Learn How To Play Wink

“The Lonely Ghost is a variant that may be more appropriate for younger children.”

The wink game is popular at murder mystery dinners and other parties where a group of adults or older kids are present.

Play involves conversation among participants while one of the players (the “winker”) tries to make eye contact with other players to wink at them (“murder them”) and eliminate them from the round.

Variations of the wink card game are known as Murder in the Dark, Wink Wink Murder,Lonely Ghost and others. The Lonely Ghost version is often used with younger kids to avoid the “murder” label.

Since this is a group game, it’s best to have 6 or more players. Playing with larger groups is fun, although it takes much longer to complete the game.

How to Play the Wink Game

1. Have all the players sit around a table or on the floor in a circle.
2. Remove enough cards from the deck for every player to get only one. All of the cards must be black except for one red card. Shuffle the small pile of cards.
3. Each player draws one card from the small shuffled pile and looks at it, then places it face down on the table or floor without showing it to anyone else. The person with the red card is the “winker.”
4. While everyone talks (about anything under the sun), the “winker” tries to make eye contact with other players and wink at them, trying not to be noticed by anyone.
5. The player winked at must call out, “I’m dead,” and dramatically play dead. To add more drama, the player winked at should count silently to three to avoid the attention of other players, and then die.
6. After each “death,” players keep talking while the winker seeks his next victim.
7. Play continues until the last player is “killed” or someone catches the “winker” in the act. If a player thinks he knows who the “winker” is, he points at them and shouts, “winker” or “murderer!”
8. If the accuser is right, the winker turns over his card and the round ends. If the accuser is wrong, the accuser turns over his card and “dies.”

Winning the Wink Game         

Play continues until everyone is dead or the winker is correctly identified. This ends the round.

When each round ends, shuffle the cards and start over with each player drawing one card again, etc.

Variations on The Wink Game

Although it might be a little harsh for younger kids, this game is often played with the winker being called the “murderer.” If someone suspects who the murderer is, she shouts “murderer” instead of “winker.”

Use your judgement when it comes to the age of children at your birthday party and your own personal preferences. The Lonely Ghost is a variant that may be more appropriate for younger children.

Game Tips & Cautions

Be sensitive to the age of your participants as discussed in Variations, above.

Other Fun Birthday Party Games for Groups

• The Lonely Ghost
• Spoons Card Game
• Simon Says
• Pictionary Game