Previously: Frequently Asked Questions, Vol. XXIII.
It’s that time again: Our annual entry into the ongoing Most Dangerous Games Frequently Asked Questions database we’ve had going here at The Ghost In My Machine for… more than a decade, actually! Entry number one was published in 2015, and we’re now on entry 24. How time flies!
As always, these are my best attempts to answer the questions about ritual games that have popped up in the comments section over the past year; they’re not necessarily the be the be-all, end-all, but they’re based on research, experience, and close reading, so they’re pretty accurate (or at least, I think they are). I’ll do my best to add this batch to the Master FAQ when I get a chance.
[Like what you read? Check out Dangerous Games To Play In The Dark, available from Chronicle Books now!]
Now: Onward!
General/Miscellaneous:
For games that require a candle, do the candles need to be scentless, or can I use any of the ones in my house? And do they have to be unused? I have a few non-burnt ones, but they all have scents.
Most games that require candles will specify if a particular type is permissible or not.
Regarding scents: It’s worth noting that for games where you’re meant to pay attention to changes in your environment, scent can be one of the things to look for; as such, I’d be wary of playing with scented candles, as they can make detecting changes in your general environment’s scent harder to detect.
In most cases, you’ll be best served by using brand new candles that have never been burned before, but again, it’s on a case-by-case basis. Pay attention to whether the rules of the game you intend to play have specifications about the kinds of candles needed or the states in which the candles should be when choosing the candles you’ll use.
Is it possible to play one of the wish-granting games to ensure a favorable outcome for every subsequent ritual game I play? Like, could I play something like the 11 Miles Game beforehand and wish for the book in the Ghost Book Game never to rotate more than three times?
You know how, in legends about djinn, or genies in lamps, or other wish-granting beings, there are often stipulations that you can’t wish for more wishes, or other similar kinds of loopholes? You’re talking about a similar kind of loophole here — so I suspect the same principle applies. If any wish-granting ritual could be used to totally negate the dangers of any other ritual, wish-granting or otherwise, what would even be the point?
There’s a tradeoff here. To get something you want, you need to be willing to risk something you have. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
There may be subtleties to parse, of course — instances where, say, you can use one ritual to build a little protection for yourself in preparation for a different ritual. But using one ritual as a get-out-of-jail-free card is… kind of cheating a little. And many of the games have stipulations about cheating.
Which is to say: You could try, of course. But if things… don’t work out like you thought they would? You probably should have seen it coming.
So consider yourself warned.
I always wonder, when it comes to rituals that require you to write down your name, do you have to use your birth name?
Not necessarily. The name you were given at birth isn’t necessarily your true name — and in some cases, the name you consider to be your true name matters more than the name you were given at birth.
As is often the case, there isn’t a catch-all answer here; the name you use for any given ritual will vary depending on the specific game you’re playing. Attention to detail pays off. Cultivate it.
The Journey Of The Spirit Ritual:
What if you get the call and don’t pick up?
This is the correct action; it will keep you safe.
Or what will happen if you do pick it up?
This is the incorrect action; it will result in your probable demise.
Remember the person you haven’t met yet? The person whose finger you found during the course of your journey?
They’re going to want it back.
And if they’re calling you… they know how to get it.
They know where to get it.
They know who has it: You.
And they will do whatever it takes to retrieve it from you.
Leaving you… intact afterwards is not part of their agenda.
But you know better than to get yourself into a situation where your phone will be ringing after playing this game, right? You know better than to ignore the rules.
Turn your phone off before you begin. Better yet, don’t even bring it with you; turn it off and leave it somewhere else.
It’ll be better for everyone if you do.
How To Experience Your Inner World:
Would the rule of leaving if you see anyone in the room still be applicable if you are reliving a memory with people in it? Such as a birthday party or a dream you once had?
A correction to your understanding of the game and its circumstances: You’re not reliving a memory of your room; you’re recalling the room itself — just the space, not a specific event that happened in the space. So, if you’ve followed the instructions correctly, you shouldn’t be imagining people inside your room at all.
Ergo, the rule still stands: If you see people in your room when you step inside, leave immediately — or suffer the consequences.
Another question I had is if it could be turned into more of an adventure if you go through another door that you find in your room?
I mean, I suppose you could try; you just… might not be able to make your way back to the waking world again if you do.
You might become lost.
It is not recommended that you become lost.
The Three-Mask Ritual Game:
Wouldn’t saying “I don’t know” be a guaranteed loss? If so, why would that be an option when simply guessing seems to be a better option?
It’s not a guaranteed loss as long as you do not actually know which statement is the lie. If you don’t know and you say, “I do not know,” then you are not giving an incorrect answer: It’s correct that you don’t know.
