Here Are 13 Paranormal Games That You Will Wish You Had Never Played

Elevators do more than take you from the lobby to the penthouse. If you follow the instructions of the Elevator Game, you'll enter the lift in the regular world and exit in an entirely different place.

This game requires a building with at least 10 stories and an elevator that can be accessed without being interrupted by other people. Once in the elevator, you'll press the buttons to visit floors in a particular order - without leaving the elevator.

The game goes very wrong if the player faints during it, as they will wake up at home - or a version of it. If a young woman enters the elevator on the fifth floor and the player looks at or speaks to her, she may kidnap the player. When attempting to return to the original world, a player must use the same elevator that took them to the alternate world - a feat harder than it seems.

The gist of the setup for Three Kings involves a dark room turned into a "throne room" with three chairs, two mirrors, a fan, a candle, a bucket of water, a mug, a charged cell phone, and several failsafe contingencies. The game itself has many very specific timeframes and red flags the player should adhere to, including evacuating the house if needed. Should you succeed at the game, you make it to the Shadowside, a mental plane where one might find answers to problems or bursts of inspiration.

If one of the red flags occurs - such as the phone not charging, a door being closed when it was left open, or a fan being off when it was left on - the player and any loved ones in the house must depart for a hotel and not return until after 6 am.

A candle lit for the game cannot go out, or the game will be over. A loved one cannot touch the player, but must attempt to stop the game at precisely 4:34 am. The player cannot look into the mirrors or anywhere other than straight ahead. They cannot stop the game early once the candle is lit, as it's rude to leave the two other kings after asking them questions.

After initiating a ritual that includes the player washing their hair in the bath with their eyes closed to summon the spirit of a Japanese woman who died by a rusty faucet to the eye, Daruma-san begins when the player wakes the next day.

The next day will be spent with Daruma-san following the player and attempting to "catch" them, which is bad. If the player believes Daruma-san is too close for comfort, they can yell, "Tomare!" to give themselves time to run. Before midnight on the day of the game, the player has to look at the spirit over their right shoulder, yell, “Kitta!” and swing their arm in a downward cutting motion.

If this doesn't happen, the spirit can enter the player's dreams. If the player attempts to play the game again, Daruma-san will start right behind them. 

One-Man Hide-And-Seek involves the player stuffing a doll with rice and their own fingernail clippings before sewing it shut and wrapping it with crimson thread. After leaving the toy in a tub of water and declaring themselves "it," the player turns off the house lights and turns on a television in their hiding place. After counting to 10, the player returns to the doll, announces they've found it, stabs the toy, and declares the doll is now "it." The player returns to their hiding place before searching for the doll.

Once the doll is found, the player must ingest but not swallow salt water, spit it on the doll, and say, "I win," three times. The ritual stops, and the toy is dried, burned, and thrown out. 

If the player doesn't end the game after two hours, fails to remain quiet, or turns on the lights, they will be in danger from spirits in their home.

Before attempting to call for the Hooded Man and his cab, the player should cleanse the area where they plan to perform the ritual. A rotary or touch-tone landline phone is used to call a specific number, where the player recites the requisite words and summons a black taxi cab with the Hooded Man behind the wheel.

The player enters the cab's backseat, locks the door, goes to sleep, and follows very specific rules regarding what to do based on when they awake. After ending the ritual, another phone call is made before cleansing begins.

If the player speaks to another passenger, tries to get out of the cab without following the rules, or waits too long to end the ritual, the consequences can be life-threatening. No one knows what happens if the player stays in the cab until the Hooded Man reaches the end of his route, but it can't be good.

This game requires at least two players, but many more may join if desired. Basically, the group of people create a rope circle and place a glass filled with an alcoholic beverage in the center of it. Never stepping inside the rope circle, the participants sit around the circle, each with their own mirror, and take part in some ritualistic words and actions before photographing the spirits they've summoned. 

Going around the circle, each individual player will say, "I caught you," snap a picture using a camera with a flash, and then pass it to the next player. This happens three times before the ritual is closed and the spirits are dismissed.

If any player begins to cry or says they feel nauseated, skip them during the picture-taking portion of the ritual. If anyone during the ritual starts acting strangely or expresses fear, end the game immediately. If they do take a photo, end the ritual immediately and destroy the camera without looking at the picture they took. 

Should the ritual go well, the players then say, "It is time to go home," flip their mirrors over, cut the rope, and pour the glass of liquid outside on dirt. Then players check their cameras to see the subjects they've captured.