Juego de la Copa: Spirit Cup

Juego de la Copa recreates the Latin American glass séance the way it is played at home, at night, with friends: a sheet of paper with the alphabet written by hand, a drinking glass turned upside down in the circle in the middle, one candle, and everyone's finger on the glass.

THE BOARD
The letters around a circle, YES and NO at the top, HELLO and GOODBYE at the bottom, the numbers 1 to 0. Drawn in marker on kraft paper folded in four, with the rings of other glasses and wax from the candle.

THE GLASS MOVES
Rest a fingertip on the glass. Up to four people can play on the same phone, one finger each: the more hands, the steadier it moves. The glass does not slide straight to its answer: it hesitates, creeps, drifts, trembles under your fingers and stops on a letter, then the next. The letter it points at shows through the glass.

THE RULES
• Invite the spirit aloud, line by line.
• Nobody lifts their finger until the glass reaches GOODBYE.
• Never ask when or how you will die.
• If the glass starts to circle, do not let go.
• Always say goodbye. Then turn the glass upright and put out the candle.
Break a rule and the room changes: the flame gutters, the air grows heavy, the glass moves faster and the goodbye gets harder. Leave without saying goodbye and the next sitting remembers.

THE JOURNAL
Every sitting is kept on your phone: the questions, what the glass spelled, how many fingers were on it and how it ended. Any page can be shared as an image.

ATMOSPHERE
One candle that flickers with the spirit's mood. A room tone generated live, with wind, creaks, breathing and whispers that only come when something has been stirred. Subtle haptics follow the glass's tremor. Best with headphones, in the dark.

Three free questions per sitting. When the candle burns low you may light a fresh one by watching a short ad, for three more questions. No ads during the sitting. Works offline. No account.

In English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, Russian, Vietnamese, Korean, Japanese and Hindi, each with its own hand-drawn board.

For entertainment only.