How to Play Ghost in the Graveyard

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: April 30, 2024 Fact Checked

Ghost in the Graveyard is a fun game to play outside in the summer and fall. This game may also be known as "The Witch Ain't Out Tonight", "Ghost is Out Tonight", and "Bloody Murder". It's not only fun, but it's also good exercise. This is an old game that has been handed down from one generation to another. There are several ways to play. The main objective is to pick a ghost who will hide while other players search. The ghost then tries to tag a player while the players try to get back to home base.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Playing the Traditional Version

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1
Find some friends to play with. The more people you can round up, the better. Ghosts in the Graveyard is a game that works best with at least three players. ^{[1]
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Research source}
- You can add or subtract players as you continue to play as well. If someone wants to join in, just wait until the next round. Likewise, if someone wants to leave, that’s ok too.
- Try to play with at least three people. More people will make the rounds last longer and can be more fun.
2
Designate the playing field. Pick a few houses, yards, or another area in the neighborhood for the boundaries. You will also need a home base at which everyone can run to when the ghost is found. ^{[2]
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Research source}
- Make sure that all players understand the boundaries of the game. You can even make the rule that if a player goes outside the boundaries that player is eliminated for a round.
- Your designated safe spot is where the players run to when the ghost is found. It can be a large tree, front stoop, back patio, etc. Try to designate a spot that everyone can physically touch or stand on.
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3
Choose one person to be the ghost. You can do this any way you like: picking a number, asking for a volunteer, or rock, paper, scissors , etc. ^{[3]
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Research source}
- If you want to pick a ghost the old fashioned way, you can have everyone form a circle with both of each player’s feet. Then one person says a rhyme while tapping one foot for each word. Each time the rhyme ends that player removes a foot. The rhyme is repeated until there is one foot left. That person is the ghost.
- The rhyme could be: “Bubble Gum, bubble gum in a dish. How many pieces do you wish?” Then whoever’s foot is touched says a number. The leader counts out that number and then says “…and you are out.”
- After the first round, the next ghost is determined by the losing player. This is the player who was last to reach the safe zone. It can also be the first person if you wish.
4
Begin the round. Everyone but the ghost stands at the home base while the ghost runs off to hide somewhere outside. ^{[4]
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- The ghost must hide somewhere within the designated boundaries. The ghost cannot hide inside anywhere.
- The ghost should go and hide somewhere that’s not close to the base. Finding a spot that’s further away and hidden will allow the ghost to have a better chance at tagging a player.
5
Start counting while the ghost hides. Chant slowly as a group, “One o’clock… two o’clock… three o’clock..." and so on, up to twelve o'clock. Then shout, "Midnight! I hope I don't see the ghost tonight!" ^{[5]
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Research source}
- Alternatively, you can all count to 50 and then chant “Starlight, star bright, I hope to see a ghost tonight!” Depending on how large the playing area and how many places there are to hide, you want to give the ghost a good amount of time.
6
Leave the home base and search for the ghost in the graveyard. The ghost's job is to jump out, surprise, and tag a player. ^{[6]
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- When anyone encounters the ghost that player should yell, “Ghost in the graveyard!" and try to run away. When the ghost catches someone, the new person becomes the only ghost.
- If the ghost doesn’t catch anyone, then the last player to reach the base is the new ghost.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Playing an Alternate Version with Flashlights

