What is red door yellow door

Red Door, Yellow Door, also known as The Doors of Your Mind or Black Door, White Door, is a paranormal game where one player, the "host," puts another, eyes closed and head in the host's lap, in a light trance by constantly rubbing their temples and saying, "red door, yellow door, any other color door." Once in a trance, the host describes a hallway with many colored doors to the entranced person, who then describes their exploration into said doors and what they see inside of them, all while remaining in the trance. The host is also tasked with guiding the player out of the trance. The game gained prevalence throughout the 2010s, becoming a viral trend on TikTok in 2020 and again in 2022.

The origins of Red Door, Yellow Door are unclear, although seem to date back before the 2010s. The earliest known post referencing the game is a November 16th, 2011 post to DeviantArt by spricket. The post shows a page of a conceptual manga series where a boy is playing the game (shown below). The post description gives instructions on how to play Red Door, Yellow Door.

On July 16th, 2012, Redditor brickell posted a description of the game, which he calls "The Doors of Your Mind," to /r/threekings, gaining over 130 upvotes in 10 years. The top comment by Redditor RevolutionisNigh suggests the game existed multiple years before the post, reading:

I did this with some friends in high school many years ago! One friend knew how to…hypnotize?, I guess, people basically by having them lay their heads in her lap, while she massaged their temples – something very similar to this ritual – and tell some sort of very weird, but calming story. When she was sure that they were "hypotized" (I'm still not sure that's what is was exactly), then she would start asking the person questions about "doors" that they should be seeing, and walking them through some of them.

Light some candles in a quiet, dim room and set up a recording device (optional)
Set an alarm for one hour
Pick a host and a player. The player lays on the floor with their head in the host's lap, facing upward.
The player closes their eyes, The host rubs both the player's temples in a steady, circular motion.
As the host, say, "You are at one end of a long hallway. There are numerous doors on both sides, spanning the entire length. I want you to explore these doors and the rooms behind them. Describe what you see, hear, tough and feel."
The player describes everything they encounter in the doors as the host asks questions, meant to get the player to elaborate on what they're experiencing.
When the alarm rings, the host guides the player out of the trance by leaving the current door and closing all previously opened doors.

Additionally, there are certain things a player and host are meant to look out for at the risk of being possessed. According to The Ghost In My Machine, if the player enters a room full of clocks or if they encounter an old woman they should immediately leave the room. If you encounter a man with a suit, the host should end the session immediately.

On January 14th, 2015, the blog The Ghost in My Machine published a description of the game and how to play it. On April 9th, Scary for Kids published an article on the game. That year, several videos were posted to YouTube where children play the game, including an upload on June 7th, 2015 that gained over 20,000 views in seven years. On October 15th, 2017, YouTuber D_Vlog posted a video where he plays the game, gaining over 260,000 views in five years (shown below, left). On May 8th, 2018, YouTuber Crumbled Cookie posted a video playing the game, gaining over 740,000 views in four years (shown below, right).

In early 2020, TikTokers began uploading videos of themselves and friends playing Red Door Yellow Door. On January 30th, 2020, TikToker @kobie.beef420 posted a video allegedly showing their friend Josh possessed after playing the game, gaining over 2 million views in two years (shown below, left). On February 9th, TikToker @beau.seipler3 posted a video showing her playing the game with her brother, who describes running into an "all black man," causing the host to scream and try and free him from the trance, gaining over 3.6 million views in two years (shown below, right).

On November 12th, 2020, YouTuber Jessii Vee posted a video about the game, gaining over a million views in two years (shown below).

The game went viral on TikTok again in July 2022. On July 26th, 2022, Christian TikToker @narrowistheroad posted a video condemning the game as demonic, gaining over 1.2 million views in a week (shown below). On August 2nd,

Red Door Yellow Door is a psychological game that borders on having dangerous paranormal results. Also known as Door of the Mind, this game has been around for many years yet recently resurfaced in popularity thanks to viral Tik Tok videos. These videos displayed some players of the game experiencing scary scenarios.

Red Door Yellow Door is a popular game that has resurfaced on the internet thanks to Tik Tok.

The game Red Door Yellow Door is extremely easy to play and can be done so with a group of people, making it a popular choice during social gatherings such as slumber parties. But how do you play this game and what are the potential consequences?

Gather your participants. You need a minimum of two people, yet you can play this game with more people present. One person should be allocated the role of the guide and one other person will play the game. Anyone else present will simply be observing.

Step 2:

Find a dark, comfortable room to play. The guide should sit on the floor with their legs crossed. The other player will lay down with their head resting in the lap of the guide, having a cushion or pillow in the guide’s lap my assist with comfort. The person laying down should raise both of their arms straight up into the air and close their eyes, which will remain closed during the duration of the gameplay.

The purpose of the game Red Door Yellow Door is to enter a trance that allows you to explore the inner workings of your mind.

Step 3:

Now the guide should begin to rub the other player’s temples with their fingers in a circular motion. This is used to create a relaxed state and allow that player to enter a trance. Now the guide should begin to continuously repeat “red door, yellow door, any other color door.” Anyone else in the room observing should follow along and also repeat this phrase.

Step 4:

This process is supposedly something that can induce a trance state allowing the participant to enter their own mind and explore its inner workings, though there are said to be some dangers involved in doing this. If successful, the participant should be able to visualize themselves somewhere, such as a room, and may be able to see doors around them. If they enter this state they should lower their arms to alert the others in the room of the chant’s success. This will prompt them to stop repeating the phrase from the previous step.

Entering a trance during Red Door Yellow Door.

Step 5:

At this point, if the game has worked the guide should begin to ask questions to the participant. They will want to question them about their surroundings, where they are, what it looks like, how it makes them feel. They should also prompt activity from the participant, such as telling them which doors to go through, etc. It is in the best interest of everyone that the participant follows and responds to all of the guide’s questions.

Some have claimed that there are potential dangers of playing the game Red Door Yellow Door, with players supposedly encountering evil within their own minds. It should be noted that the participant can be pulled out of their trance at any time by the guide simply by shaking them awake. This should be done so at any time where suspected danger is present.

Some notes to keep in mind:

Do not trust or interact with any person or other entity present within your trance state. Some have claimed to see dark figures or men in suits. Supposedly encountering these people could bring danger to you and you should avoid them at all costs. It is best to end the game if you encounter these entities.
You are free to move around the room or area you end up within, but it is always best to avoid anything you don’t feel right about and always listen to your guide.
Clocks within the game are very bad and should be avoided. It is thought that a clock could permanently trap you within your trance.
Cut the game short and wake up the participant at any stage if you feel the game is taking a dark turn. It is said if you die while in a trance state, you will die in real life.

Would you dare to play this scary game?

While this game sounds scary, it is likely just a game passed around through all corners of the internet and used to invoke fear in young audiences. This game likely holds no real danger to anyone, yet if you are scared in any way, do not proceed to play.

Thanks for reading! You might find interest in other paranormal games I have written about such as Hide and Seek Alone and Bloody Mary.

Thanks for reading!

xoxo