Dangerous Games to Play in The Dark
Dangerous Games to Play in The Dark by Lucia Peters details some of the scariest games of urban legend. Whether you are playing with friends at a sleepover or testing your bravery alone, there are plenty of options to choose from. Want to play?
The Games
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.
The Author
According to her website, Lucia Peters is a writer and editor based in Washington D.C. Her work has appeared at Bustle, BuzzFeed, MindBounce, The Toast, Crushable, The Gloss, and others. She covers a diverse array of topics, including but not limited to food and wine, web culture, urban legends, true crime, weird history, travel, and Disney — often with a feminist bent. Originally a director and stage manager, Lucia holds degrees from Barnard College and the New School for Drama.
Published by Chronicle Books in 2019, Dangerous Games to Play in the Dark was her first book.
She continues her interest in the strange and unusual on her website, The Ghost in My Machine. It is a treasure-trove of spooky legends and history.
Get Your Copy
You can request this book at your local library or find it at a variety of bookstores and online sellers. It is also available directly from the publisher for $15.
Wants some games with a little less risk? Try some fortune-telling games.
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