18 Awesome Games to Play in the Dark

Parenting & play expert Chelsea Fisher dives into the most fun, illuminating games to play in the dark

Co-authored by Hunter Rising Reviewed by Chelsea Fisher

Last Updated: March 27, 2026 Fact Checked

Just because it’s dark out doesn’t mean you have to stop playing games with your friends. Whether you’re inside or outside, there are a ton of fun (and spooky) games you can play when the sun goes down. To help you choose, we compiled a list of the best games to play in the dark, including rules, variations, and tips for each game. Grab a flashlight and get to playing!

Fun Games to Play in the Dark

Parenting & play expert Chelsea Fisher says some games to play in the dark include Star Counting, where you go outside and count as many stars as you can, and Sleepy Spa, where you sprinkle imaginary moon dust on someone to help them sleep better. Other games include:

Sardines: Reverse hide-and-seek where everyone looks for one person
Flashlight Freeze:Turn on flashlights and music, then freeze whenever the overhead lights are turned on.
Glow Stick Bowling:Put glow sticks in solo cups and use socks to bowl and knock them down.

1

Flashlight Tag

Use a flashlight to tag people in this twist on a classic. Choose a person to be “it” and give them a flashlight. Whoever is “it” closes their eyes while they count to 20, and all the other players quickly find a hiding spot. Once the person who’s “it” finishes counting, they look for and tag the other players by shining their flashlight at them.^{[1]
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- Whenever someone is found, they have to go back to a home base, like a tree, patio, or mailbox.
- Whoever gets found last becomes “it” for the next round.

2

Tapping Hide-and-Seek

Use noises to find your friends with this fun version of the classic game. Just like normal hide-and-seek, choose one person to be “it” and have everyone else hide. Have the person who’s “it” count to 20 so the other players can find hiding spots. Every 60 seconds, the hidden players have to tap on something or clap so it’s easier for the seeker to find them. Whoever gets found last gets to be “it” for the next round.
- For a fun variation on the game, give each hidden player a flashlight. Instead of tapping, the players have to turn their flashlight on every 60 seconds to reveal their location.
- It’s okay to change hiding spots during the round so you’re harder to find.

3

Sardines

Stay hidden with your friends in this fun hide-and-seek game. Choose 1 player to be the first person to hide. All the other players close their eyes and count to 20 while the person who’s “it” finds a hiding spot. When they’re done counting, all the players split up and look for the person hiding. When you find the person who’s it, squeeze in next to them and hide in the same spot. The last person to find the hiding spot becomes “it” for the next round.^{[2]
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- When you’re choosing a hiding place, make sure it’s someplace where all the other players can fit.
  - If you’re playing inside, you might hide in a closet, in a shower, or under a bed.
  - If you’re outside, you could hide behind a large bush, lie in a low spot in the yard, or hide in a garage.

4

Ghost in the Graveyard

Try to get away from a ghost with this fun outdoor game. Choose a player to be a ghost that tries to tag the other players. Set the boundaries for where you’re playing and choose a “home base” where players start the game. The ghost runs and hides while the other players count to 12. When players shout “Midnight!” the round begins.^{[3]
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- All the players have to leave home base and look for the ghost.
- When a player finds the ghost, they yell, “Ghost in the graveyard!”
- All the players run from the ghost and try to get back to home base so they’re safe.
- If the ghost tags someone, they become the ghost for the next round.

5

Flashlight Limbo

Avoid the light and see how low you can go. Turn off all the lights, and have one of your friends hold a flashlight at about waist height to start. Take turns trying to go underneath the beam of light without it touching you (you aren’t allowed to crawl on the ground!). Once everyone makes it under the light, move the flashlight a little bit lower and try going underneath it again.^{[4]
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- If the light touches you or if you fall down while trying to limbo under it, then you’re out for the rest of the round.
- Play your favorite music while you’re doing the limbo, but be careful not to wake anyone up!

6

Statues

Don’t get caught moving or laughing in this silly flashlight game. Choose a person to be a “guard” with a flashlight and the rest of the players become “statues.” Have all the statues strike a pose and hold the position. Then, the guard walks around with their flashlight while the statues try sneaking around. When the guard points their flashlight at someone, they have to stay still. If the statue moves or laughs, they’re out for the round.^{[5]
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- Whoever is the last statue to get caught gets to be the guard for the next round.
- For a more challenging variation, have the statues try to sneak up and touch the guard without getting caught moving. If the statues tag the guard, they win the game!

7

Red Light, Green Light

Reach the finish line without getting caught moving. Have the players all line up on one end of the play area. Choose a person to be the “traffic controller” and give them a red light. Have them stand at the other end of the play area to mark the finish line. When the controller says “green light,” the other players can move toward the finish line. When the controller holds up their red light, everyone has to freeze in place. If anyone is moving during the red light, they have to go back to the starting line. Whoever makes it across the finish line first wins the game!^{[6]
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- If you don’t have a red light, tape some red cellophane over a flashlight instead. Otherwise, just shout “green light” or “red light.”

