.

As far as I know, the ritual game Answers In The Dark has only appeared online in one location: The r/RitualisticReddit subreddit, where it was posted in July of 2012 — more than a decade ago — by a user who was inactive for about 11 years thereafter. (Their posting history stopped in September of that year and only picked up again in the summer of 2023.) My sense is that it’s an invention of that user, so I would image your mileage may vary. Still, though: If you’re looking for a relatively simple information gathering game, this one might be for you.

The setup will be familiar to anyone with prior knowledge of similar games — think Sara Sarita, the Martha Game/La Martita, the Game Of The Scissors And The Book, the Playing Card Game, and so on. It’s a yes-or-no game — that is, any questions you ask must be yes-or-no questions — and although the Reddit post seems to omit the manner in which your answers will be given, it’s discernible if you read between the lines a bit.

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

I’ve attempted to fill in the blanks here; for what it’s worth, though, the Answers In The Dark ritual also seems fairly adaptable, so what you’ll find below is just one way to play it. There’s fire involved, so please take common sense fire safety precautions — and, for both that… other reasons:

Play at your own risk.

Players:

• One principal.

Requirements:

• A small, portable light source. (See: Additional Notes.)
• A time-keeping device. A timer or an alarm is optional, but recommended.
• A large, flat, hardtop surface. (See: Additional Notes.)
• Chalk.
• Matches or a lighter.
• A fireproof dish or other fireproof receptacle.
• A substantial supply of paper. (See: Additional Notes.)
• Questions — yes-or-no questions, as many as you like, seeking whatever knowledge or information you wish to know.
• A dark, quiet room in which to play.

Instructions:

The Preparations:

1. Begin after night has fallen.
2. Bring your supplies to the dark, quiet room. Close the door behind you.
3. If the room has windows, draw the curtains or otherwise block the windows. Ensure that as little light as possible leaks into the room from the outside — none, ideally.
4. On the large, flat, hardtop surface, use the chalk to draw two boxes roughly 12 inches or 30 centimeters apart. Write the word “Yes” above one box. Write the word “No” above the other.
5. Using the lighter or matches, carefully burn the paper, one sheet at a time, collecting the ashes in the fireproof dish as you go. Keep burning the paper until you have enough ashes to completely cover each of the boxes drawn in the previous step.
6. Allow the ash to cool completely. Do NOT proceed until the ash has completely cooled.  
7. Carefully spread a thin layer of ash in each box, ensuring that the boxes are completely filled and covered.
8. Set up your portable light source within easy reach of the ash-covered boxes; then turn it on or light it. Then, turn off any other lamps, lights, etc. within the room. Your portable light source should be the ONLY illumination in the space.
9. Refer to your time-keeping device. Make note of the time. If using a timer or alarm, set it to go off after no more than one hour. You may set the alarm for less time, if you wish.
10. Now: Begin.

The Correspondence:

1. Sit before the ash-covered boxes quietly for a moment. Collect yourself. Take a few deep breaths, if you like. You do not have to close your eyes, but you may, if you like.
2. Then, when you are ready, speak aloud the following words: “I invite you to cross the threshold. Speak to me.”
3. Wait.
4. Wait.
5. Wait until you feel a presence — until you know you are no longer alone in the room. Then: Proceed.
   • NOTE: If, after a significant period of time, you DO NOT feel a presence, the ritual has failed. Do not proceed. Clear the ash and wipe the boxes away. It is recommended that you perform a cleansing ritual or procedure of your choice. You may try again another time.
6. If the ritual has succeeded, you may now begin to ask your questions. After each question, look closely at the two ash-covered boxes:
   • If the ash has been disturbed within the box marked “Yes,” the answer to your question is yes.
   • If the ash has been disturbed within the box marked “No,” the answer to your question is no.
   • If the ash is disturbed in both boxes, or in neither box, that is an answer, as well: It may mean that your correspondent does not know, or that they do not wish to answer, or that the answer is more complicated than a simple “Yes” or “No.”
7. After you have received each answer, redistribute the ashes within the box or boxes, ensuring that each box’s ashes have been restored to their full, complete layer before you ask your next question.

The Farewell:

1. Keep an eye on the time; or, listen carefully for your timer or alarm.
2. When an hour has passed, and/or when your timer or alarm sounds, it is time to end the game. Thank your correspondent for their time; tell them it is time for them to leave; and bid them farewell. You may use whatever script you like to communicate this message, as long as it is polite and respectful.
3. Do NOT allow The Correspondence to go on for LONGER than one hour.
4. Once you have said goodbye, clear the ash and wipe the boxes away. It is also recommended that you perform a cleansing ritual or procedure of your choice.
5. Now you may turn off or extinguish your portable light source, turn on the lights, and open the curtains.

Additional Notes:

Please note that, due to the use of flames and fire, this ritual should be considered a FIRE HAZARD. Players are STRONGLY encouraged to take common sense fire safety precautions, such as keeping a working fire extinguisher in easy reach at all times, clearing the playing space of any flammable items or substances, etc. We are not responsible for anything that may befall you, should you choose to undertake this game.

Regarding the required supplies:

• The small, portable light source: Options include a candle (flameless or traditional), a flashlight, a camping lantern, etc. If choosing to use a traditional candle, you may light it at the appropriate moment using the matches or lighter used to create the ash utilized elsewhere in the game. Additionally, should you use a traditional candle, please see the previous note regarding this game’s status as a fire hazard.
• The large, flat, hardtop surface: It is recommended that a large table be used for this item, on which the chalk boxes should be drawn directly. If you do not have access to a table suitable for this purpose, however, other options may be utilized, including the floor of the room in which you have chosen to play, so long as it is not carpeted, covered in a rug, or similar.  
• The paper: There is no set amount of paper that must be used, or any specific variety of paper that must be used. The only requirement is that it create enough as to fill the two chalk boxes completely. You may also use ash generated from another source — tobacco, for instance — although most players will likely find paper to be the most easily accessible and cost-effective option.
• The questions: They MUST be yes-or-no questions. Do NOT prepare questions that are not yes-or-no questions.

Concerning Your Correspondent:

Please note that your correspondent is NOT an omniscient being. They do not know everything, and they may not always choose to share what they know.

They may also lie.

As such, you would be wise to take their answers with a grain of salt.

They may have an agenda of their own, after all.

What’s more, they may not necessarily wish to leave when you want them to.

Be careful — and do NOT allow the game to go on for longer than one hour.

There’s a reason for the time limit, you see. Eviction becomes more difficult the longer you allow your correspondent to stay — and if they stay too long, they might become more than a correspondent.

They might become a resident.

Answers In The Dark: FAQ.

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

[Photo via Life-Of-Pix/Pixabay]