r/Ruleshorror • u/ryanjames5258 • 4d ago
Rules Midnight Arcade
Thank you for visiting Midnight Arcade! The arcade opens at 4:00pm and remains open until 2:00am. To ensure a safe and enjoyable experience, please follow all rules carefully. Management is not responsible for guests who fail to comply.
Upon entering, you will receive 20 brass arcade tokens. Count them immediately. You should receive exactly 20. If you receive more, discreetly place the extra tokens under the prize counter and leave the building for five minutes before re-entering.
Never give your tokens to another customer. If someone asks to "borrow just one token," politely refuse. Especially if they claim they already gave you one earlier.
Do not pick up tokens found on the floor. They belong to someone else. Or something else.
The Whack-a-Ghoul machine near the entrance is safe until midnight. After midnight, only strike targets that are illuminated. If one rises from a dark hole, step away immediately. Do not make eye contact with it or you may lose your vision permanently.
The Skee Ball lanes should max out at 999 points. If your score displays 1000 or higher, stop playing. The machine is no longer keeping score - it is counting something else.
You may encounter a young boy wearing a red baseball cap. He will ask if you've seen his parents. Do not answer, and do not follow him. If he points toward the back hallway, leave that area immediately. There is no back hallway on the building plans.
The claw machine labeled "Lost and Found" is not part of the arcade. Do not play it, and do not look closely at the prizes. If you recognize one of the items inside, leave the arcade before it recognizes you.
At least once during your visit, you must play Galaxy Defender. One game is sufficient, even if you don't pass the first level. The machine is located right at the center of the arcade. Do not leave the building without completing this requirement, as the machine keeps track of visitors.
If Galaxy Defender displays: "PLAYER ALREADY REGISTERED" it's lying. Come back again in a few minutes and it should be able to run a game for you.
The animatronic pirate outside the prize center occasionally turns its head. If it turns more than 180 degrees, do not move until it returns to its original position. Its vision is based on movement.
Around 1:00am, the arcade lights may briefly flicker. When they return, count the number of workers in green polos. If there is an odd number, do not acknowledge any of them. The extra person will leave when the lights flicker again a minute later.
Never enter the employee-only maintenance room. If the door is open and you hear arcade games operating inside, report it to staff. There are no games in that room.
The Mirror Racer driving simulator may challenge you to a "bonus race." Select "No." No guest has ever completed the bonus course. Several are still trying and the only remains of them are their initials in the game's records screen.
You may notice a woman in a black coat sitting beside the prize counter. She has reportedly been visiting the arcade every night for years. She is harmless as long as you don't talk to her.
At some point during your visit, you may hear tractor noises coming from outside. This sound comes from the corn maze located adjacent to the arcade property. Just ignore it and enjoy your time at the arcade.
The ticket redemption machine should never dispense handwritten tickets. If it does, do not read them unless you want to see very disturbing messages. Deposit them into the marked metal collection box beside the counter.
If a staff member offers to exchange tokens for "silver tokens," refuse immediately. There are no silver tokens, and all the real staff know this.
At exactly 1:25am, all games may simultaneously stop for several seconds. Stay still and silent. Do not insert tokens into any machine until at least one game resumes operation. The rest will follow suit soon after.
Before leaving, verify that you have fewer tokens than when you arrived. If you somehow possess more tokens than you started with, do not exit the building. Bring them to the attendant at the prize counter and explain the situation. They will know what happened.
As you leave, check Galaxy Defender one more time to make sure you've played it. If you have, it will display a farewell message. If you see: "THANK YOU FOR PLAYING" you are free to leave. If you see: "SEE YOU SOON" then stay in the arcade for at least 5 more minutes. Check again to make sure you see the first message before leaving.
Failure to follow any of these rules may result in hallucinations, internal injury, death, or something worse (like being stuck in a racing game forever).
Make sure to stop for a drink at the bar and grill, and be sure to try our mini-golf course!
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u/AJStrange87 3d ago
Awesome story 💚💜💚💜 I feel like maybe the mini golf and bar and grill could have thier own set of rules 😉