Play Ouija

by Amanda Nettgen

(USA)

Game:
Play Ouija board (“Girl” Edition)
Board game manufacturer:
Parker Brothers
Number of players:
2 or more
Ages:
8+

Quick verdict

Ouija, the popular occult game from sleepovers of the past, is still around today and is now available in a female-only Pink version. It’s up to you to decide, however, if the device actually is just “harmless” fun.

The game and gameplay

The concept of play Ouija (Girl Edition) is very basic; assemble your group – in this case, girls – and gather around the pink board for a shady Q&A session.

Pick a partner to operate the planchette with, and ask the Ouija board whatever question strikes your fancy about your personal life (yes, you’re supposed to talk to an inanimate object. Strange, isn’t it?).

You could also draw from the provided pile of seventy two ready-made questions. Queries range from the cliché (“Will I be rich someday?”) to the downright anti-feminist (“Will I have a career or stay home with my kids?”). You can also ‘test’ the play Ouija board by asking it questions like “What time is it right now?”

‘Answers’ appear to the users in the form of mirrored letters or numbers. If your three-legged decoder isn’t budging, you’re supposed to either try another question or wait one to five minutes for the solution to “come”.

The game comes with its own purse carrying case so you can get ‘answers’ wherever you go. How… convenient.Girls are done with the play Ouija board whenever they want to be done. Hopefully sooner rather than later.

Pros and cons

There’s not one pro I could name about this game, unless you want me to lie. If you can explain to your girls that it’s all a big hoax – that they shouldn’t take any of it seriously, and they genuinely understand that – fine.

But it’s still encouraging participation in false mediums, which could trickle into other areas of the girls’ lives. Truth or Dare is so much better, anyway.

The verdict

Girls are better off sticking to a Magic 8 Ball if they desire unofficial answers. At least then they don’t think they’re channeling the dead or anything.