Are You Afraid of the Dark? Sleepover Games to Play in the Dark

What’s your favorite part of a sleepover? Between eating snacks, watching movies, hanging out with your friends and seeing who can stay up the latest, there’s plenty of fun to go around. Plus, there’s something else you can add to the list, games! Whether spooky or silly, they can be a fun addition to your slumber party festivities. Since your sleepover will be held overnight, try to take advantage of the darkness and focus on activities that require lights out. If you’re not sure where to start, we’ve rounded up an exciting list of games that are perfect once the sun goes down.

A Classic Mirror Game

There are lots of spooky, creepy games to play with mirrors in the dark. One is a classic that most people know as “Bloody Mary.” There are many versions of the story behind the game, but Mary Tudor is the most common one. You and your friends can tell her story, and then, if you dare, go into a dark room with a mirror and say “bloody Mary” three times. You might see her ghost! Bloody Mary is such an iconic sleepover game, your parents probably played it when they were younger!

More Mirror Magic

There’s another mirror-themed game called “Three Kings” that may give you some spooky stories to share at your next sleepover gathering. This one involves three chairs lined up in a row. Put mirrors facing each other on the two chairs on the ends, and then sit in the center chair. Legend has it that you might see a window into another dimension reflected in the two mirrors.

Silly Guessing Games

For something on the lighter side, bring on the laughs by turning off the lights for a game of “Who’s Who.” In this game, one person is the guesser and everyone else is a player. All of the players pretend to be something or someone, and the guesser has to guess who everyone is trying to be and who the pretender is. It starts like this: the guesser leaves the room, and all the players have 5 minutes to decide on a theme to determine what you’ll pretend to be. The theme can change every time so that there’s a new guesser each round to keep the game lively and exciting. You can pretend to be animals, celebrities or even famous historical figures you’re learning about in school. When the 5 minutes are up, scatter around the room, turn off the lights and let the guesser back in. The players then take turns making a noise or saying a short sentence as a clue for the guesser.

Glow Stick Hide and Seek

Hide and seek during the day is all about being able to go far and conceal yourself quickly before the person who’s “it” searches for you. But at night it becomes something different, especially when each player – including the person who’s “it” – is wearing a glow stick around their wrist. Turn out the lights, define your boundaries and get ready for an intense game that gives you plenty of opportunity to strategize where you’ll hide. The rules are simple: everyone has to keep their glow sticks on their wrists without concealing them with clothing. Hiding under a blanket or in a closet is fair game. Where will you take cover? It’s all about strategy when the lights are off.

Constellation Bingo

If you live somewhere with clear night skies, do some research and find out where the constellations are at the current time of year. Then, get a big piece of poster board and make a bingo chart. You and your friends can take turns using a telescope to find constellations and fill in your giant bingo board. Once you win, it's a fun idea to reward yourselves with some s’mores or hot chocolate. If you live in a city or a cloudy climate, you can still get in on the fun. Just set up a constellation projector and stay cozy in your PJs inside while you hunt for infamous star shapes.