Blue Whale is a video game that has once again has started to spread across the world, but on a more underground level than ever before. This video game on the surface appears to be a simple dare game that could be harmless to anyone who was willing to try, but in reality, this game has caused over 130 suicides in the time it has been available.

The video game itself is set up as a dare game, however, past the surface, it has an addictive quality that captures the player in and does not let them go. The premise behind the game is every day the specific player will get a new dare and in total there are 50 dares. So 50 dares, is 50 days of gameplay, which is where the main addiction lies. The human brain has something programmed inside of it called the “Cognitive Completion Theory,” meaning in simple terms that once the brain starts something it must finish it. Video games revolve around this idea and capitalize on it to quite an extent as well, however, games such as Flappy Bird, and Blue Whale, all take this idea to the next level by not only not having a definite ending, but by also challenging the user to keep coming back. With RPGs (Role Playing Games) and FPSs (First Person Shooters) the endings are most of the time solid and have a definitive way of wrapping up the story, but with, Blue Whale, that is anything but the case.

This is important because it gets the user so sucked into the game that by ten days in they are hooked and can not stop taking the dares given to them. That is where the real danger in this game is hidden because, after weeks and weeks of regular dares, they start to become more harmful and risky. Dares that involve self-harm and drawing whales on paper, “As if to symbolize the players being brainwashed into some sort of a cult situation,” believes Dylan Aoyagi (10).

After all this is said and done and 49 days have gone by of people being forced to watch horror movies and listen to terrifying music as well as cutting themselves, the final dare is for the player to jump off a building and commit suicide. At this point, the player is so entranced by these dares and the game that they feel the biggest impulse to do so and go through with the dare and many people have caused this game to lead to their unfortunate passing.

Several teenagers around the world have been working to stop the usage of this restricted and underground video game since it is international and has affected many people around the world. Apps have been made giving people dares on self-encouragement and built around loving who you are and yourself to combat this video game.

Throughout the years this game will resurface itself to a few teenagers who are not careful and do happen to fall into its trap, however with the new rising awareness of it as well as the actions many have taken to stop it this game will hopefully be avoided for any future teenagers or anyone for that matter.