8

Grandma’s Footsteps

Sneak around without getting caught with this simple game. Choose a person to be “Grandma” first, and have them stand on the other side of the room or yard facing away from everyone else. Set a ball or another “prize” next to them. All the other players try to sneak up on Grandma and take the prize. Whoever is Grandma can turn around at any moment—if they catch someone moving, that person has to go back to the starting line!^{[7]
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- Give the Grandma player a flashlight to shine at the players. If you’re caught moving in the light, then you have to go back to the start.
- Whoever gets the prize and gets back to the starting line without getting caught wins and becomes Grandma for the next round.

9

Glow Bowling

Try to knock over glowing pins with your friends. Get a few water bottles and drop glow sticks inside of them so they light up. Set up the bottles on one end of the room or yard, and stand with your friends on the other end. Take turns rolling a ball toward the bottles to knock them down. Keep track of how many you knock down throughout the game, and whoever knocks down the most wins!^{[8]
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- If you’re playing with younger kids, shorten the distance between the players and the pins so it’s a little easier.

10

Glow Capture the Flag

Steal the other team’s glow stick before they can take yours. Split into teams and stand on opposite sides of your yard or a dark room. Give each team a glow stick to keep in their home base, and hand each team member a glow stick of their color. To win the game, try to steal the other team’s glow stick and bring it back to your team’s base without getting tagged by the other team.^{[9]
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- If a player gets tagged, they go to “jail” on the side of the field. If a member of their team is able to tag them, they’re free from jail and get to re-enter the game.

11

Glow Ring Toss

Set up water bottles across the room from the players, and give everyone a few glow necklaces. Make sure each person has different colored necklaces. Take turns tossing the necklaces and trying to get them around the bottles. Whoever gets the most of their rings around the bottles is the winner!

12

Glow Treasure Hunt

Search for glowing treasures and collect more than the other players. Have a friend or parent hide glow sticks or other reflective objects around your yard or home. Everyone starts at a home base and counts down from 3. Then, everyone goes searching for the hidden items. Once all the items have been found or after a set amount of time, whoever found the most items wins the game!
- Give the winner a small prize, like a sweet treat. Or, let them hide the items for the next round.

13

Signals

Give everyone a flashlight and split up into pairs. Choose a flashlight signal for each pair, such as 2 short blinks or 3 long flashes. Have the partners split up on opposite sides of a large play space, like a yard or park. Look for your partner using the flashlight signal and be the first to meet up with them to win the game.

14

Shadow Puppets

Put on an exciting puppet show with your friends. Set your flashlight down or have a friend point it at an empty wall. Take turns holding your hands in front of the light and making them into different shapes, animals, or characters. Imagine a goofy story where you and your friends can act out with your shadow puppets, and try to perform it.^{[10]
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- If making shapes with your hands is too tough, then cut out shapes from paper to use as puppets.

15

Marco Polo

Try this classic game in the dark for a new twist. Choose one player to be “it” and start the game with their eyes closed. All the other players run around and try to avoid the person who’s “it.” When the person who’s “it” says, “Marco,” all the other players have to say “Polo!” in response. If a player gets tagged by the person who’s it, they become “it” instead.
- Make sure you have a large open space to play this game so no one accidentally trips or falls.

16

Murder in the Dark

Work together to solve a murder mystery at home. Cut out enough strips of paper for each player, and write “Detective” on one, “Murderer” on another, and “Victim” on the rest. Have the players draw the strips of paper from a bowl to determine their roles. Then, the detective turns the lights off and steps out of the room.^{[11]
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- While the lights are off, the Murderer secretly taps on someone’s back 3 times to “kill” them.
- When a player gets killed, they shout loudly and lie on the ground so the Detective comes back into the room. All the other players freeze in place.
- The Detective can ask questions to each of the players to figure out who the Murderer is. If they guess correctly, then they win the round. If they guess incorrectly, then the Murderer wins instead.

17

Spotlight Charades

Act out clues while standing in the spotlight for a fun guessing game. Write down different charade ideas on sheets of paper and put them in a bowl. Turn on a flashlight and have the first person stand in the light. Take a slip of paper from the bowl and start acting it out without using any words so your friends can guess the answer. Try to guess as many clues as you can within 1 minute, and keep track of who does the best.
- If you don’t know what something is or your friends are having trouble guessing the answer, skip it and take a new piece of paper from the bowl.

18

Monsters

Choose a player to be “it” and have them sit with their eyes closed on the other side of the room. All the other players become monsters and start on the other end of the room. The monsters can make scary noises and sneak up on the player who’s “it” to try scaring them. Whoever makes “it” jump or scream first wins the round and gets to be “it” next.

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Tips

Playing games in the dark when you’re young can help you feel safer and more comfortable at nighttime. When you’re playing, the uneasy feeling of being in the dark starts to feel more fun and thrilling instead of scary!^{[12]
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