How to Secretly Play Video Games when You're Grounded

Co-authored by Amy Bobinger

Last Updated: June 7, 2023 Approved

It happens to everyone eventually — you get caught talking on the phone when you’re supposed to be asleep, or you get a less than stellar grade on your math test, and that’s it. You’re grounded from playing video games. There’s no way you can leave your guild hanging for a whole week, though, so you have to figure out how to play games without getting caught. Luckily, you can still play video games while you’re grounded if you wait for the right time and focus on being quiet.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Playing Video Games When Your Parents Are Home

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You'll probably have the best luck playing video games if you can find a few minutes when everyone else is occupied. Stay alert and watch for a time when your parents are cooking dinner, helping a sibling with homework, or talking on the phone.^{[1]
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Pick a room that’s not used much. If you don't want anyone to notice what you're doing, sneak into a room that nobody goes into very often. You might play on your phone in the basement or on the extra console in the guest bedroom. This should work for a few minutes of game time, but if you’re gone too long, it will look suspicious. Have a good cover story in case you’re caught coming out of the room.^{[2]
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- If you get caught coming out of the basement, try saying something like, “Since I’m grounded, I thought I’d try to find my old tennis racket. I didn’t see it, though.”
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If you leave the door open, you’re basically asking to get caught. Close and lock the door while you play. If someone knocks, tell them you were just changing, then close the game and quickly put on a different shirt.^{[3]
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Many students use a computer for homework, so you should be able to make a convincing argument for why you need the computer. Open a few tabs that contain information related to a single subject and a few of the top results. For instance, if you're in a history class this semester, you might open a search on Harry Truman and a few pages about his life and presidency. It’s best that you have a few tabs on Wikipedia or other encyclopedia websites like Britannica.com open. (However, if you get caught, your parents may not let you on the computer even for homework and you will get in trouble with your teachers, which can make you grounded even longer.)
If you have a hand-held device, such as a Nintendo Switch, DS, or PS Vita, take it into the bathroom with you, you should be able to get away with spending 5-10 minutes at a time several times a day in the bathroom playing games without anyone thinking much of it. Remember to flush and wash your hands after you’re done so it will seem like you were actually using the bathroom while you were in there.^{[4]
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Play video games at night when everyone’s asleep if you can't during the day. If you have a portable gaming system or you like to play games on your phone, play in your bed after everyone goes to sleep. Pull the blanket up over your head so the light won’t be visible under your door. Just be aware that playing video games right before bed can make it harder for you to go to sleep.^{[5]
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- If you don’t have a portable gaming device or the game you want to play isn't on it, sneak into the room with the console and play in the middle of the night. Make sure all the sound is turned off, and cover up the system with a pillow when you turn it on to muffle the beep.
- Be sure to finish at least 2 hours before it's time to wake up just to be sure that you get a good night sleep before school or anything like that.
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Bribe your siblings so they don’t tell on you. You might be able to avoid your parents’ gazes for long enough to play, but if you have brothers or sisters, they’re probably going to catch on sooner or later. Try bribing them to keep them from telling on you.
- Offer to do their chores for a week, give them your allowance, or let them borrow something of yours that they really like. Remember to be extra nice to them while you’re grounded so they don’t tell. Doing extra chores and being kind to your siblings might even convince your parents to let you off grounding sooner!
If your family is home and you can’t get away with playing video games while they’re there, ask one of your friends if you can come over and play games with them. To keep your parents from getting suspicious, tell your parents you need to work on a school project or you want to play ball. Most parents will encourage their kids to spend time with friends.^{[6]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Playing Video Games When You’re Home Alone

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1
Turn the volume down low while you’re playing. You don’t necessarily have to turn the sound all the way off when you’re playing video games while you’re home alone. After all, the soundtrack is a big part of the video game experience.^{[7]
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Research source} However, you do want to make sure the volume is low enough that you will hear when someone comes home.
- Don’t wear a headset. This will make it more difficult to hear what’s going on around you, so someone could walk in and catch you before you ever know they’re there.
One of the things that makes video games so fun is your ability to get totally immersed in them.^{[8]
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Research source} However, this means you might not notice things that are happening around you, like your parents coming home sooner than you expected. Stop playing often and check to make sure you’re still alone.
The sound of the garage door opening will let you know that someone has come home, giving you plenty of time to turn off your game and get involved in something else.
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Make it look like you were doing something else if anyone walks in. Be prepared when your parents come home to quickly exit out of your game and immediately look like you were busy with something else. Have a book open, spread your homework out across the desk, or take out a jigsaw puzzle and put together a few pieces so it looks like you’re in the middle of something.^{[9]
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- If you are using an Xbox, be careful. By default, these consoles make a loud beep when the power button is pressed. To get around this, turn it off, preferably, when you are not grounded.

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What kind of devices can I use?

NY Blossom

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Pretty much any device, but small ones like a phone or DS are easier to hide.

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What should I do if my mom hides my games when she takes them away?

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You could try watching her to see where she hides the games. You could also try searching in some likely hiding spots, like her closet or under her bed.

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I can't play games while my mother is taking care of me for 24 hours a day. How can I play without anyone knowing?

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If you have any portable devices, such as a phone, iPod or DS, sit in the bathroom for about 15 minutes every few hours to play a game. Don't play too long, or she'll get suspicious.

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Warnings

You could get in a lot of trouble if you get caught doing this! Your punishment could end up being way longer, and you could have more things taken away from you. Your best bet is just to ride out your punishment and get back to gaming after your grounding is over.

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