Previously: The Text Skills Ritual Game.
Part summoning ritual and part information gathering game, the ritual game called the Headphones Game — or El Juego de los Auriculares, as I’ve generally encountered it — is simple to play. It doesn’t require you to play it at a specific time of year, or even a specific time of day; you don’t need a ton of supplies to play it (and the ones you do need, you probably already have); and it’s meant to be played in a space you already have access to: Your own bedroom.
It’s still not without risk, though. Summoning games are always risky. And information, too, can be risky. Are you sure you want to know what you think you want to know? And — perhaps more importantly — are you sure you want to know it in the way your correspond will tell it to you, should you choose to play this game?
[Like what you read? Check out Dangerous Games To Play In The Dark, available from Chronicle Books now!]
Decisions, decisions.
I’ve only ever seen this one in Spanish; additionally, it’s pretty much always in the same form — that is, the exact same chunk of text, copied and pasted and republished over and over and over again — making it a true creepypasta. The oldest version I’ve found dates back to December of 2015; given that that’s a Facebook post on a page known for curating and republishing creepypastas, however, that’s likely not its original source. Regardless, it’s roughly 10 years old, and had its primary heyday on the internet in 2016, when most of the copies of it were posted.
The original text namechecks the song “Gloomy Sunday,” which ties in an older urban legend in some interesting ways; to me, it reads as an attempt to make the game sound older or more established that it might actually be.
For the curious, “Gloomy Sunday” was written in 1933 by Hungarian composer Rezső Seress, while the lyrics were supplied sometime later by Hungarian poet László Jávorl. It’s sometimes referred to as “the most depressing song ever written”; some claim that it’s responsible for a number of deaths, allegedly leading to it being banned in a number of countries. The most well-known recording of it is Billie Holiday’s, which was set down in 1941.
Although the Headphones Game isn’t as popular today as it was a decade ago—and even though it doesn’t seem to have quite made the jump from the Spanish-speaking internet to other languages—you’ll still see it pop up from time to time today; often, though, it’s in a different medium: Video, mostly. (It’s all over YouTube and TikTok, for instance.)
Want to give the Headphones Game a try? Here’s how to play it.
But as always:
Play at your own risk.
Players:
- One principal.
Requirements:
- A recording of a slow, sad song — the slowest, saddest one you can think of.
- A device on which to play the song.
- Headphones through which to listen to the song.
- Three questions — no more, no less — to which you desires answers.
- A quiet, dark bedroom in which to play.
Instructions:
Setting The Mood:
- Begin at any time, although after sundown, when it is dark out, is recommended.
- Take your music player with your chosen song and your headphones to your bedroom. Close the door behind you.
- Draw the curtains or otherwise block the windows.
- Turn off the lights.
- Sit on your bed.
- Put on your headphones.
- Queue up your chosen song on your music playing device.
- Press “play.”
Asking Your Questions:
- Listen.
- Listen to your song.
- Listen to it for precisely one minute.
- At the one-minute mark, lower the volume on your music player just a little bit — enough that you are able to hear things other than the song, but not so low that you can no longer hear the song at all.
- Remove the headphones from one ear only: If your headphones are earbuds, remove one earbud; if they are over-ear headphones, slide one ear cup off of one ear. Make sure that the other ear still has access to the headphones, and that you can still hear your song playing softly with it.
- Now, ask the following question aloud: “Are you here?”
- Listen.
- Listen, with both ears. With one ear — the one that still has your headphones on — you should still hear your song playing.
- What do you hear with your other ear — the one without headphones?
- If you hear nothing unusual: The ritual has failed; do not proceed. Remove your headphones fully, turn on the lights, and turn off your music player. You may try again another time, if you wish.
- If you hear… something else: What is it? What do you hear? It should be a voice. It should say, simply, “Yes.”
- If you hear something other than a voice, or if it says something other than the word “yes,” remove your headphones immediately, turn on the lights, turn off your music player, and vacate the room. Close the door behind you, making sure to leave the lights on when you go. Do not return until daylight.
- If you hear what you are meant to hear, however, the ritual has succeeded; you may proceed.
- Still keeping the headphones on one ear, ask your first question aloud. Listen with the ear without headphones for your correspondent to answer.
- Still keeping the headphones on one ear, ask your second question aloud. Listen with the ear without headphones for your correspondent to answer.
- Still keeping the headphones on one ear, ask your third question aloud. Listen with the ear without headphones for your correspondent to answer — but be ready to move quickly and decisively as soon as you have received the information you seek.
Making Your Escape:
- Immediately after receiving your third answer, remove off your headphones and turn on the lights.
- Move.
- Move quickly.
- When the lights are on, you will be safe.
- When you are safe, turn off your music player.
- Congratulations; the game has concluded.
Additional Notes:
Regarding the music player: Many different types of music players and recording formats are permissible for this game, including but not limited to:
- A cassette player with a cassette tape featuring your chosen song;
- A CD player with a CD featuring your chosen song;
- An MP3 player with an MP3 of your chosen song;
- A streaming program or app run using a phone, tablet, computer, or other device playing a recording of your chosen song;
- Etc.
It is NOT recommended that you use the radio or any other form of music playback that does not grant you control of your playlist.
Regarding the song: Make sure your chosen song is an appropriate length. Do NOT allow the game to continue longer than the length of the song.
If your headphones are wired, make sure that they are plugged into your music player and test that they are working correctly before you begin the game.
If your headphones are wireless, make sure that they are paired with your music player and test that they are working correctly before you begin the game.
Do NOT attempt to play this game without headphones.
Regarding Your Correspondent:
First, be wary of what they tell you. They will answer your questions, and they will do so accurately… but they may not be as straightforward with their responses as you think. Consider what they say carefully. Be wary of taking what they say at face value.
If you do not like what you hear, do not take it out on them. They do not take kindly to being held responsible for that which is not their fault. Do not, as the saying goes, shoot the messenger.
And lastly:
After receiving your third answer, do not dally.
When I say “move quickly,” I mean move quickly.
Do NOT let your correspondent catch you.
They are not fast, it is true… but they will be so very, very close to you.
They will, in fact, be sitting right next to you.
Speed matters not. To catch you, all they must do is reach out and touch you.
And if that happens—
—Well.
Difficult moods can be hard to shake.
***
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[Photos via Nejko, Florian-Media, Photorama, piotras_ratm/Pixabay]