With regards to whether it would be better to guess: If you guess, and you guess wrong, the consequences are… dire.
Personally, I wouldn’t risk it. But if that’s what you want to do… well, then whatever happens as a result is on you.
The Music Box Ritual (The Shadow’s Lullaby):
Is it okay to have other people in the building that you’re playing in if they never come into the room you’re playing in?
That should be all right; this one doesn’t specify needing to empty the location of other people, pets, etc. Just make sure you won’t be disturbed by anyone or anything while playing.
The Devil’s Candle Ritual:
Does the wish have to be brand new (as in, you haven’t ever spoke about it to anyone else) or can it be one that you have told someone before?
Step 4 of Preparing answers this question: “Do not speak of your wish to anyone else.” No one else must know of your wish. No one else must ever have known of your wish. If you have shared your wish with anyone else before — anyone — then do not use that wish for this ritual.
Besides: Wishes don’t come true if you tell someone else about them. Just, y’know, broadly speaking. Right?
I already tend to manifest like this (wishing to a candle), but it’s usually daylight out and no other thing. Would I be in danger, or does it have to be proper settings with the intention?
Lots of wishing methods utilize candle. Unless you’re following this one in particular, you probably don’t have to worry about starting the ritual “accidentally.” That is to say: Intention matters; you should be fine.
If using a red candle for this signifies you’re dealing with the devil, would trying to manifest with this ritual with another candle be dealing with an entity of another kind?
Maybe, but honestly, I wouldn’t try it. If you’re not going to use a red candle, find a ritual where the candle color either doesn’t matter, or matches what you have available.
The Hell Phone Ritual:
When determining what number to call, do you use the person’s full name? First, second, and last?
That would be the best way to make sure you don’t dial a wrong number — to make sure that you’re calling the person you actually want to be calling. So, I’d go with yes on this one: Use their full name, or as much of it as you know.
Would it be against the rules to use an audio recorder and write the numbers of your correspondent’s message down and delete the recording afterwards?
The rules specify using paper and a writing implement to record the numbers, so that’s the correct procedure here. I suspect there’s something important about using an analog method, rather than a digital or technological one here.
Part of it, I think, is that writing down the numbers yourself requires effort on your part —you have to actually listen and engage with what’s being said to you, rather than just allowing a device to listen for you — which, I would argue, is only fair; your correspondent is putting quite a lot of effort into imparting their message to you, so it’s courteous to put in the effort to retain the message yourself.
Additionally, there’s an inherent danger in recording audio of any otherworldly being or entity directly. Some believe that when you record the voice of… something, you also somehow preserve part of that being itself. And getting rid of a piece of a being is often not nearly as simple as just deleting the recording.
That said, I suppose you could always try using a recording device instead, if you like. If things go south, though… don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Does the phone have to be plugged into the wall for the ritual to work?
Yes. That’s covered in Step 5 of Making The Preparations: “Set up the telephone, if needed.” Plug it in, make sure it’s operational, the whole shebang.
Is there a specific type and/or color of phone that is recommended, i.e. a touchtone phone or a rotary dial?
The only requirements are that it be a corded, landline telephone. This is covered in the Additional Information section: Don’t use a mobile phone; don’t use a cordless phone; don’t use a computer program or tool that allows you to make telephone calls without the use of an actual phone.
Other than that, though, it’s up to you. It can be a phone of any color. It can be touchtone or rotary — whatever you have access to. It just to be corded, and it needs to be a landline. (And, of course, it needs to actually work—you can’t use a broken phone. See: “Does the phone have to be plugged into the wall for the ritual to work?”)
Can we use any means of transport to reach the island in case of the dry rot smell?
Presumably you’ll be going either by boat or by aircraft (plane, helicopter, something like that), as those are typically the only ways to reach an island. If the island is connected to the mainland by a roadway or bridge, I suppose you could take a land vehicle of some kind, or simply walk — although to be perfectly honest, I wouldn’t choose that kind of island as your safe spot. The point, after all, is that it’s surrounded by water — that is, that it would be difficult for your uninvited guest to reach you there.
By how long should you have reached the island?
As soon as possible. Leave immediately — as soon as you determine you must go. Don’t stop moving until you reach your destination.
The Shoulder Tap Ritual Game:
Does the room necessarily have to be square? Can it be a rectangle or otherwise shaped?
It has to have four corners — no more, no less — so it can’t be round, octagonal, or any other shape that has either more or fewer than four corners.
As for whether it needs to be a square, specifically — that’s perhaps up for debate. I suspect a square will achieve best results; with a square, all players will have the same distance to travel as they move from corner to corner, whereas with a rectangle, the distance will vary between players.
