Black magic
| Type: | riddle |
| Number of players: | arbitrary |
| Location: | everywhere |
| Equipment: | none |
| Duration: | a few minutes per round |
| Preparation: | you need a second player who knows the game (and the solution) |
Black magic is a riddle or guessing game that you can play almost anytime without any special equipment. However, you need a second player who is able to perform black magic. Due to the nature of the game as a riddle, it can be played until everybody has found out the solution; it is no fun to play it any further after that.
Equipment
- You don't need any special equipment; the room you are playing in should contain a few objects that can be pointed at during the game.
- It should be possible for one player to leave the group for some time, so it cannot be played while driving in a car, for instance.
Procedure
This is how to play black magic: One of the adept players (A) leaves the room. The other players, lead by the second adept player (B) agree on one of the objects in the room. That object can be anything in there: the door, a light bulb, a book, the ear of one player, whatever. Then, they call in player A back in.
B now talks to A and suggest several objects. He asks "Did we decide upon the light bulb?" "Did we decide upon the green book?" "Did we decide upon the black pen?" "Did we decide upon the door?" Player A always answers "no, that's the wrong object", until, of course, when B suggest the correct object, he answers "yes, that was the object you decided upon". The other players are usually astonished and want to find out how that worked. Must have been black magic, right?
Typically, a few rounds are played, where the participants get more and more inquisitive but wary. Is it always the fourth object? Do they exchange some secret sign? Is it something player A says? All of this is wrong, of course, pure black magic solves the mystery!
Solution
It is more fun to find the solution by just playing the game and trying. If you want to access it right now: Black magic/solution.
