Previously: Soldier-san, or the Soldier Game.
You don’t need much to play the Japanese ritual game I’ve come to think of as the Shoulder Tap Ritual Game; all that’s really required are four players and a room with four corners. But just because this game is easy to pull together and simple to perform, don’t make the mistake of assuming it’s safe.
No game that attempts to summon an… otherworldly being is. Right?
[Like what you read? Check out Dangerous Games To Play In The Dark, available from Chronicle Books now!]
In its modern form, the Shoulder Tap Ritual Game is most closely associated with a kowai hanashi (怖い話) — a creepypasta, essentially — sometimes referred to as “The Mountain Hut.” “The Mountain Hut” itself is a specific subgenre of kowai hanashi, as well — one that’s usually rendered in English as “scary stories when you understand the meaning” (in the original Japanese, 意味が分かると怖い話). These kinds of stories also function as brainteasers; there’s a puzzle to solve within their purposefully obscure writing, which, when solved, makes the horror of the situation clear.
In “The Mountain Hut,” a group of mountaineers — sometimes four, other times five — find themselves set upon by a blizzard during one of their excursions, and subsequently locate a small hut in which to shelter until the danger has passed. In the five-person version of the tale, one of them is injured and subsequently dies before they make it to the hut, while in the four-person version, they all survive. While inside the hut, the four living members of the party attempt to pass the time (and, perhaps, stay awake, and therefore stay alive) by playing a game — this game, the rules to which you’ll find below.
It’s only after careful consideration that the implications of what precisely transpired become clear: That, in order for all four of them to be tapped on the shoulder or to have someone tap them continuously, without breaking the chain all night long, there would need to be a fifth player present. (Here’s a video diagram demonstrating why, from the game’s appearance in the 1995 TurboGrafx CD video game Hyaku Monogatari: Honto ni Atta Kowai Hanashi). So: Who — or what — was in the room with them?
“The Mountain Hut” circulated the internet widely in Japan in the early 2010s — but, as a Creator’s Eye column by Yoichi Tsunoda published over at the website Creator’s Station in 2021 notes, the game at the center of the story is, in fact, much, much older than that. Similar rule sets can be found in writings dating back to the Meiji period (1868 to 1912) and earlier; indeed, the oldest version Tsunoda points to dates back to the late Edo period (1603 to 1868).
Also worth noting: Although the Shoulder Tap Ritual Game bears some similarities with the ritual game known as the Corner Game, it is, as I observed in my 2016 examination of that particular legend, a bit different: First, the Shoulder Tap Game requires the players to tap each other on the shoulder in order to progress, while in the Corner Game, you are expressly not to touch each other while playing; second; players in the Shoulder Tap Game take turns moving, while in the Corner Game, everyone moves at the same time; and lastly, the Shoulder Tap Game primarily concerns the appearance of an additional player who should not be present, while in the Corner Game, that’s only one of the concerns — the other being the potential vanishing or disappearance of one of the human players.
It’s certainly possible — likely, even — that the Corner Game emerged as a variation on this game, but I think they’re still distinct enough to examine separately. So: Here’s how to play the Shoulder Tap Ritual Game.
As always, play at your own risk.
Players:
- Four participants.
Requirements:
- A dark, quiet room in which to play. The room MUST have four corners — no more, no less.
Instructions:
The Prelude:
- Begin at any time.
- Gather together all four participants.
- Together, enter the dark, quiet room in which you have chosen to play.
- Close the door behind you.
- Turn off the lights.
- Position one participant in each corner of the room, facing into the corner and away from the center of the room. Each participant should occupy their own corner; no two participants should occupy the same corner.
- Designate one participant as Participant A. Moving counterclockwise, the participant in the next corner should therefore be designated as Participant B. Continuing to move counterclockwise, the next participant should be designated as Participant C. The final participant is therefore designated Participant D.
- Whenever you feel ready — whenever Participant A deems it time — you may begin.
The Main Event:
- Participant A: You must be the one to begin. From your corner, walk slowly, following the line of the wall in the counterclockwise direction, to Participant B’s corner. When you reach Participant B, tap them gently on their shoulder.
- Participant B: When you feel Participant A tap your shoulder, it is your turn. From your corner, walk slowly, following the line of the wall in the counterclockwise direction, to Participant C’s corner. When you reach Participant C, tap them gently on their shoulder.
- Participant A: After Participant B has left their corner and begun walking, take up the position they formerly occupied in that corner. Face the wall. Do not face the center of the room.
- Participant C: When you feel Participant B tap your shoulder, it is your turn. From your corner, walk slowly, following the line of the wall in the counterclockwise direction, to Participant D’s corner. When you reach Participant D, tap them gently on their shoulder.
- Participant B: After Participant C has left their corner and begun walking, take up the position they formerly occupied in that corner. Face the wall. Do not face the center of the room.
- Participant D: When you feel Participant C tap your shoulder, it is your turn. From your corner, walk slowly, following the line of the wall in the counterclockwise direction, to the corner in which Participant A stood at the start of the game.
The Final Moment:
- Participant D: Reach out.
- Participant D: What do you find?
- If you find an empty corner: The ritual has failed. Turn on the lights, open the door, and have all participants exit the room. You may try again another time, if you wish.
- If you find a shoulder: Tap it.
- But be warned:
- You may also feel… something tap you in return.
Additional Notes:
There is no specific time at which the game must be played; however, you may find that some times achieve better results than others: Nighttime, for instance. Midnight, perhaps. Before sunrise, almost certainly.
It is not a requirement that the room be completely empty in order to play. However, the corners should be clear, and you should be able to walk along the walls of the room without tripping over or running into any other objects, furniture, etc. As such, you may find it useful to move any objects, furniture, etc. placed against the walls or in the corners into the center of the room before you begin.
Achieving a failure condition in The Final Moment is not necessarily a bad thing. It may, in fact, ultimately be the most desirable outcome. (See: Ending The Game.)
Ending The Game:
Should Participant D find a shoulder to tap in The Final Moment: There is no known way to “close out” the game following this tap.
The game may continue — whether you are still within the playing space or not.
And if the game continues, players may feel as if there is a… presence near them from time to time.
A Fifth Player.
A Participant E.
And sometimes, when you are least expecting it, you might suddenly feel it — there, lightly, on your shoulder:
Tap.
***
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!
[Photos via hunt-er, hansbenn, Tama66/Pixabay; IX K/Flickr, available under a CC BY 2.0 DEED Creative Commons license]
