Case File #027: The Elevator Game Incident

Status: Unverified – Ritual Gone Wrong
Date Filed: October 10, 2014
Last Reviewed: June 2, 2025
Location: Seoul, South Korea
Filed Under: Urban Ritual – Missing Person – Surveillance Anomaly
Access Level: Restricted – Cultural Sensitivity Advised

Incident Summary

In October 2014, a 19-year-old university student in Seoul, South Korea, was found dead inside an apartment building's elevator shaft. Her body had been decomposing for several days before a tenant reported a foul smell near the basement. When retrieved, her body showed no signs of trauma consistent with a fall or assault. Nearby CCTV footage, however, revealed something far more disturbing: the girl had entered the elevator alone, pressed a specific sequence of buttons, and began behaving erratically—mimicking the ritual pattern known online as “The Elevator Game.”

This urban legend, rooted in South Korean online forums, claims that a person can shift into an alternate dimension by riding an elevator and following a precise sequence of floor selections. The footage reignited speculation that the ritual might be more than fiction—and that someone, somehow, had paid the ultimate price for attempting it.

The Elevator Game Ritual

The ritual gained popularity on forums like Naver Cafe, DC Inside, and later, Reddit, under threads related to occult games and paranormal dares. The rules are simple, yet highly specific:

• The game must be played alone in a building with at least 10 floors.
• The player enters the elevator and follows this button sequence: 4 → 2 → 6 → 2 → 10 → 5.
• Upon reaching the 5th floor, a woman may enter the elevator. She is not to be looked at, touched, or spoken to.
• If the ritual is successful, the elevator ascends to the 10th floor, bypassing requested floors.
• Upon arrival, the player reportedly finds themselves in a reality that resembles our own—but darker, empty, and “wrong.”

Returning requires repeating the sequence in reverse. Failure to do so is said to trap the individual in the alternate world.

Timeline of the Incident

• October 3, 2014 – The student is last seen entering her apartment building around 11:45 p.m.
• October 4, 2014 – Neighbors report hearing strange elevator noises and knocking sounds from the shaft.
• October 9, 2014 – Maintenance investigates a foul odor and discovers the body at the bottom of the elevator shaft.
• October 10, 2014 – CCTV footage is reviewed. It shows the girl entering the elevator and pressing buttons in a strange pattern before stepping in and out repeatedly, seemingly distressed. The footage cuts off before the elevator descends.

CCTV Footage and Public Reaction

The CCTV video quickly leaked online. Viewers noted her unusual behavior: hesitating between floors, repeatedly pressing buttons in a specific order, and at one point, hiding in the corner of the elevator. Some say her movements match the button pattern described in online Elevator Game instructions.

The internet response was immediate. Paranormal enthusiasts flooded forums with claims that she had “successfully crossed dimensions but failed to return.” Some claimed to see another figure in the video, partially obscured, entering on the 5th floor—a woman in white.

Local police dismissed these claims and labeled the death an accident, possibly linked to mental illness or disorientation. However, no clear motive or explanation for her presence in the shaft was ever confirmed.

Possible Explanations

1. Mental Health Crisis

Investigators suspected that the student may have experienced a psychotic episode. Friends reported that she had been sleep-deprived and stressed due to academic pressure. However, no psychiatric history was ever confirmed.

2. Accidental Death

Authorities suggested she may have attempted to escape the elevator after a malfunction. However, the elevator was in working condition during the incident, and there was no evidence of being trapped.

3. Online Influence / Copycat Effect

The most grounded theory involves the influence of viral content and the power of suggestion. The Elevator Game had been trending online at the time. It’s possible she was attempting the ritual either as a dare or out of personal fascination.

4. Paranormal Possibility

Some continue to believe the girl was a victim of something unexplainable. The strange camera glitches, her disoriented behavior, and the unexplained noises reported by tenants that night all remain subjects of speculation.

Similarities to the Elisa Lam Case

Parallels were immediately drawn between this case and the 2013 death of Elisa Lam at the Cecil Hotel in Los Angeles. Both involve:

• A young woman acting strangely in an elevator
• Viral CCTV footage showing unexplained behavior
• Mental health speculation combined with supernatural theories
• Death in an area of mechanical infrastructure (water tank / elevator shaft)

Some have suggested the Elevator Game is inspired by—or has somehow spiritually linked itself to—the Elisa Lam case.

Cultural and Psychological Impact

In South Korea, this case sparked nationwide concern about the psychological effects of internet horror culture. Media outlets debated whether exposure to “dark web rituals” and YouTube horror series could trigger dangerous behavior. The story became a cautionary tale in schools and was referenced in local dramas, books, and even psychological journals.

To this day, some elevators in older Seoul buildings have been found with button sequences scratched or worn in the pattern matching the ritual. Whether from pranksters or believers remains unclear.

Conclusion

The truth behind the Elevator Game Incident remains buried under layers of digital myth, social anxiety, and cultural symbolism. Whether it was a tragic accident, the result of suggestion and stress, or something darker entirely, the incident continues to haunt the digital underground.

Urban legends often die out quietly. This one entered a lift—and never came back.

References
All sources used in this case are listed in the References Archive. Each link corresponds to verified data, public records, or expert documentation.