Dry Bones Ritual: All About This Creepy Hide and Seek Game

What is the Dry Bones ritual?

The Dry Bones ritual is essentially a game of Hide and Seek with a demon. According to legend, if you welcome the demon Dry Bones into your home at 12:01 a.m., he will chase you around your house. If you successfully hide from him until 3 a.m., he will grant you a wish. If you lose, he may take your soul!

How to Play Dry Bones

Make sure you’re alone in the house. The Dry Bones ritual will only work if you are by yourself, so play it on a night when your family will be out of town. Make sure no other living creatures are in the house, including your pets. Ensure that no one will return home until the sun has risen the next morning.

Begin the game at exactly 12:01 a.m. At 12:01 a.m., go around your house and make sure everything that can open—like doors, cabinets, windows, etc.—is firmly closed. Turn off all the lights in your house, as well as any electronic devices or anything that can make noise.

Go into the bathroom and make your wish. Once everything is dark and quiet, enter your bathroom and shut the door behind you. Face the mirror and think about what you want to wish for. Focus entirely on your wish and visualize it in your mind. Warning: If you hear anything unusual, do not proceed with the ritual. If it is safe to do so, leave your house and stay somewhere else for the night, like a friend’s house. Do not return until daylight. Note: If you’re a child or a teen, do not leave your house without your parents’ permission, even if the game says to do so. If you get too frightened, call your parents or a trusted adult to come check on you.

Light a match and let it burn out. Light a match and let it burn for at least 15 seconds. Some versions of the game require you to let the match burn out on its own, while others say it’s okay to blow it out yourself after 15 seconds. Warning: If the match blows out before the 15 seconds are up, do not proceed with the ritual. If it is safe to do so, leave your house and do not return until morning.

Lie on the floor and invite Dry Bones to the game. Lie on your back on the floor of your bathroom. To invite Dry Bones into your home and truly begin the ritual, say, “I am aware of your presence. I welcome you into my home. Come now.” Another version of the chant is “I am aware of your presence, and I welcome you into my home but not into my body. Come now.” This may be a good option if you’re worried that Dry Bones will attempt to possess you.

Go into the largest room in your house and wait for Dry Bones to arrive. Leave your bathroom, making sure you close the door behind you. Then, go into the largest room in your house, again closing the door behind you. Wait in silence until you hear a low moan or a quiet rattling noise. This means Dry Bones has arrived. It may take a while for Dry Bones to come, so be patient. Warning: If you hear any noise other than a moan or a rattle, do not proceed with the ritual. Leave your house immediately and go somewhere safe until morning.

Hide from Dry Bones until 3 a.m. Once Dry Bones arrives, he will try to find you. As soon as you hear him, quickly and quietly run and hide in another room. Make sure he doesn’t see or hear you. Remain hidden until 3 a.m., when the game is over. If you think you hear Dry Bones coming toward your hiding place, run and hide somewhere else so he doesn’t get you.

End the game at 3 a.m. At 3 a.m., return to the biggest room in your house and close the door behind you. Formally end the game and banish Dry Bones by saying, “Thank you for playing, but you must leave now. You are no longer welcome.” If you don’t hear an acknowledgment from Dry Bones, repeat the phrase until you do. You will know the sound when you hear it. If Dry Bones catches you before the game is over, he can do whatever he wants with you. Some say he’ll steal your soul or possess you!

Go to bed as usual. Try to calm down so you can get a good night’s rest. When you wake up the next morning, go about your life as usual. Since you won the game, your wish should be granted relatively soon. Do not attempt to play Dry Bones again, or you might not be so lucky!

Rules for Your Wish

Wish for something attainable. When choosing your wish, pick something that is relatively realistic. Don’t ask for anything that defies the laws of physics, for example, like being able to fly. It’s okay to wish for something grand, like winning a lot of money, as long as it is something that is physically possible. For example, you might wish for a new pair of shoes, tickets to your favorite musician’s concert, or a vacation to the Bahamas. It can be as big or small as you want.

Don’t wish harm on others. Your wish should be something that benefits you, not something that hurts someone else. Don’t wish physical, mental, or emotional harm on someone, and don’t wish for anything that takes away their freedom (like wishing for someone to fall madly in love with you). If you wish for something harmful, Dry Bones may punish you for the price of the wish.

Your wish should be granted relatively quickly. Some players report receiving their wish the morning after they complete their ritual, while others state that they received theirs within a year. If you don’t get your wish right away, don’t lose hope! Trust that it will be granted when the time is right. At the same time, remember that this is just a game. Don’t let yourself be too disappointed if things don’t work out the way you planned.

Can you play Dry Bones more than once?

Only perform the Dry Bones ritual once. According to the game’s lore and instructions, players should only summon Dry Bones once. If you invite him into your home again, he may not leave. Just because you won the game the first time doesn’t mean you’ll survive a second ritual. Remember, this is all a part of the game’s lore. There is no scientific evidence that Dry Bones exists or that anything bad will happen if you play the game more than once.

Dry Bones Origins

Dry Bones likely originated on Reddit. The oldest known record of the Dry Bones ritual dates back to 2013, when the instructions were posted on Reddit. It is unclear whether the original poster is the one who made up the game or if they learned it from someone else.

Is Dry Bones real?

There is no evidence that Dry Bones is real. While people who have played the game report hearing noises throughout the ritual, there is no scientific evidence that Dry Bones is real. No one has actually died or become possessed from playing the game. Playing can be scary, however, so use your discretion when deciding if you want to participate.

Other Scary Games

Bloody Mary Bloody Mary is a classic scary game to play alone or with friends. Go into a bathroom with a mirror and turn off all the lights. Chant “Bloody Mary” three times. When you finish chanting, Bloody Mary’s face should appear in the mirror.

Sara Sarita To play Sara Sarita, grab a friend and sit across from each other, with each of you holding a coin. Chant, “Sara Sarita, can we enter your game?” and toss the coins. If both land on heads, you may proceed. Continue asking yes or no questions in the same fashion to get your answers from the spirit. If both coins land on heads, your answer is “yes.” If both land on tails, your answer is “no.” If one lands on each, your answer is “maybe.” If the coins don’t both land on heads when you ask to begin the game, keep trying until you get a “yes.”

Baby Blue To play Baby Blue, go into a dark bathroom and lock the door. Hold your arms like you’re cradling a baby and chant “Baby Blue, Blue Baby” thirteen times. As you chant, your arms should grow heavier, like you’re holding the weight of a baby. The baby will start to scratch your arms, at which point you flush it down the toilet and leave the bathroom.

Midnight Man To play Midnight Man, gather your friends and have everyone write their full name on a piece of paper. Place the papers in front of a wooden door. Then, just before midnight, light a candle on top of the paper and knock on the door 22 times so that the final knock happens exactly at midnight. Blow out the candle and open the door to release the Midnight Man, whom you must evade until 3:33 a.m. Midnight Man is similar to Dry Bones in that you must run and hide in different spots around your house. Other scary games include Candyman, Three Kings, and the Elevator Game. Try them out the next time you want to have a spooky sleepover!