The Pen Game by Jon Allen

If you've always fancied Russian Roulette routines but prefer your eyebrows unscorched, The Pen Game's a safer bet.

So, six marker pens: five are duds, one writes. Your audience each grabs a pen and hands it over. You drag each one across your face, tie, shirt, or whatever you hope stays pristine. The last one standing is the one that leaves a mark. It's tense, in a washable-marker kind of way.

Jon Armstrong thinks it's the most believable routine of its kind, and John Archer reckons the danger bit keeps folks interested. Chad Long likes that it won't get you stopped at customs, and Eric Leclerc saw it and immediately wanted it in his lineup. Hard to argue with that kind of enthusiasm, really.

It's got a nice balance of laughs and "let's hope this doesn't end bad". Whether you're in front of kids, families, or the corporate types, you can tilt the routine however you like. The tutorial's got plenty of ideas to get you started, so you're not winging it completely.

You get everything you need, except some paper and a dice shaker if that sort of thing tickles your fancy. If you've been hunting for a Roulette routine that doesn't involve actual risk, this might just be what you're after.