The Most Dangerous Games: Soldier-san, Or The Soldier Game

Previously: The Lady In The Castle.

Got a few minutes, a group of friends, and access to a wide, open space? You might try playing the Soldier Game, or Soldier-san. It’s a summoning ritual game of some variety… although admittedly, it’s not quite clear what exactly you’re summoning.

Whatever it is, though, it’s big.

Really big.

Cosmically vast, you might say.

Rendered in Japanese as 兵隊さんゲーム (Heitai-san Gemu), the Solider Game was posted to 2ch twice in the late 2000s — first on May 31, 2007, and then again a few years later on July 3, 2009. I’ve been unable to locate any other sources, but according to both posters, they had originally encountered Soldier-san as a reader submission in an issue of the manga magazine サスペリア, or Suspiria, in roughly 1997.

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

Suspiria — which, yes, did in fact get its name from the 1977 Dario Argento classic — ran from 1987 to 2012; from its debut until the waning months of 2001, it was horror-focused, although in November of that year, it changed its name to サスペリアミステリー, or Suspiria Mystery, and became a mystery-centric publication instead.

The Soldier Game would therefore have appeared in the magazine during its horror years — which, of course, makes sense, given that it’s an occult-style ritual meant to test players’ courage. I’d argue that it also falls into the “eerie playground game” category that also encompasses Western games like Concentrate, Sandman, Cat Scratch, and the like.

This one, however, is also more of a group game—something that requires many more people to play than Concentrate or its fellows does. In that sense, it has a lot in common with a number of other Japanese ritual games, like the Answer Man or the Corner Game.

The Soldier Game is easy to play and doesn’t require any additional supplies — just enough people and the right location.

Good luck. But as always:

Play at your own risk.

Players:

• A group of willing participants. At least four is recommended, although more is better. (See: Additional Notes.)

Requirements:

• A large, open space in which to play. An outdoor location is strongly recommended. (See: Additional Notes.)

Instructions:

Prepare:

1. Begin at any time.
2. Gather all participants together in your chosen playing space.
3. Determine amongst the group one participant to act as Lookout. (See: Additional Notes.)
4. If you are the Lookout: Separate yourself out from the group, standing slightly away from the remaining participants.
5. Remaining participants: Stand in a circle and hold hands.
6. Lookout: Turn your eyes to the sky. Keep watch. It’s your job, after all — to look out.
7. Remaining participants: Close your eyes.

Summon:

1. Lookout: Keep watching. Do not close your eyes. Do not turn away.
2. Remaining participants: Keep your eyes closed. Remain in the circle. Continue holding hands. And, as you do so, begin chanting: “Soldier-san. Soldier-san. Soldier-san.”
3. Lookout: Keep watching. Do not close your eyes. Do not turn away.
4. Remaining participants: Keep your eyes closed. Remain in the circle. Continue holding hands. Keep chanting: “Soldier-san. Soldier-san. Soldier-san.”
5. Lookout: Keep watching. What do you see? When you begin to see… something — it is time.

Run:

1. Lookout: Alert your fellow participants. Shout, as loudly as you can: “IT’S HERE.” Then: RUN.
2. Remaining participants: The moment the Lookout shouts, open your eyes, drop your hands, and RUN.
3. Run as far and as fast as you can.
4. Run to safety… and hope that you make it in time.

Additional Notes:

No specific number of participants is described in any sets of instructions for this game discovered thus far. Given the requirement that participants be able to form a circle together, however, it is recommended that you play with no fewer than four participants — one to perform the role of the Lookout, and three to form the circle. Large groups are highly recommended. In this case, the more, the… merrier. Perhaps.

It is highly recommended that this ritual be performed in an outdoor location, such as a beach, a field, a clearing, an empty parking lot, etc. It is not expressly forbidden to perform it in an indoor location; in theory, it is possible to play it indoors, assuming the space is large enough — for instance, a school gymnasium, an empty warehouse, etc. However, the Lookout will have a much more difficult time performing their function in an indoor location; even in the event that the indoor space has many large windows or even skylights, the view of the sky will invariably be obstructed.

You may determine which participant is to be the Lookout however you like. One account mentions doing so by playing Rock, Paper, Scissors, although this method may be difficult to use depending on the number of participants active within the ritual. Other options include drawing straws, using a random number generator, or simply discussing it amongst the group and arriving at a consensus.

It is not known who, precisely, “Soldier-san” might be. It is also not known what “Soldier-san” might be. Whether it is the something which the Lookout observes, or whether it is something else, has not been determined.

Regarding The Lookout:

It is not entirely clear what you may or may not see as you observe the sky.

Some accounts describe black shadows gathering amongst the clouds which gradually come together to form the shape of a giant person.

Others describe the shadows forming a large face with large, staring eyes.

Occasionally, there is mention of a huge claw reaching out from the clouds.

You may see one of these things.

You may see several of these things.

You may see all of these things.

You may see none of these things.

But whatever you see…

Act fast when you see it.

Otherwise, you might not survive to tell the tale.

***

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[Photo via StockSnap, FinMiki, Pexels/Pixabay]