How to Play Are You There Moriarty

By Jaques of London · Est. 1795 · Updated 2026-08-17

Are You There Moriarty is a two-player blindfolded hitting game played lying flat on the floor. Each player holds the other's left hand to keep track of position, then takes turns calling out, listening for the answer, and swinging a rolled newspaper at where the voice came from. The other player's only defence is to roll aside as quickly as possible after answering.

It is loud, physical, and reliably hilarious to watch. The game needs almost no equipment, sets up in seconds, and works equally well in a living room, a garden, or a village hall. Spectators are very much part of the experience, which is why it remains a staple of children's parties and family gatherings.

A little history

The game's origins are unclear, though it has been widely played in Britain throughout the twentieth century and is traditionally associated with children's parties and Christmas gatherings. The name almost certainly borrows Professor Moriarty from Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories, which enjoyed enormous popular currency from the 1890s onward, but no documented link exists between Conan Doyle and the game itself. The exact date and place of origin have not been reliably established.

Setting up

1. Clear a generous floor space of any furniture, sharp objects, or breakables within swinging range of both players.
2. Both players lie face-down on the floor, heads pointing in opposite directions and positioned so their bodies overlap at roughly the hip area.
3. Each player takes a blindfold and puts it on securely so they cannot see anything.
4. Each player holds the other's left wrist with their own left hand. This grip must be maintained throughout play and is the only physical reference point either player has.
5. Give the starting player a rolled newspaper or soft equivalent in their right hand. Decide who goes first by any agreed method.

How to play

1. The player holding the newspaper is the caller. They call out clearly: 'Are you there, Moriarty?'
2. The other player (the target) must answer immediately and honestly: 'Yes!'
3. The moment the target has spoken, the caller swings the newspaper in a single strike, aiming at wherever the voice came from. Only one swing is allowed per turn.
4. At the same moment as answering, the target may roll or shift their body to one side to dodge. The left-hand grip must not be broken during the dodge.
5. If the newspaper makes contact with the target's body or head, the caller scores one point.
6. If the swing misses entirely, no point is scored.
7. The newspaper is then passed to the other player, who becomes the new caller. Roles reverse and the sequence repeats.
8. Neither player may release the left-hand grip at any point during play. Releasing the grip, even momentarily, forfeits that player's next turn as caller.
9. Players must remain lying down throughout. Rising to a crouch or kneeling up is not permitted.
10. Continue alternating caller and target until one player reaches the agreed winning total.

Winning and scoring

The first player to land ten successful hits wins the match. Groups may agree a lower target, typically five hits, for a shorter game or for younger players. There is no tiebreaker format in standard play: the winner is simply the first to reach the agreed total. Where a best-of-three format is used, the overall winner is the first to take two matches.

The fine points

The most common dispute is over whether the left-hand grip was maintained during a dodge. The standard ruling is that if the caller felt the grip slacken or break before the swing landed, the hit does not count and the target forfeits their next turn as caller. Bystanders are often the most reliable judges of this and their verdict should be accepted. A second frequent argument concerns the target delaying their answer. The answer must come promptly. A pause of more than two or three seconds is considered evasion and, by standard ruling, the caller may swing at any time after calling without waiting further, and a hit counts even if the target has not yet spoken.

Some groups debate what counts as a hit. The standard position is that any contact between the newspaper and any part of the target's body, including hands and feet, scores a point. A swing that hits only the floor does not count. Where a blindfold slips and a player gains a sighting, the point stands if already scored, but the blindfold must be properly reset before play continues. Knowingly playing with a displaced blindfold forfeits the current turn.

How to win more often

• Answer from a slightly different position each time. If you always answer without moving first, an alert caller will quickly learn your default location.
• Roll toward your caller's body rather than away. Rolling away is predictable. Moving toward them shortens the arc of their swing and makes a clean hit harder.
• As caller, listen for the direction the voice travels as the target speaks rather than just where it starts. A rolling target's voice will shift mid-word and give away the direction of movement.
• Keep your swing compact and controlled. Wild, full-arm swings are slower and easier for the target to hear coming. A shorter, quicker strike gives the target less time to react.
• Do not pause before swinging. Hesitation gives the target extra time to settle into a better dodge position. Call, listen, and swing in as fluid a sequence as possible.

Variations

Tournament Format

Where four or more players are present, run a simple knock-out bracket. Pairs play a best-of-three match and winners advance. This keeps eliminated players involved as judges and spectators, which is genuinely useful for ruling on grip disputes.

Short Game

Set the winning total at five hits rather than ten. This is the most practical adjustment for younger players or when time is short. Play moves faster and the physical toll on elbows and knees is reduced.

Silent Caller

The caller is not permitted to call out at all. Instead, they tap the target's hand twice as a signal. The target must answer 'Yes!' and then dodge. This removes the audio cue that helps the target brace for the swing and makes dodging considerably harder.

Team Scoring

Where a group wants ongoing play without knock-outs, players rotate through in a fixed order and each hit is tallied to a cumulative personal score. After everyone has had an equal number of turns as caller, the player with the highest total wins. This works well for groups of four to six wanting a longer session.

Are You There Moriarty: frequently asked questions