If you are up for an exciting encounter with the other realm, then The Answer Man Game is what you are looking for.
Also known as the ‘phantom of the answer’ or ‘phantom answer’, this is an old Japanese paranormal game where the caller connects with a spirit through a phone-call.
Disclaimer
All players must be cautious because this game is known to establish a real connection with the supernatural realm, and can leave quite an impact on who plays.
So, beware! If you are weak of heart, have a phobia or a disorder, stay away from the answer man.
Summary
A group of players gathers around in a circle with cell phones in their hands and they can call the person on their left. The line will be engaged, but if you get the ritual right, one player’s call gets through and the spirit phantom picks up.
The Answer Man will answer any questions you ask, but the catch is that you also have to answer the questions put forward by the phantom.
What you need
- A group of players — preferably 10. The players must agree to participate at their own risk, as this game has proven dangerous.
- Cell phones for all the players. Burner phones are highly recommended for this game.
How to Play
Set up the Game
All ten players (recommend) choose an hour of evening or night as that is the time when a supernatural connection is most likely.
They gather ten burner cells or phones and SIM cards.
The players then sit in a circle.
Each player must dial the number of the person on their left.
The Game
One of two scenarios might occur. One is that all the players ring up each other and all the lines are busy. No one’s call gets through and this marks the failure of the game. The players, in this scenario, have been unable to complete the ritual.
The second case is that out of the ten players, only one caller gets through. The line rings instead of being busy. This means that the ritual has been successful and now the player whose call got through can ask the phantom man anything.
The purpose of this game is to gain knowledge, so the player can ask the answer man anything and myth has it that he will answer. The scary part is that the phantom man puts forth a question to the caller after answering the caller’s first question.
Now, the player has to tell the absolute truth while answering the phantom man, and must, at all costs, reply to the phantom man. In case the player lies or does not respond with an answer, the myth has it that the phantom man’s hand comes out of the phone and takes a part of the body from one of the players.
It all might seem unbelievable, but the answer man is said to be the ghost of a disabled boy who is searching for body parts to make himself whole.
After one turn, the player can ask the next question and answer the phantom man’s next question. However, as time progresses, the player must find a way to end the call.
While trying to end the call, the answer man will probably aim to keep the player on the line and then offers to answer questions for free, as an incentive. Nonetheless, the caller should make sure to convince the phantom man to end the call. The more consistent the caller, the better the chances of ending the call.
Once the call ends, the players must dispose of the cell phones, the SIM cards and never try the ritual again.
How to make the game scarier by adding some spooky elements
Nighttime
The supernatural element is at its peak during night time. So, to increase the spookiness of the answer man, the players can perform this ritual after midnight to have an eerily exciting experience.
Abandoned building
Playing in an abandoned building or an empty house amps up the adrenaline rush. The experience would be truly supernatural.
Set light bulbs around and then turn off all lights
Ghostly presence can be sensed by a cold breeze, sulphuric smell and the flickering of lights. So, to increase the spooky element, the players can bring a torch or hang a bulb from the ceiling, and turn all the lights off. When a connection is made, the presence of the phantom can be felt in all the electricity instead of just the phone.
The Answer Man Game Experiences
Some players have had eerie experiences while playing the answer man that will blow your mind.
Story 1
A girl invited her friends over to play the answer man, and when they started the game, the hostess’s call got through. She talked to the answer man who in turn asked her such shocking questions that she fainted.
Her friends tried to wake her up and when she did come to her senses, she was still in shock of what had happened. Whether it happened in reality, or only while she was unconscious, she does not know.
Story 2
Another scary experience is that of a boy whose little sister was kidnapped as a child and was soon going to turn 20 if she was still alive.
While playing the answer man with a bunch of friends, the boy’s call connected and he talked to the phantom man who asked questions about his sister.
The answer man convinced the boy that he knew where his sister was, and told him where to look for her. The boy went looking for his sister, as per the answer man’s instructions, and he found her dead.
The scene he witnessed was something he could never get out of his mind.
Tips, Notes, and Precautions
1, Correct phone numbers
A player may dial the number wrong which can lead to the failure of the ritual. To avoid this, it is preferred that the players save each other’s phone number in their contacts so that the game can proceed the way it is supposed to.
2, On 3 After 3
Whenever it comes to doing something on the count of 3, misunderstandings occur. All the players need to collaborate for the ritual to succeed, and for that, they must decide whether to dial on the count of 3 or after.
Otherwise, some players might dial before the others and that will mess up the whole game. Moreover, one person should do the countdown so that everyone can hear and there is no confusion.
3, Only the caller talks to the phantom man
In case a player succeeds in making a connection with the phantom man, only the player whose call got answered will hold the phone, and not pass it around the circle for other players to talk to him. The cell phone stays with the caller who got through to the other side.
4, No speakerphone
The players are advised not to put the call on speaker because it is a one on one encounter that only one of the players gets to experience.
5, Destroy and dispose of the cell phones
The players must throw away the phones they use for this game.
Conclusion
The raven man, the red book game, the shoebox telephone, and the telephone ritual are other spooky games that you can play with your friends to have a ton of fun.
We hope that this tutorial helps you understand the game and play it as safely as possible. It is certainly an exciting game that is going to leave you with goosebumps all over. So think carefully before you decide to participate.
If you enjoy this game, be sure to share this tutorial with your friends and family so they do not miss out on all the fun. If you have any questions, or suggestions to make the game more interesting, definitely give us your feedback.
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