Senior assassin (also known as Senior Water Wars)[1] is a form of the assassin game often played in the United States between students in 12th grade during their senior year before graduation. The objective of the game is for participating students to "assassinate" or eliminate their target, a fellow participating student, by squirting them with a water gun within a given time period. While rules often vary by school, most games are played bracket-style, with the winner of the game receiving a jackpot prize of all eliminated players' entry fees. Games are not sanctioned by the school, and are not allowed to take place on private property or school grounds. Despite these precautions, the game has been condemned by some authorities for reasons often revolving around students' safety and those unfamiliar with the game, resulting in prior incidents.
 A staged photo of an elimination in the game | |
| Other names | Senior Water Wars |
|---|---|
| Years active | 2010s–present |
| Genres | Assassin game |
| Players | 2 or more |
| Playing time | no limit |
| Chance | some |
| Age range | 12th Grade and senior year students |
| Skills | Accurizing, hiding, observation, running, sleuthing |
| Materials required | Water gun |
Rules
editBecoming popular across the United States in the 2010s likely due to its portrayal on shows like iCarly, Gossip Girl, and social media,[2][3] the game is most commonly played between high school seniors in twelfth grade.[1] Games are started near graduation in the months of either April or May, in which participating students who pay an admission fee are assigned another participating student as a target, who they must "assassinate" or eliminate from the game by squirting them with a water gun, all while being hunted themself.[1] Targets must be assassinated within a given time period, or the hunting student is eliminated.[4] Oftentimes, video evidence or a secondary witness of the assassination is required for it to be counted.[1][4] Such videos are often posted on major social media platforms including Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube to promote the game and for entertaining content.[5][6] When a winner is decided, the admission fees are awarded as a jackpot.[1] Games are not sanctioned by the school or police, and are not allowed to take place on private property or school grounds, especially during school hours.[1][7][8]
The rules of the game often vary slightly by school, but the main objectives underlined above remain the same.[1][9] Researching on social media and asking friends for information about a target is a key element to the game, and likewise giving disinformation to throw hunters off track.[10] To assassinate a target, students are made to employ multiple ambush tactics: most often including waiting for a target to leave for work or go to their car, hiding in bushes outside of a target's house, and/or making deals with siblings or friends to be let into a target's house.[1] To avoid this, a commonly used tactic is to have non-participating siblings scan the areas of a possible ambush prior to a participating a student's arrival.[4][10] Places often but not always considered out of bounds for assassinating a target include the school's campus, other schools' campuses, in the target's workplace, in the target's car (especially while in motion), and in the target's house, unless they are let in.[4][11] The game has been criticized for more extreme and often more dangerous ambush tactics: including chasing after targets by car,[9] boxing in a target's car with their own, trespassing through private property, and placing GPS trackers on targets' items.[11]
Variations
editSome schools play a version of the game where instead of individual students competing for the jackpot: groups of two students, or two or more teams of many students, are formed, with the winning team splitting the prize money among themselves in the event they win.[1][10][12] Some schools also play a version where half of the jackpot goes to the winner(s), and the other half goes towards a charitable organization.[1] Other versions of the game allow for 'power-ups' which can protect the target from being eliminated while using them; a common example being wearing goggles or inflatable armbands, but may also include cowboy hats, tutus, and other embarrassing accessories.[10][12][13] In relation to power-ups, these versions of the game also often use a 'bounty board' or 'hit list', which as opposed to being eliminated, a student is placed on in the event they could not assassinate their target within the given time frame.[12][13] Students on this list either become the target in 'purges': a weekly event in which power-ups become useless for those on the board, and everyone still in the game gains the ability to assassinate them, or immediately become everyone's target all week.[12][13] To get off of the 'bounty board' and likewise avoid the 'purge', a fee can be paid, which gets added to the final jackpot.[12] While these versions of the game are popular, some students have argued the excess of rules makes the game harder to play and get in to,[14] while others have stated it leaves more room for the exploitation of loopholes which make the game more entertaining.[13]
Less commonly, some schools allow the use of water balloons and water bottles in addition to water guns,[11] or Nerf guns[7][13] and gel blasters as opposed to water guns.[15] According to Fox News, paintball guns and airsoft guns have also been used in rare occasions.[6]
Reception and controversies
edit"It's just seniors trying to have fun as their year closes out. It's not meant to be harmful in any way. It's meant to be a fun game."
"Though this may seem harmless on the surface, while in possession of an item resembling a firearm [...] the opportunity for mistaken identity and possible tragic outcomes is very real."
