The Game Gal

Family-friendly games for you and yours

Green glass doors

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What it is: A talking, thinking game for anywhere from two to a busload of players. This is also one of those games where you need someone who knows the “secret” and other players who are clueless.

Best for: 2 players or however many more you want.

What you need: Nothing! 🙂 Well, just people to play, at least one who knows the “secret” and at least one who doesn’t.

How to play: The object of the game is for players to discover what can be taken through a hypothetical set of green glass doors. Players who know the secret give other players hints (or further confuse them) by saying “I’m going through the green glass doors and I’m bringing ___, but not ___,” filling in the blanks with an object than can go through the green glass doors and an object that can’t, respectively.

So players who know the secret might say things like this:

I’m going through the green glass doors and I’m bringing a poodle, but not a dog.

I’m going through the green glass doors and I’m bringing the moon, but not the sun.

I’m going through the green glass doors and I’m bringing a puddle, but not water.

I’m going through the green glass doors and I’m bringing boots, but not sandals.

I’m going through the green glass doors and I’m bringing Harry Potter, but not Ron Weasley.

Have you figured it out yet?

Players who don’t know the secret to the game can then try their own sentences, maybe something like, “I’m going through the green glass doors, and I’m bringing a lamp shade, but not a light bulb?” To which the in-the-know players would respond with, “Nope, you can’t go through the green glass doors” while shaking their heads sympathetically. The game can continue indefinitely, and pause and resume as needed, until all players know the secret. It’s perfect for filling long hours during car trips.

So do you know the secret yet? Do you know what can be taken through the green glass doors? 😉 (I’ll give you one hint: the fact that you’re reading this post and not playing this game out loud should be a huge help to you.) Oooh, I know! How about, if you still don’t know the secret, leave a comment in the form of “I’m going through the green glass doors and I’m taking ___ but not ___,” and I’ll respond with a yes or a no! And, if you already know the secret, you can post mysterious, enigmatic sentences to confuse all the clueless people! It’ll be like a massive online, ongoing version of green glass doors! Awesome!

Or…since you’re probably reading this blog to figure out how to play, and if you really really really want to know and have no will power at all, or any desire to experience that awesome “a-ha!” moment when you figure out the secret yourself, click here to find out.

Variations: My mom and sister play the same game but call it Fanny Dooley, where Fanny Dooley a made-up lady and phrases take the form of “Fanny Dooley has ___ but not ___.” I’ve also heard the game called “deep but not profound” (which I think is clever, funny, and awesome).

Also, for a very similar game with more flexible rules, check out going on a picnic.

Comments

  32. I just looked at the answer, but I originally thought it had to do with the fact that the ones that could go had smiles and the ones that couldn’t go had frowns. XD

    So, I’m going through the green glass doors and can bring cherry, but not a grape.

    1. Hahahaha, that’s a great one, Lily! My husband and I laughed out loud. Sorry if the smiling/frowning illustrations threw you (or anyone else) off!
      And yes, you can go through the green glass doors!

  47. I love this game! We have been playing it for years!
    I’m going through the green glass doors and I’m taking a swimming pool but not a hot tub.

  56. I am going through the green glass doors with pudding but not yogurt.
    I am going through the green glass doors with my mittens but not my gloves.
    I am going through the green glass doors with waffles but not pancakes.
    I am going through the green glass doors with my earrings but not my necklace.
    I am going through the green glass doors yelling but not whispering.

  59. Ah Shucks, I got it the wrong way round. I’m going through the green glass doors and I’m bringing a professor but not a teacher. I think I can go through now. I will use this game for my students. It’s excellent for vocabulary remembering.

      1. Id like to find out about that paint the moon game. I’ve read every comment and some of them were funny 🙂 Btw I’m going through the green glass doors and I’m bringing a jeep but not a car. My uncle told me about this one, it took me so long to get, then I wrote out the name and found out what it meant 😉

        1. Yes Holden, you can go! I’ve never heard of the paint the moon game and I even searched for it online but I couldn’t find anything about the secret or even how to play. Do you have any more information for me on how you play it?

          2. Paint the moon involves going in a circle and saying, “I want to paint the moon _______(yellow),” you then pass the paint brush on to the next person who says “i want to paint the moon ___________(like a soccer ball).” To which you would say sorry, but you can’t. They then pass the brush on to the next person who say,” Thank you. I want to paint the moon __________.” To which you would say yes you can paint the moon neon pink. You then have to figure out the secret.

          6. It’s hard to explain without giving it away. It’s also not possible to play online like the comments have been playing Green Glass Doors. It involves how you interact with one another.

  65. I found “I am going to the moon and I am bringing . . . ” The first player starts a pattern and you may ask to bring things using the pattern. Whoever states what the pattern is gets to start the next pattern.
    Example: I am going to the moon and I am bringing a cab, a bicycle and an elevator

  66. Yes. Going on a picnic and going to the moon have the same/similar rules. Fun!
    You can come to the moon also if you know my example pattern.