Then again, as the players aren’t all moving at the same time — that is, they take turns moving, rather than moving all together with the intention that they reach their destinations simultaneously — then a rectangle might be permissible.
I’d say otherwise if we were talking about the Corner Game, in which the players do all move simultaneously, and should be reaching their destinations all at the same time; but things a little different in the Shoulder Tap Game. So: You can try with a rectangle — and if you don’t succeed, try at a different time with a square room instead.
The Nail Cutting Ritual:
What happens if I keep the bundle of nail clippings instead of burying them?
Could be any number of things. You could be inviting the entity the clippings belong to into your home. You could be inviting bad luck into your life. You could be inviting danger or death upon someone you love.
Don’t do it. Play the game as it’s meant to be played, or don’t play it at all. Nothing good ever comes of flouting the rules of games like these.
How To Meet Yourself In A Parallel World:
In the instance that we complete this successfully and can play again, the game says we may only ask one question, but if I do play again, can I ask my parallel self a second question? Or is it just a one question overall.
One question per game. The question does not have to be the same question every time you play.
It says that if I feel uneasy. I should terminate the game, but I tend to feel uneasy always, and I feel like playing games like these would make you nervous regardless. So would I just not have to do this at all? Is there something I need to look out for or pay attention to?
You still need to look out for or pay attention to a specific feeling of unease occurring while you play this game. If you are unable to differentiate between the unease you feel regularly and a specific instance of unease prompted in a specific circumstance, then it is not recommended that you play this game.
If someone answers, could I stay and see who shows up? If it’s my head, if I’m in danger could I just will a way out? It’s stated in the game, I have the ability to bend things to my will, so could I just make my own protection?
Presuming that you’re talking about Branch 2: There Is A Dial Tone, do NOT stay if someone answers. Remember that whatever has answered is NOT your parallel self; it is… something else. Something that is trying to gain access to your mind. Something that may already have gained access to your mind. An outside force — something against which you may not be able to protect yourself.
Regarding the ability to bend things to your will while you’re playing: You can bend some things to your will, but not necessarily all things. This is a warning we’ve talked about a few times here, but it’s worth repeating: Your mind is not always your friend. Do not make the mistake of believing you are invincible simply because you’re playing on your home turf.
The Eternal Love Ritual:
Can you cut the tree stump yourself?
Maybe — but even then, only if you cut it long before you actual begin the ritual. Remember, you only have so much time to complete the steps of the ritual that involve the stump; you almost certainly will not have time to cut down a tree during that amount of time.
But honestly, given that part of the whole stump thing is about finding one, I’d argue that you should use a stump that already exists, rather than one you created yourself specifically for this purpose. The search for the stump matters, not just the stump itself — and it isn’t really a search if you’ve personally made the stump and already know exactly where to find it.
Yeongan Ticket:
Should participants 3 and 5 be facing away from the blackboard with the candle to their backs or in the same direction as participants 2 and 4, considering that they are both exactly diagonal to the candle? My instinct is away from the blackboard (as, being next to 2/4 respectively, they are more likely to see them in their peripheral vision), but I’d be interested to hear your input!
I also think participants 3 and 5 facing away from the blackboard with the candle to their backs is the way to go, so as to avoid the peripheral vision issue you point out. Good catch!
Where do the people who disappear go?
That’s the question, isn’t it?
Nowhere good, at least. That’s for sure.
Could we just number ourselves and I could make myself participant five so I don’t have to suffer (and also gain all the gifts if the others disappear)?
The game requires five players. You cannot play with four players and count one of them as two people. If you can’t or won’t play it with five players, do not play it all.
Is it okay if I can try doing this ritual in an abandoned school instead of the school that’s still running today?
You can try, although be warned that an abandoned is probably more likely to have issues with drafts or breezes. You’ll have to make sure the room in which you choose to play doesn’t have these problems, or do something to fix them before you begin. Additionally, an abandoned school may or may not have the other requirements still present — the blackboard, the chairs or desks, etc. — so you may need to put in more work to acquire these items and transport them to the location in which you intend to play.
The Sky Is Blue And I See You:
Am I allowed to delete the video when I’m done watching it?
Sure.
If the video allows itself to be deleted, that is.
What would happen if you try playing the game outside?
At best, it just won’t work.
At worst, who knows.
What happens if you don’t finish the shot?
Don’t start something you don’t intend to finish.
The Headphones Game (El Juego de los Auriculares):
Should I place myself, and my bed, right next to the light switch so I can just reach out and flip it as soon as I receive my third answer?
