I received this book from Edelweiss in exchange of an honest review.
💖 Love the How To Use (along with the five sections: Seeking Knowledge/Summoning Rituals/Ghostly Players/Stuck Inside/Adventure Games) + Fear Factor ratings (plus what they mean, and in case of the high fear factor also that they advise NOT to do these as they are really dangerous). I really appreciate the author starting with these, preparing the reader what is to come. 💖 Each game has an objective, tools/supplies/number of players (from single player to multiple players)/warnings and then comes the how to play it/what to say/what to do. It was really informative and I love how detailed everything was. For simpler games it was short, but for others it was longer. Each step is explained, including also what to do when things go wrong. I am really happy that the author didn’t just go for short and to the point instead really explained everything. 💖 Loved the variety of games, many I do know (like Kokkuri-san), a lot of them I didn’t know. And no, I am not planning on doing any of them, haha. Heck nah. I don’t want some bad luck or demon stick to me. Or want to know my death in the case of the first game. Eww. But I do love the variety and I had fun learning new ones. OK, I say that I don’t wanna do any, but the doppelganger one at the start has my interest because I am curious if one of my other selves went the path I would have liked to go. I also like that it doesn’t just focus on one country or one part of the world but shows us games from all over the world. Japan, US, Spain, and others. 💖 Loved the extra information on various topics relating to the games. From Spirit boards and satanic panic to what doppelgangers are to backgrounds on the games. I thought this was just going to be games, but we also learn a whole lot of bonus things. Some made me go ehhh no, like the one about the real story behind the movie Candyman, imagine that your bathroom cabinets had crawlspace behind them. NOPE NOPE NOPE. shivers. I really appreciate that the author didn’t just keep it to games + instructions. These additions just made the book more rounded. 💖 Great illustrations! Plus, use of colour!
I would highly recommend this amazing book to all! I had fun reading!
Thank you Edelweiss and Castle Books for the eARC of this book.
4 ½ spooky stars bumped-up to 5
This is exactly the kind of book I would write if I was a writer! Horror mixed with folklore AND magic - it has everything I love. The art is gorgeous, the content is interesting and engaging, and it even includes sources! I don't entirely know how I feel about the fact all the sources are from online, but I guess it's to be expected with most of these games. In fact, I am well aware that some originated from online. Just would have been nice to see a book on some of the older games (like "Light As A Feather, Stiff As A Board".) Overall, I could not be more pleased with this book. Looking forward to one day holding it in my hands, whether that is through my library or by purchase.
EDIT: The ONE THING that has me a little bothered, the summary mentions the Three Kings Ritual as being in the book, but I never came across it. Did it just not make the cut and they forgot to remove it from the synopsis?