While widely regarded by students as a fun game to play before graduation as a way to reduce stress before exams,[11][17] some authorities have condemned it, as it has attracted a decent amount of controversy since its inception, often revolving around student safety and those unfamiliar with the game.[1][2][6][18] Students trying to stealthily eliminate their target, especially at night, have been confused with burglars with real guns, sometimes resulting in police involvement.[4][16] In 2017, three students in Hopkinton, Massachusetts, were almost charged with felonies after attempting to ambush a target in what they thought was the target's garage, but instead belonged to an elderly neighbor unfamiliar with the game, who locked them in and called the police.[8] In 2023 in Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania, a school was evacuated after it was reported a student brought a firearm to a sporting event there, which turned out to be a water gun.[7] In 2024, two students in suburban Chicago attempting to eliminate their target in a local restaurant had a real gun pulled on them by man with a concealed carry firearm after confusing the situation with a robbery, as the students were using water guns which looked nearly identical to real weapons.[7]
Other controversies revolve around the game's name using the word "assassin", which has been condemned by some as sounding 'tone deaf' in wake on recent school shootings in the United States.[11] Police have stated using brightly colored water guns which cannot be mistaken for a real gun can help minimize the risk of being mistakenly reported.[7][19] Never aiming a water gun at people uninvolved in the game, displaying water guns in a threatening manner, and practicing common sense are likewise recommended to minimize risks associated with the game.[9][19]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Deminski, Jeff (March 23, 2023). "What's Senior Assassin And Why Is It Taking Over NJ High Schools?". New Jersey 101.5. Archived from the original on August 30, 2024. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
- ^ a b Towe, Jazmin (June 10, 2024). "'Senior Assassin' Is Meant to Be a Fun Game for High School Seniors, But Is It Dangerous?". Parents. Archived from the original on August 26, 2024. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
- ^ Alaimo, Kara (May 26, 2024). "Opinion: The 'senior assassin' game is all good fun — until it isn't". CNN. Archived from the original on August 26, 2024. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e Kane, Gavin (May 26, 2018). "Everything you need to know about Senior Assassin". The Friar's Lantern. Archived from the original on March 24, 2023. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
- ^ Coblentz, Emilee (May 1, 2024). "'Senior assassin' trend: Authorities warn that teen game could have deadly consequences". USA Today. Archived from the original on August 25, 2024. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
- ^ a b c Eberhart, Chris (April 30, 2024). "Trending 'Senior Assassin' TikTok game 'could get someone hurt or killed', police say". Fox News. Archived from the original on August 25, 2024. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e Perez, Walter (April 24, 2024). "'Senior Assassin' game results in potentially dangerous misunderstandings, police warn". 6 ABC. Archived from the original on August 25, 2024. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
- ^ a b "Hopkinton Police Surround 'Senior Assassins' Who Entered Wrong Home". CBS News Boston. May 3, 2017. Archived from the original on August 25, 2024. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
- ^ a b c Fisher, Alex (April 10, 2024). "What is the 'Senior Assassin' game and why are Chicago-area officials warning about it?". NBC 5 Chicago. Archived from the original on August 26, 2024. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
- ^ a b c d Bachara, Samantha (March 25, 2022). "How to win Senior Assassins". Blueprint. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f Bean, Ethan; Grande, Alec; Tapscott, Harry (May 23, 2023). "Senior Assassin: Innocent Fun or Dangerous Tradition?". The Orbit. Archived from the original on April 28, 2024. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e Pinello, Sophi (February 2, 2023). "Senior Assassin". CV Student Media. Archived from the original on August 26, 2024. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e Mason, Emelia; Cherny, Maya (June 16, 2023). "The tricks and trade of the senior assassin game". Nordic News. Archived from the original on August 26, 2024. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
- ^ Oswald, Javen (April 10, 2024). "Senior Miles Murphy: Ultimate senior Assassin". Central Times. Archived from the original on August 26, 2024. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
- ^ Burnett, Cameron (June 5, 2024). "Kansas Walmart shooting started as high school game 'senior assassin'". KSL-TV. Archived from the original on August 25, 2024. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
- ^ a b Hensley, Dean (May 8, 2024). "Superintendent, sheriff's office warn about social media sensation 'Senior Assassin' game". Times-News. Archived from the original on August 25, 2024. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
- ^ Seguin, Kendra (June 8, 2024). "'Senior assassin' water-gun game a controversial last shot at adolescence for high school grads". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. London, Ontario. Archived from the original on September 2, 2024. Retrieved September 2, 2024.
- ^ Lukert, Luke (May 7, 2024). "Viral 'senior assassin' game has Va. high school officials concerned". WTOP-FM. Archived from the original on May 29, 2024. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
- ^ a b O'Connor, Kyra (August 18, 2024). "Multiple Valley police agencies warn communities of 'Senior Assassin' game". 12News. Archived from the original on August 28, 2024. Retrieved August 25, 2024.