Warning: I do not suggest attempting to play these games in any way. I simply think it's an interesting topic. These games are dangerous and can cause both mental and physical damage if attempted. I've purposefully omitted some minor pieces of the rituals down below. That being said, these explain the games themselves and how they are played, but I won't be explaining exacting how to set up the rituals for yourself. If you're curious as to the exact rituals of playing each game I implore you to look it up for yourselves.
1. The Midnight Man
This particular game has become somewhat of a YouTube challenge lately. A few of my favorite YouTubers have been playing this in their house and documenting what happened. It's quite interesting and helped peak my interest in searching for these scary games. The Midnight Man has a lot of work that goes into the ritual before the game begins. You have all the lights in your house turned off, you write your name on a piece of paper and seal it with your blood, set your paper next to any wooden door in your house, wait until midnight and knock on the door. This along with a few unmentioned steps will summon the Midnight Man. Once you've done the previously mentioned things the game begins. You basically stumble around your house in candlelight from midnight to 3:33 in the morning. The goal is to keep moving the whole game, and not let the Midnight Man catch you. The light on your candle should never go out throughout the game. If it does, re-light it immediately and put a salt circle around you. Once it hits 3:33 in the morning the Midnight Man leaves. Now you're safe to turn the lights back on, and the game is finished.
2. One Man Hide-And-Seek
If you're scared of dolls this likely isn't the game for you. One Man Hide-and-Seek (also known as Hitori Kakurenbo) has a very precise ritual before starting the game which involves getting some type of doll without human-like features to play the game with you. You have to take the stuffing out of the doll and fill it with rice, then you put a drop of your blood, or fingernail clippings into the doll before sealing it back up with crimson colored thread. You have to turn off all the lights in your house and put the doll in a bath of water before saying the words to start the game. You're then supposed to go to the room you deemed the hiding place and wait with a TV on for ten seconds. Then return to the room with the doll and stab it with a sharp object saying "I've found you," then repeat the incantation from before, this time making the doll the one looking for you. You then return to your hiding place with a cup of saltwater in hand. The doll is then supposed to come looking for you. If you feel like you're in danger at any point you can do the finishing ritual to end the game. This requires putting some of the saltwater in your mouth and going out from your hiding place to find the doll. Once found you need to spit the saltwater from your mouth onto the doll and pour the rest of the cup over it while exclaiming that you win three times. This will end the game. It's suggested that you burn and discard the doll after playing this game, so I wouldn't use one you're attached to.
3. The Elevator Game
The Elevator Game was meant to be played in older hotels and buildings with original elevator shafts. The new techy elevators just don't seem to do the job. This may be a hard commodity to find if you don't live in a big city. You must have a building with at least 10 floors, and a huge set to play this game. You must start by entering the elevator and pressing the numbers to certain floors in a correct combination. This is supposed to set you off into another detention of sorts. No one really knows. Once you've gone through the correct set of numbers you'll land on the 5th floor. That's when a woman will enter the elevator with you. She'll politely ask you where you're headed. You're told not to answer and get off on the next floor. This is where it gets tricky. The last floor you need to land on is, of course, one, but if the woman presses a button to another floor you're to get off with her instead. Then you're in the alternate world. You should immediately get back onto the elevator once you've noticed the woman is gone and return to the 1st floor. It seems like a lot of nonsense elevator rides for not a big payout in my opinion. I hate elevators though so riding in one through that many floors is a horror within itself.
4.Daruma-San: The Bath Game
The bath game originated in China and over time made its way to the US. It's played by taking a bath and saying the words "Daruma-San fell down," repeatedly while washing your hair. You're supposed to envision a girl slipping and falling in the tub; killing herself. The tale varies from person to person, but the first time I heard it I was told she fell and hit her head on the faucet impaling her eye. That's supposedly what killed her. It seems quite brutal to me, but hey this is supposed to be a scary game right? The next day after you perform the ritual in the shower is when the game actually begins. Throughout the day you're supposed to feel the presence of Daruma-San around you. Your goal is to stay away from her all day and not let her catch you. If you do this you're free and have won the game, if not Daruma-San collects another soul.
5. Tsuji-Ura
This game goes by many names. Tsuji-Ura is the original name, but over time people wanted to make it easier to say in translation. It's also called the fortune game, crossroads divination, and the crossroads game. It's one of the only games that doesn't require multiple items for the ritual. You simply need a comb. At night you have to take your comb out to the crossroads. You run your fingers through the teeth until it makes a sound, then chant "Tsuji-Ura Tsuji-Ura grant me a response," three times. This is where the tricky part comes in; you wait at the crossroads until a stranger passes by. You must cover your eyes when this happens. You ask the stranger to tell you your fortune. He or she will either tell you or refuse. If he refuses you must wait until another stranger passes and repeat until you get an answer. This game is dangerous for many reasons. It is not exactly safe to wait around at night asking strangers your fortune. Crossroads are known for being a place to meet the devil himself, so I would be careful about the fortune's these people receive.
