Night Crawlers

Night Crawlers is a game Charlie and Frank play in their apartment. Presumably, it involves them crawling around their apartment at night like worms.

This game was created a long time ago - either by Charlie himself, or it is some sort of "legacy" from his
uncle Jack.

Season Five

• In preparation for Frank's intervention, Dennis asks Charlie to write Frank a letter letting him know the ways that his addictions have hurt Charlie.  He puts at the top of his list "When was the last time we played Night Crawlers together, Frank?"  Dennis, obviously, wants to know what Night Crawlers is, but Charlie is a little reluctant to give the details of the game, beyond saying that it is "What it sounds like."  Later, in the actual intervention (which goes as well as you'd expect), Charlie does ask Frank "Why do we never play Night Crawlers?" When Dee asks what it is, Dennis responds that it's a game "where they crawl around like worms", which Charlie denies, but Frank confirms. ^[5x4]

Season Six

• Schmitty mentions that Charlie used to be his roomate, and how Charlie used to try and get him to play "lame games" like Night Crawlers.  When Frank says that they play it "all the time", Schmitty asks him if he thinks it would be better to use blankets as "the dirt" or maybe "a force field, or a roaming base."  Charlie is not impressed by his suggestions. ^[6x8]

Season Nine

• As part of his fantasy sequence in which Charlie imagines marrying and starting a family with The Waitress, we see Charlie teaching their kids Night Crawlers (with a chart labelled "Nite Kroller Roolz") ^{[The Gang Saves the Day]}
• Charlie describes the rules of the game to Dee, Dennis, and Mac when they are quarantined together in Paddy's men's room. ^{[The Gang Gets Quarantined]}

Notes

• Probably, Charlie's "going into the crevice"-thing is somehow related with the Night Crawlers.
  ^[7x10]

Quotes

—

“What is «Night Crawlers»?”

“It’s a game where they crawl around in nigh- in the night like worms.”

—

—

“I never said that… !”

“Yeah, well, that’s what it is…”

—

—

“Intervention! Intervention! Is nothing private, Frank? Jesus… !”

^[5x4]

 

---

 

Frank: We play «Night Crawlers» all the time… !

Schmitty: You do?

Charlie: Well, Frank enjoys those games VERY MUCH, so…

Schmitty: Oh, oh… Correct me if I’m wrong, but to make Night Crawlers a little bit better, you should use blankets, right?

Frank: They could be the dirt!

Schmitty: Exactly. You could use it as a force field or as a roaming base.

Frank: Oh my God… ! It’s a great idea.

Schmitty: Thank you!

Charlie: Yeah… It’s NOT a good idea though, because you wouldn't- it’s an imagination-based game.

Schmitty: No, it’s still imagination-based.

^[6x8]

Appearances

• Season Five: The Gang Gives Frank an Intervention (mentioned only)
• Season Six: The Gang Gets a New Member (mentioned only)
• Season Nine: The Gang Saves the Day (mentioned only)