Ghosts & Ladders: The Haunting Game

Ron Knight
May 19
2 min read

Classification: Paranormal Artifact (Game)

Status: Active and Dangerous

Origin: Ancient India

First Recorded Incident: 1943, Springfield, Massachusetts

The Sinister Transformation of a Classic Game

Ghosts & Ladders is a chilling case inspired by the vintage board game Snakes and Ladders. This innocent childhood game morphed into Chutes & Ladders in 1943, but when played by adults, it takes on a dark twist. Without children present, the game transforms into a Ouija Board, unleashing demons and malevolent spirits.

Known Rules of the Game

When adults engage with this game alone, it exhibits strange and unsettling behaviors:

The die counts down with each roll when determining who goes first. (6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1…)
Player tokens, such as a ring, coin, or bottle cap, move on their own.
Unseen children’s voices whisper throughout the room.
A sudden drop in temperature occurs after the first player takes their turn.

Legends suggest that the winner gains mystical insight, while the losers’ souls become trapped. However, this remains unverified.

Documented Incidents

Incident 1: Springfield, Massachusetts (1943)

A newlywed couple purchased Chutes & Ladders at Gimbel’s department store in New York during their honeymoon. They hoped the game would bless them with luck in starting a family.

The following weekend, they invited two friends over for a casual game night. Neighbors reported hearing a mix of laughter and screams.

Only the wife was found, catatonic and repeating, “I won.” Her husband and friends vanished without a trace.

Incident 2: The Dormitory Case (1999)

In the late 1990s, college students began installing webcams in their dorm rooms to share their lives online. Four students at George Washington University decided to livestream a haunted game night featuring Chutes & Ladders.

The stream abruptly cut off after just nine minutes. When authorities arrived, the room was empty, except for the game. The tokens were eerily arranged in a perfect circle around the center.

Incident 3: The Collector’s Estate (2015)

A private collector of occult artifacts displayed Chutes & Ladders in a locked glass case. Security footage revealed the board closing by itself every morning at 3:03 a.m. and reopening at 3:09 a.m.

On September 9th, the collector was found seated before the case, eyes wide open, mouth filled with ash.

Containment Procedures

If no children are present, follow these strict containment procedures:

Store the game in a sealed, lead-lined case.
Avoid direct contact with the board.
Never roll a die near the board.
Do not play the game without at least one living child present.
If the game begins to move on its own, evacuate immediately and seal the area with salt and iron filings.

Theories and Warnings

T.I.P.S. (Teens Investigating Paranormal Situations) theorizes that Ghosts & Ladders serves as a conduit between the living and the spirits of lost children. The “ladders” may symbolize ascension, while the “slide” spaces act as anchors for entities seeking to enter our world.

The warning remains consistent across all recovered copies: Never, ever play children’s games without children.

Published by: Hallowfield Publishing

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Case File