You can, if that’s what you want to do.
I have remotely controlled LEDs in my room — can I just hold the remote in my hand and after the third question turn the lights ON immediately using the remote?
I don’t see why not. The remote is a light switch, isn’t it?
Manami-sama:
What if the time is between 4:30 and 5pm? What will happen?
Sources don’t say, but you’d be cutting it awfully close in terms of the time you have to play if you start too long after 4:30pm, even if it’s still before 5pm. You MUST stop the game at 5pm. You MUST NOT continue playing after that point. I wouldn’t risk it, myself.
The Being From The Beyond:
In the event that the ritual fails, and you’re not allowed to make eye contact with anyone or look into a mirror, does that rule also count for pictures, whether printed or digital? What if I make eye contact with a person in a picture or on my phone?
Sources don’t specify that photographs or captured images of people or yourself must be avoided — only live people, and reflections of live people. The fact that they’re live matters here, I think. So, making eye contact with an image of a person in a digital or printed photograph probably is fine.
What I wouldn’t do, though, is make eye contact with a person viewed through a camera lens, whether it’s your phone or an actual camera. That counts as making eye contact with a live person.
If you have someone that you cannot ever talk to again but are unsure if they are dead, can you perform this ritual to speak to them?
If you’re not sure if they’re dead, then this isn’t the ritual I would use to try to talk to them—partially because it might not work, and partially because it would require you to take on a lot of risk in a situation when failure is probably high. Something like the Letter Ritual is probably better suited to that purpose, though that ritual is also quite high, risk-wise. Or, you might try a wish-granting ritual, with speaking to the person you want to speak to positioned as your wish.
I have no desire to do this ritual — so does that mean as I read the article, I am bound to the rules of the game, seeing as one of the requirements is a 1st visit? So if I were to visit a neighbor’s funeral or casually go to a graveyard, am I bound by the rules to play the game? Or is it, if I don’t have the intention of doing the ritual, I’m safe?
You’re not bound by the rules to play the game simply by reading them. Intention matters here; if you do not intentionally begin the ritual, then you are not performing it, whether or not you’ve read the rules and/or visited a cemetery recently.
It’s worth noting that this isn’t always the case, generally speaking; there are some rituals that start simply by reading the rules — meaning this question is actually a good one to ask. In those cases, the reading of the rules counts as intention to begin. The Being From The Beyond Ritual, however, is not one of those, so you’re safe. For now.
Say we complete the ritual successfully, could I visit the same cemetery every day? Or does it need to be a different one?
Your context is here is unclear; successfully completing the entire ritual and upholding your end of the contract only requires you to visit a cemetery once a year, not once a day, so I’m not sure whether that’s what you mean here. But, for clarity’s sake, I’ve got two answers for you.
- While actively performing the ritual: The sections Calling The Being and Sealing The Pact MUST be performed and completed at the same cemetery. It does NOT have to be the same cemetery you visit in Making The Preparations, but it can be, if you like.
- When you have finished the entire ritual successfully: The requirements of Upholding The Contract are that you visit a cemetery once a year and leave an offering on a grave while you’re there. You can visit the same cemetery year to year, if you want, but it doesn’t have to be the same cemetery. Any cemetery will do, so long as you visit, and leave an offering on a grave during that visit.
When it says extend the kiss, does that mean to kiss your hand, then kiss the grave to extend it, or extend your hand out to the grave?
Extend your hand out to the grave. Think of it as kissing your hand, then pressing that kiss to the grave via the hand it’s “attached” to, so to speak.
What happens if I spill the wine?
Don’t.
What if I run out of wine? Do I make another wine/blood/toenail concoction to pour or just regular wine?
Don’t switch bottles midway through the ritual. Either make sure you can accurately gauge the correct amount of wine to use from a single bottle for each step that requires it, or don’t perform this ritual at all.
I feel like I say this a lot, but as a general guideline: If you do not think you can perform any of the steps of a ritual correctly, or if you are not confident in your ability to abide by each and every one of the rules of a ritual correctly, then DO NOT attempt the ritual. Just don’t do it. Rules are there for a reason. Not following them means, at best, nothing will happen, and at worst, something catastrophic will happen.
Satoru-kun:
Can you play this game with a payless payphone, or is the financial interaction important?
Given that the rules specifically state to use coins or a calling card to make the call out from payphone, yes, the financial interaction is important.
I’ve actually never encountered a “payless payphone”; not having to pay to use it sort of defeats the purpose of a, y’know, payphone. If you mean a public phone that’s for some reason free to use, then, again, the financial transaction does matter, so although you could make an attempt using it, it probably wouldn’t work. If you mean a phone you just encounter somewhere in the world that isn’t meant to be publicly accessible, but to which you’ve somehow gained access—well, that’s just a regular phone, then, so again, it probably wouldn’t work.
