Ding Dong Ditch with a twist: Boozy new game brings neighbors closer nationwide

What started as a South Carolina woman’s cure for quarantine-induced boredom has picked up followers from coast to coast.

Rebeka Ratliff, of Chesterfield County, took to Facebook nearly a month ago and proposed a new game to her friends — sneak over to one another’s houses, leave a bottle of wine or booze on the doorstep, ding the doorbell, flee, and try to guess who left what.

Adding a grown-up twist to the classic childhood prank has resonated with many, Ratliff said.

“Originally I just thought it would be me and my closest girlfriends,” she said, but as more and more people asked to join in she and her friends started a Facebook group to keep organized.

“Ding Dong Ditch: Alcohol Edition” was created. As the coronavirus has spread, so has the group’s membership.

The group now has over 20,000 members in 15 states, Ratliff said, and is receiving between 1,000 to 2,000 requests to join per day.

“It’s really a way that everyone’s come together during this quarantine … and even though we’re social distancing we’re still able to do something for someone else,” she said.

The group is now hidden on Facebook, and new members can only join by invitation from current members, all to ensure that only participants can see one another’s addresses. But dozens of spin-off groups have formed across the country.

Why the game has taken off like it has, Ratliff isn’t sure, but she guesses people could use a little bit of diversion right now. A little friendship, and maybe more than a little alcohol.

While her husband is considered an essential worker, Ratliff is on maternity leave after giving birth to their third child. She needed a way to socialize from a distance.

“I miss all of my friends. I’m stuck in this house going crazy. I can’t even go to the store with all these kids, somebody help me and bring me some wine.”

Ratliff’s preference is pink moscato, a sweet dessert wine she said.

As the game has grown, the drop-offs have become increasingly elaborate, with some members creating entire gift baskets to leave on people’s porches, Ratliff said.

Participants can list their preferences for alcohol, as well as snacks — a nice alternative for those who want to play, but don’t imbibe.

Still, there’s no need to get extravagant. Just being involved has made a big difference for many.

“I just had a lady message me today saying she lost her son in February, and when somebody tagged her, it made her feel happiness for the first time since she lost him,” Ratliff said.

This story was originally published May 11, 2020 at 4:14 PM with the headline "Ding Dong Ditch with a twist: Boozy new game brings neighbors closer nationwide."