Dangerous Games to Play in The Dark

The book covers 24 urban legend games from around the world. They are divided into five categories:

• Party Games
• Summoning Spirits
• High-Stakes Hide-and-Seek
• Long, Strange Trips
• Games of Knowledge.

Each entry treats the game as real, giving step-by-step instructions, what to expect if performed correctly, and warnings about the dangers players may face. Its non-fiction style format is unique and makes the book very unsettling. As someone who reads books late at night before bed, I could only get through a few entries at a time before getting too creeped out to continue. 

Here are a few of my favorite games you can learn from this book:

• The Game of One Hundred Ghost Stories or Hyakumonogatari Kaidankia – Gather your friends and tell 100 strange and scary tales without losing your nerve. (I loved this game long before I read this book. You can read my blog post on it here).
• The Elevator Game – Ride an elevator to visit another world.
• The Midnight Game – Survive the night in this high-stakes game of hide-and-seek.
• The Red Book Game – Ask a spirit questions and receive answers. But beware, knowledge once learned cannot be unlearned.
• The Hosting Game – Invite the spirits into your home for a swinging wake.