“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Senior Ryan Kumar yelled while chasing his friend, his assigned target, before successfully making the elimination.

As the 2024-2025 school year is coming to an end, seniors are searching for action packed activities to reminisce post high school graduation. One of the notable senior activities is playing ‘Senior Assassin.’

This game is not only played at our school, but in many high schools throughout the country. It allows for community building and gives the seniors many fun memories to look back on.

The game’s organizer, an unknown graduating senior at our school, shares their intentions in starting the game and motivation for keeping track of all eliminations and transactions being made. 

“I started Senior Assassin to create a fun experience for our class during our final months of high school,” they said. “It adds excitement and friendly competition, making the end of the year more memorable. No one else started the game so I did.”

The game is played through an app, ‘Splashin,’ which requires players to give consent to the usage of their locations. Once all terms and conditions are signed and the game code for our school is entered, players wait for the round to begin. 

The game master explains the process of people joining the game and what was required of them.

“Originally we had about 70 people join the game for free,” they said. “After the first round, we got up to 115 people playing. Those who joined late had to pay $15 for their team which was added to the prize.”

Working in pairs, the goal of the game is to be the last team standing and ultimately earn the ‘pot,’ or prize money.

Teams work together to eliminate their weekly targets strictly through the use of water guns. However, there is a catch. 

Players may be ‘protected’ from being eliminated by the usage of floaties or goggles which must be visible. 

Participants are also aware of the ‘safe-zones’ including the school campus from 7 a.m. through 4 p.m, being at work, an extracurricular activity or a religious site. 

“If you are practicing for a sport or any extracurriculars, including jobs, those are safe,” Kumar said. “Anywhere else is free game.” 

Furthermore, the elimination must also be video taped to ensure its validity.

The app randomly assigns participants their weekly targets. Players avidly attempt to eliminate their target through various methods, with some people getting very creative. 

“Each week you are assigned a team to eliminate, which if you fail to do so, you are placed on the bounty board for the weekend,” Kumar said. “The bounty board is a group of players who have either not eliminated their assigned team, or a person who has had a bounty placed on them by a random person in the game.”

According to the Splashin app, when a player has a bounty, they can be eliminated by any other team. They are vulnerable to all players, as opposed to being targeted by one team. 

Bounties typically last 24 hours, and once removed, only that player’s target is able to eliminate them. 

However, that is not the only way to have a bounty imposed on a player. If one player is seeking to eliminate another, they may choose to place a bounty on them by paying five dollars to the game master. Once the game master receives the money and adds it to the pot, they will place a bounty and it is free play. 

If a player is eliminated from the game, they have the option to buy back in. The first buyback is $15, second is $25 and the third is $40. 

If the player is eliminated after the third buyback, they are officially out of the game. 

Another way to be eliminated from the game without a chance of buying back in is during a purge. 

According to the Splashin app, a purge lets players see everyone’s location, allowing them to eliminate anyone other than their teammate rather than being restricted to their assigned targets. In addition, only during a purge are goggles and floaties rendered useless.

After two full weeks of the game, seniors comment on their enjoyment of the game. 

“It has really brought our graduating class together,” Mia Grassano said. “Because targets are randomized, some people might not know who their targets are and it’s interesting to see how they plan it out.”

Louis Welling-Belli agrees with Grassano and shares his motivation in joining the game. 

“I decided to join because I thought it would be fun to take part in a game like this,” Welling-Belli said. “I’ve found it really fun so far but it’s made me a little paranoid about not wearing goggles and floatie.”

His paranoia about the rules came into play when he wasn’t wearing his goggles. 

“As someone who has gotten out of the game, I’d advise players to wear your goggles!” Welling Belli said. 

Nonetheless, this is one of the activities that seniors will remember the most. 

“I like the feeling of being hunted,” Fabio Carias Lopez said. “It’s a great game that should be kept as tradition.”

Grassano says she was hoping to play the game from the very start.

“I had seen videos and heard stories from my friends from other schools who participated and told me it was a really fun experience they wouldn’t forget,” Grassano said. “I have really enjoyed the game, especially since I haven’t gotten out yet.”

She has been diligent and cautious when walking around after the safe zone hours are over. 

“In round one, my targets tried to get me outside of practice, but I obviously didn’t forget my goggles and it was funny seeing them leave without getting me,” she said. “It’s also very interesting to see how everyone is trying to get their targets but only to find out that most of the people are wearing their goggles or floaties.”

The elimination attempts fall short when the hunter realizes that their target is wearing their goggles or floaties. This was not the case with Kumar who eliminated his targets during round one. 

“I didn’t know my targets were still at school, but when I found out they were, I didn’t hesitate to lie to my friends about my targets and then proceed to lie about going to get something I had forgotten when in reality, I left to go get my friend’s water gun to shoot them,” Kumar said.

The friendship paradigm is broken during the game with friends betraying friends in an attempt to be the last team standing. 

“Definitely my favorite moments were my first two eliminations,” Kumar said. “They were both pretty close friends but you gotta do what you gotta do.”

This idea was also adopted by Grassano who says that in the moment, it is important to not think and just act. 

“As the hunter, being able to read your targets and not caring about how others may feel when you eliminate them is important,” she said. “By doing so, it helps you eliminate your targets when they least expect it. The main thing is being able to keep your target a secret so they don’t know you might be coming for them.”

While being a hunter is important in the game, the players also need to be good at strategizing to make sure that they are not caught without their goggles or floaties on. Caution is key.

“I have not had to change how I get to school, but I have been looking over my shoulder every day once school ends, knowing that I have a team hunting me down but not knowing who is an interesting feeling that I’m all in for,” Kumar said. “I wear my floatie and goggles everywhere I go. Whether it’s hanging out with my friends before and after my soccer practice, walking my dog, anything. Even on trips to Starbucks, the baristas ask me if I’m going swimming because of the goggles but it’s all part of the game and I’m trying to stay safe.”

The game has brought the Class of 2025 together in a game of strategy and diligence. 

“It’s a tradition that should be continued because it’s a good way to get all the senior students to come together and play a game with no differences, no advantages,” Kumar said. “Just a simple game of strategy and skill.”

The skill and strategy primarily stems from continuous caution and planning ahead. 

If you want to remain in the game, players advise caution and awareness. 

“YOU MUST WEAR THE GOGGLES OR FLOATIE,” Kumar said.