The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

"KILLER"

ONCE A YEAR USUALLY, SOMEBODY WILL ORGANIZE THIS GAME THROUGHOUT
THE DORM CALLED "KILLER". THE OBJECT OF THIS GAME IS TO
"KILL" A RANDOMLY ASSIGNED VICTIM WITH A TOY DART GUN, YOU
KNOW, THE KIND WITH THE SUCTION CUPS FOR TIPS, BEFORE YOUR
ASSASIN "KILLS" YOU. THE GAME IS RUN BY "GOD", A CERTAN
PERSON IN CHARGE OF DETERMINING DEATH, WHO USUALLY IS ONE
OF THE PEOPLE WHO STARTED THE WHOLE THING. TO BEGIN, EVERYBODY
WHO WANTS TO PLAY GETS A LITTLE, INSTANT PICTURE TAKEN THAT
IS GLUED TO A 3 BY 5 CARD WITH THEIR NAME AND ROOM NUMBER
WRITTEN ON IT. ALL THE PLAYERS ARE ISSUED THE STANDARD TOY
GUNS THEN, TOO. THEY DISTRIBUTE THE 3 BY 5 CARDS AMONG ALL THE
PLAYERS RANDOMLY, AND THE PERSON ON THE CARD YOU RECEIVE IS
YOUR "VICTIM". IN A STANDARD "KILL", THE VICTIM, UPON HAVING
BEEN "KILLED" BY THE PERSON WITH HIS CARD, GIVES HIS VICTIM
CARD TO HIS ASSASIN, WHO ASSUMES HIS VICTIM'S VICTIM.
THE ASSASIN GIVES THE DEAD VICTIM HIS OWN CARD TO BE POSTED
ON THE "OBITUARY BOARD", WHERE THE CARDS OF KILLED PLAYERS
ARE DISPLAYED BY NUMBER IN THE ORDER IN WHICH THE PLAYERS DIED.
THE WINNER OF THIS GAME IS THE REMAINING ASSASIN, AFTER ALL
THE OTHER PLAYERS HAVE "DIED". THERE ARE A COUPLE RULES,
ONE IS THAT NO PLAYER CAN BE KILLED IN HIS OWN ROOM UNLESS
HE LETS THE ASSASIN IN; NOBODY CAN BARGE OR BREAK INTO ANYONE
ELSE'S ROOM. OH, AND THERE CAN'T BE ANY MORE THAN TWO WITNESSES
TO THE KILLING, UNLESS, OF COURSE, THE ASSASIN PUTS ON
A MASK. THE ONLY PROBLEM WITH THAT, THOUGH, IS THAT ANYONE
WEARING A MASK IS CONSIDERED TO HAVE HIS GUN DRAWN.
ANY PLAYER WITH HIS GUN DRAWN CAN BE SHOT BY ANY OTHER PLAYER,
SO IT'S ALMOST NOT WORTH IT. THE GAME CAN LAST WEEKS OR
EVEN MONTHS.

Submitter comment: THE GAME "KILLER" AS DESCRIBED HERE IS PLAYED IN UNIVERSITY OF
MICHIGAN'S EAST QUAD, A DORMITORY ON THE CENTRAL CAMPUS.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; ANN ARBOR

Date learned: 11-00-1983