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1
Find some friends to play with. The more people you can round up, the better. Ghosts in the Graveyard is a game that works best with at least three players.
- You can add or subtract players as you continue to play as well. If someone wants to join in, just wait until the next round. Likewise, if someone wants to leave, that’s ok too.
- Try to play with at least three people. More people will make the rounds last longer and can be more fun.
2
Designate the playing field. Pick a few houses, yards, or another area in the neighborhood for the boundaries. ^{[7]
X
Research source} You will also need a home base at which everyone can run to when the ghost is found.
- Make sure that all players understand the boundaries of the game. You can even make the rule that if a player goes outside the boundaries that player is eliminated for a round.
- Your designated safe spot is where the players run to when the ghost is found. It can be a large tree, front stoop, back patio, etc. Try to designate a spot that everyone can physically touch or stand on.
3
Choose one person to be the ghost. You can do this any way you like: picking a number, asking for a volunteer, or rock, paper, scissors , etc.
- If you want to pick a ghost the old fashioned way, you can have everyone form a circle with both of each player’s feet. Then one person says a rhyme while tapping one foot for each word. Each time the rhyme ends that player removes a foot. The rhyme is repeated until there is one foot left. That person is the ghost.
- The rhyme could be: “Bubble Gum, bubble gum in a dish. How many pieces do you wish?” Then whoever’s foot is touched says a number. The leader counts out that number and then says “…and you are out.”
4
Start playing. All the players who are seeking are at home base while the ghost goes off to hide somewhere.
- The players should not be looking where the ghost is going to hide. Everyone's eyes should be closed.
5
Start counting while the ghost hides. Chant slowly as a group, “One o’clock… two o’clock… three o’clock..." and so on, up to twelve o'clock. Then shout, "Midnight! I hope I don't see the ghost tonight!"
- Alternatively, you can all count to 50 and then chant “Starlight, star bright, I hope to see a ghost tonight!” Depending on how the large the playing area and how many places there are to hide, you want to give the ghost a good amount of time.
- The ghost must hide somewhere within the designated boundaries. The ghost cannot hide inside anywhere. The ghost does not have a flashlight.
- The ghost should go and hide somewhere that’s not close to the base. Finding a spot that’s further away and hidden will allow the ghost to have a better chance at tagging a player.
6
Begin searching for the ghost. With your flashlight, head out and start looking for the ghost. If the ghost finds you and tags you, you turn off your flashlight and become a ghost as well. ^{[8]
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Research source}
- When the ghost finds a seeking player, that player then turns off the flashlight and takes the ghost's hiding spot. The original ghost is then free to move around the playing field and hide somewhere else.
- The ghost will then wait in a new spot to tag another player. That player then turns off the flashlight and hides.
7
Chase the ghost. If the sneaking ghost is seen by a seeking player going to a new hiding spot that player yells "Ghost in the graveyard!"
- Once the ghost has been spotted by a player with a flashlight, all the players who are still seeking turn off the flashlight and get some time to hide.
- The players who are already hiding and are also ghosts will come out. The ghosts will all meet at the home base.
8
Begin searching again. The alive players now go and hide. Then the others who are now ghosts will come out from home base and search the area.
- Once the original ghost has been spotted the roles of each type of player switch. If you were tagged by the ghost and hiding, you are now a ghost who is looking for the alive players.
- If you were still an alive player when the ghost was spotted, you now go hide.
- The ghosts will all go to the home base and count while the alive players hide.
9
Get to home base safely. The ghosts will begin searching for the other players. When the alive players think that it is safe to go to base, the players try to get to the base without getting tagged.
- As long as it's not too dark and everyone can easily move safely, no one should have flashlights at this stage.
- If you are running toward the base and get tagged you immediately become a ghost and join the hunt.
- The first player who gets to home base safely without getting tagged yells out. That player is the winner and gets to start as the ghost the next round.
- If no one gets to the base safely, then the players pick a new ghost in a way that everyone agrees upon.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Playing with a Storyteller

