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About
"I Want to Play A Game" is a memorable quote uttered by Jigsaw, the main antagonist of the Saw movie series. Online, the catchphrase has been often used on forum games and rage comics. The phrase is also usually used on images that present an activity that entails a great deal of risk on the participators, most of which are toilet paper pranks and salt mazes that snails seemingly have to get through.
Origin
The quote was first uttered in the movie Saw which was released in 2004. The quote is uttered by Jigsaw to his victims as he begins his death game where the individual must solve puzzles and disarm traps before being killed as time runs out. The quote has subsequently appeared in other movies in the series.
Spread
One definition for the phrase was submitted by AztecEagle on July 19, 2013 that aptly explained the quote's usage in its respective film series.[1] An image macro series that shows Jigsaw's mask with text captioned on it (that normally involves the aforementioned phrase,) has a gallery on Meme Generator. There are approximately 2,445 images submitted as of June 20, 2015.[2]
The quote became popular enough that various images have been associated with it. Most often these images involve changing toilet paper into something more abrasive for an unsuspecting user, or having a slug surrounded by a maze made of salt, which will painfully hurt it if the mollusk touches the walls.
Various Examples
Search Interest
External References
[1] Urban Dictionary – I Want to Play A Game
[2] Meme Generator – I Want to Play A Game
Recent Videos 2 total
Recent Images 14 total
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Source: Saw
Speaker: Jigsaw
Greetings and welcome. I want to play a game.
Context
This line was spoken by Jigsaw in the film Saw, directed by James Wan (2003).
In 2004, a young director named James Wan breathed life into the dying horror genre with a little indie movie called Saw. Unlike its six too many sequels, Saw isn't all about blood, guts, and dismemberment, even if the opening scene is filled with a few staples of horror movies—like a bathtub, a dead body, and, of course, a hacksaw.
No, the Jigsaw Killer (we won't spoil his true identity for fear of our own existence) is all about getting inside your noggin' via his own patented and playful mind games. And this is where the quote, which becomes his catchphrase throughout the movie, comes in.
Jigsaw isn't your average serial killer. He is a man dying from cancer, who wants to teach people how to value life, albeit in pretty gruesome ways. If his victims die, then they are lacking the "survival instinct." It's like a video game. Solve his traps and puzzles, and you live another day. Flinch or make a mistake, and it's game over.
Where you've heard it
Along with "What's your favorite scary movie?" from Scream and "Ki ki ma ma" from Friday the 13th, this quote has been used by teenagers everywhere to get a quick scare out of their friends since 2004. Also, it's a perfectly innocuous way to start a game of Apples to Apples at a party.
Additional Notable References:
- "I want to play a game" ends up becoming the "I got a bad feeling about this" or the "Shaken, not stirred" of the Saw franchise. It most memorably shows up in Saw III with a whole room of chainsaws.
- If you want to capture some of the visceral thrills of the Saw movies without losing a limb, you can go on the ride, which happens to be the steepest roller coaster in Europe.
Pretentious Factor
If you were to drop this quote at a dinner party, would you get an in-unison "awww" or would everyone roll their eyes and never invite you back? Here it is, on a scale of 1-10.
The pretentiousness level of this quote definitely depends on your delivery. In an even tone, you're just transitioning the dinner party from drinks to poker or charades. In a creepy, wannabe Tobin Bell tone of voice, you're a scary person that no one wants to talk to for the rest of the night.