  69. Pingback: Family Dinner Games – Timeless Mama

    1. Perfect! My great-grandmother Mississippi Millennium Hubbard (that’s my real great-grandmother’s name!) can definitely go through the green glass doors, but by great-grandfather Arthur Beaird can’t.

  88. I’m going through the green glass doors, and I’m bringing an arrow, but not the bow. I’m bringing a pellet, but not the gun.

  90. I’m going through the green glass doors I’m bringing I can bring lilo and stitch but not Dumbo(Disney movie lover 😍❤️💕💖)

  92. The answers that fit the pattern are almost endless. I would like to get some feedback on why this kind of game is engaging. In your opinion, why do these kind of games hold our attention?

    1. That’s a great question, Tim. There are an endless number of answers, but I think it does still take some creativity to find an answer and a non-answer in a clever pair, and that can be fun. But I think the real fun of the game comes in playing with someone who doesn’t know the rule yet – then it’s very entertaining to watch someone struggle with a secret answer that seems so obvious, and to offer them clues that seem to confuse them more, not less. What do you think?

  93. I would agree with you but I think there might be something deeper than that. It seems to me that there is something in our human nature that looks for patterns in order to understand something better and find something meaningful. If other people are able to respond to a pattern in meaningful ways, I, too, want to look for a pattern that makes sense out of something that is nonsense to me now. We assume the world can make sense and we look for it. We don’t like nonsense.

  94. Pingback: Family Dinner Games - Timeless Mama

  99. Sad thing is, I know how to play this game yet I am still reading it because the CORONA LEAVES ME NO CHOICE!

  103. Took me a minute, but I think I got it! 🙂
    I’m going through the green glass doors and I’m bringing cinnamon rolls, but not chocolate doughnuts!

  105. I’m going through the green glass doors and even though I want to bring peace and quiet, but the stress is tagging along

  106. Pingback: Four Strategies for Learning to Love and Use Words #engaginglitminds – Reading By Example
  111. Pingback: Family Dinner Games -

  115. I was introduced to the “deep but not profound” variation.

    In the land of the deep but not profound, there are bathrooms but not toilets, grooms but not brides, lagoons but not estuaries.

  119. I’m going through the green glass doors and unfortunately, I’m bringing my deeply stressful sleeplessness and not my profoundly calm relaxation…

  120. Talking about the ‘Paint the moon’ game, we have the same game in France called “Dessine-moi une lune” (‘Draw me a moon’).
    It is the same principle, with children (even adults sometimes…) going in a circle.
    The first person draws a moon in the air with an imaginary pencil and passes the pencil on to the next person who draws a moon, the first person (knowing the secret of course, often an adult) says “Désolé(e), elle n’est pas belle ta lune” (‘Sorry, it’s not a lovely moon’) Then the pencil is given to the next person saying ‘Thank you’ and drawing his/her moon. The first person says, “Ouah, elle est magnifique ta lune !” (‘Wow, what a lovely moon!’) And so on, until everyone figures out the secret…
    As the game progresses, the children who have figured out the secret can give their opinion on the loveliness of the moon.

  121. You’re welcome!
    Does he know the famous French market called “Padi Pado”?!!!
    When you get into this strange market, you cannot buy anything you’re looking for…

    For instance, I can buy some vegetables but I will never find any fruit!

    Welcome to Padi Pado market, what would you like to buy?

    1. I’ve never played, but from what I can gather, your moon is acceptable if you say “thank you” or “thanks” when you’re handed the brush or pencil. It doesn’t matter how you describe the moon. I guess a good game to teach politeness!

  127. “The Game Gal : ‘I’ve never played, but from what I can gather, your moon is acceptable if you say “thank you” or “thanks” when you’re handed the brush or pencil. It doesn’t matter how you describe the moon. I guess a good game to teach politeness!’ ” Exactly… 😉

  131. I’m curious if I can go through the green glass doors doing a hat trick, but not a stunt jump.

    However, I am certain that I can take a class, but not a course

    1. Hmm, that’s a bit of a tricky one Maxim, but I think I’d venture to say that no, hat tricks cannot come. A hatter could come, but not a hat trick, but you are always welcome to make your own house rules!

  134. Too bad not all my hobbies can go through the door. Luckily, I am a drummer and I read books. I’m an archer with only arrows because I can’t take my bow through the doors.

    On the other hand, if I just take all my hobbies through the door, I can go.

    1. Ooh, that one’s a toughie William! You might have some people arguing with you on whether you can bring that t-shirt, or a tee-shirt, but I definitely think you could bring a tee. 🙂

  137. I’m coming through the green glass door and I’m bringing a burrito but not a taco, apple juice but not orange juice, wheels but no car, and boots but not shoes.

  139. Pingback: 35 Classic Party Games for Teens - Teaching Expertise

  141. I just found out abt this game because of tik tok; not sure where I’ve been since this post has been going since 2012 and now we’re in 2022 (I am not 20 abt to be 21) anywho, I’m going through the green glass door and I’m bringing bringing new beginnings and but not any endings

    1. Wait is green glass doors a tik tok trend now?? Sorry, I don’t know because I’m not on tik tok because I’m an old fogey who’s been writing about games since 2012! And yes, you can go!

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