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1
Find some friends to play with. The more people you can round up, the better. Ghosts in the Graveyard is a game that works best with at least three players.
- You can add or subtract players as you continue to play as well. If someone wants to join in, just wait until the next round. Likewise, if someone wants to leave, that’s ok too.
- Try to play with at least three people. More people will make the rounds last longer and can be more fun.
2
Designate the playing field and a home base. Pick a few houses, yards, or another area in the neighborhood for the boundaries. ^{[9]
X
Research source} You will also need a home base at which everyone can run to when the ghost is found.
- Make sure that all players understand the boundaries of the game. You can even make the rule that if a player goes outside the boundaries that player is eliminated for a round.
- Your designated safe spot, or, home base is where players run to when the ghost is found. It can be a large tree, front stoop, back patio, etc. Try to designate a spot that everyone can physically touch or stand on.
3
Choose one person to be the "ghost". You can do this any way you like: picking a number, asking for a volunteer, or rock, paper, scissors , etc.
- If you want to pick a ghost the old fashioned way, you can have everyone form a circle with both of each player’s feet. Then one person says a rhyme while tapping one foot for each word. Each time the rhyme ends that player removes a foot. The rhyme is repeated until there is one foot left. That person is the ghost.
- The rhyme could be: “Bubble Gum, bubble gum in a dish. How many pieces do you wish?” Then whoever’s foot is touched says a number. The leader counts out that number and then says “…and you are out.”
4
Choose a storyteller. This version of the game involves one player being the storyteller and guiding the group through the graveyard.
- The storyteller is in charge of making up a spooky story. The story usually involves a group of people wandering through a graveyard at night.
- You can pick the storyteller the same way you pick the ghost, or however you think is fair. If someone volunteers to be the storyteller that works too.
5
Find a spot for the ghost to hide. The ghost and storyteller find a place for the ghost to hide.
- All of the other players stand at the home base with eyes closed while the ghost and storyteller go choose a hiding place for the ghost. The storyteller needs to know where the ghost is hiding so that this player can lead the others to the ghost.
- Although everyone's eyes should be closed, it's more fun if the storyteller takes a roundabout route back to home base after leaving the ghost's hiding spot. Not taking a direct path back to base will make it harder for the players to know where the ghost is.
6
Begin searching for the ghost. Once the ghost has hidden, the storyteller walks back to everyone else and starts the story. Everyone follows the storyteller.
- The job of the storyteller is to lead the group through the playing area. The storyteller should not go right to the ghost.
7
Walk around the graveyard. The storyteller tells a scary story, walking around the play area.
- The storyteller can choose to tell a story without any help, slowly leading the other players to the ghost. But it can be more fun and interactive for everyone if the storyteller asks the players where to go. And then forms a story around the players' decisions.
- The storyteller may start the story saying something like "A group of brave adventurers set out to search the graveyard for a ghost who was guarding a great treasure. Which way did the adventurers head first?"
- Then the other players can decide together where to go and look. Once everyone agrees, the storyteller will lead the players to that area. If the ghost is not there, the storyteller can add to the story with something like "The adventurers came upon an old tombstone. The wind began to howl but upon searching it, they found nothing." This will add suspense. The storyteller can even add a clue that will help the players get closer to the ghost.
8
Reach the ghost. The storyteller will eventually lead the players to the ghost. The ghost then jumps out and tries to tag two players before anyone reaches home base.
- The two people who are tagged will be "it" the next round. Both players will agree who will be ghost and storyteller, respectively.
- Alternatively, players can decide that the first two players who reach the home base get to be the ghost and storyteller.
- If no one is tagged, then everyone will agree on a way to choose the next ghost and storyteller.

Community Q&A

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Question

In the first version, when players run from the ghost, where do they go? Do they keep running till someone is tagged?

Community Answer

Everyone needs to run and touch home base. Wait there until either someone is tagged, or everyone makes it back.

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Could we use scary music to fit with the game?

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You could, but make sure you're not playing it too loudly somewhere in public or late at night when people are trying to sleep.

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Why do they come back and touch the base?

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They come back to the base because once someone has found the ghost, they need to run back to the base so they don't get tagged.

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Ghost in the Graveyard is a game that's best played when it's dark out or starting to get dark. ^{[10]
X
Research source}

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Another variation of the game includes the home base players holding hands while they search for the ghost. When the ghost is spotted you break hands and dash back to home.

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Another variation of the game has the ghost lie down in a clear area large enough for all the participants to easily encircle him or her. Players then circle the ghost while chanting, "Ghost in the graveyard, one o'clock. Ghost in the graveyard, two o'clock..." all the way up to "Ghost in the graveyard, twelve o'clock," at which point they yell, "Ghost is loose!" and run away from the ghost, who jumps up and tries to tag someone. The first person the ghost tags becomes the ghost in the next game.

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Warnings

Be careful not to yell too loud because other people may be trying to sleep.

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Be careful not to run into obstacles. You might want to pick up hoses and gardening tools before playing.

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You will want to designate boundaries for the playing area before you begin. This will help avoid arguments later.

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Do not play this game in an actual graveyard. The possibility of damaging or displacing grave markers is very high. Not only that, it's disrespectful of those who have passed on and those who still tend the graves. You may also injure yourself on the graves if you do.

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This game might not be suitable for older people with weak hearts, or younger kids who are easily scared. It can be extremely scary when the ghost pops out at you.

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Ask your parents' permission before going outside, especially after dark.

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How to Play Ghost in the Graveyard

Steps

Playing the Traditional Version

Playing an Alternate Version with Flashlights

Playing with a Storyteller

Community Q&A

Video

Tips

Warnings

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