The Black Keys Piano Ritual:
What will paradise and hell look like? Will it be the heaven and hell from Christianity, something that appears to be identical to our world, or something else entirely? Will you be able to tell which is which from sight alone?
That’s something that will be individual to each person who plays. If you believe in the Christian concepts of Heaven and Hell, then it’s possible that to you, paradise will look like the Christian version of Heaven and hell will look like the Christian version of Hell — but there’s a reason that “paradise” and “hell” are not stylized with capitalization: They’re not proper nouns here. For someone who doesn’t hold Christian believes or have a Christianity-centric worldview, they’ll be something entirely different. And only the beholder will be able to say for sure which is which.
Life is a rich tapestry.
The Hospitality Game:
What if the television/radio volume can go beyond ten? Do I set it to max or ten?
Per Step 5 of Making The Preparations: “Turn the volume to 10, or its maximum level.” So, if your television or radio volume numbers exceed 10, then set it to whatever the maximum is.
The Apartment Staircase Game:
Does the timing need to be exact? I’m not good at counting seconds perfectly in my head, so could I spend an extra second or two to be safe, or is that a no-go?
In this particular case, as long as at least a full minute has passed, you’re good to go.
However, this is not always the case for all games. Some games require more precise measurements of time; there’s not a one-size-fits-all solution. You’ll need to take each game on a case-by-case basis to be sure.
Once you enter the elevator, what if there are mirrors inside reflecting to the staircase? Should we not look at it, or would that count?
I would avoid viewing the staircase in any way, whether that’s head-on or as a reflection in a mirror, if I were you.
I assume tagging other players along would cause issues, but what about bystanders who happen to be present during the journey? Say, for instance, I call the elevator and find someone else in there?
It’s probably best to abandon the attempt, in that case. At best, it won’t work. At worst…
Well. You probably don’t want to find out what the worst-case scenario might be.
How To Go To Another World Using A Bathroom:
Even if the bathroom has a window, would the ritual still work? Or does the window need to be covered?
Interestingly, this is one of the few rituals set inside a common room inside the home that does not have any specifications about covering or blocking the windows. I’d probably cover the windows, if possible — even if it’s just for privacy’s sake — but that’s just me. If there are no instructions that specifically regard windows, you can (probably) safely leave them alone.
And if there’s multiple candles in the bathroom, should those be removed? Even if one is battery-operated that goes on only at night and the rest are wall sconces? Also, if you have a chandelier that has multiple arm bulbs for the main light, is that still okay?
The question here is really about what counts as a light source for the purposes of instructions that tell you to turn on the lights or turn them off again. Here, I think the general rule is that if it has a switch, it’s a light source, but if it doesn’t, it’s not.
Regular candles that you light with matches or a lighter don’t have a switch, so here, I’d argue they’re fine to leave as is. Indeed, candles aren’t even called out as a required ingredient here, so to speak, so the presence or absence of regular candles doesn’t really seem to matter. However, if you have any doubts about whether they count as a light source, go ahead and remove them from the bathroom before you begin.
A battery-operated candle, however? That, I would argue, does count as a light source, as it probably has a switch. I’d remove it from the bathroom before you start.
A chandelier-type light fixture with multiple arms and bulbs is fine. If that’s the lighting situation you have in your bathroom, then… that’s the lighting situation you have in your bathroom. It is what it is.
The ideal setup for this one is basically the simplest one you can arrange: A bathroom with one light source that operates with one switch. If you can swing that, great. If not, then either don’t play, or see if you can figure out something that’s as close to that as possible: For instance, remove any battery-operated lights, leave any sconces alone, and just use whatever light is the primary source of light in the room — probably an overhead light that’s hardwired to a switch on the wall. If you have multiple lights hardwired to a switch plate with more than one switch on it, you can flip ‘em all if you like, or just flip the main one.
When it comes to instructions like “turn on the lights” and “turn off the lights,” you generally want to make things as simple for yourself as possible. Unless it says something like “turn on all the lights in the room,” you can probably assume that it means, illuminate the space as best as you can, as easily as you can, usually by turning on one, main source of light.
And that’s all we’ve got this time! Again, I’ll add these all to the Master FAQ as time allows. In the meantime, as always: Play at your own risk.
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[Photos via Pixabay (1, 2), Pexels (3, 9), viarami, iniesta44, IDanielWaleczek, Nejko, rusterche, Leonhard_Niederwimmer/Pixabay]
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