Y’all, the semester is finally over, and whether you’re moving back home, catching flights, starting an internship, or just spending time with hometown friends, chances are you’re looking for a low-stress way to decompress — and maybe have a laugh, too. Enter: the poison game, TikTok’s latest obsession that turns your snack stash into a high-stakes (and hilarious) game of psychological warfare. (But like, in a fun way.)
If you’ve seen it on your FYP, you already know the vibe. The setup is simple: grab a friend, a plate, and a bunch of small snacks — think jelly beans, grapes, gummy bears, or anything else bite-sized. The game starts by pouring the snack of choice onto a plate and without revealing their choice, each person secretly selects one piece to be the “poison.” That means, there are two poisoned snacks sitting in plain sight… both players are only aware of the poisoned piece they chose.
The game begins as the two players take turns removing one snack at a time, either by eating them or just simply removing it from the plate. One by one, the scattered bite-sized treats become smaller in numbers. The tension builds… until someone reaches for the wrong piece. If you pick the “poisoned” snack that the other person secretly selected, you lose.
What makes the poison game so fun to watch (and play) isn’t just the suspense — it’s the unhinged reactions, because some of them take losing (or “dying” from the “poisoned” snack) very seriously. One of the most fun outcomes is when both players accidentally choose the same snack to poison. Statistically, that lowers the risk of anyone losing, since you now only have to worry about one poison snack instead of two. But watching people realize they chose the exact same piece is genuinely hilarious.
Even funnier? Some people forget which one they poisoned and end up sabotaging themselves. Yes, the game is chaotic, that’s the point.
It’s easy to see why this trend is blowing up. The poison game takes almost zero prep, gives maximum entertainment, and is tailor-made for TikTok. It’s weirdly thrilling, kind of wholesome, and the perfect excuse to hang out with friends without touching a single screen (unless you’re recording it for TikTok, of course).
So, if you’re home for the summer and looking for something fun to do with your bestie — or just need a break from endless scrolling — this is your sign to set down your phone, grab some jelly beans, and let the low-stakes chaos begin.