The modern Ouija board was created in the late 1800s as interest in spiritualism grew. A Ouija board, also called a spirit board or talking board, is simply a game board that has the alphabet, numerals, and “yes” and “no” printed on its face. A planchette, or pointer, is used to spell out words and answer simple questions. Supposedly, the Ouija board named itself—when asked what the makers should call it, the board spelled out “o-u-i-j-a,” which the board then interpreted to mean “good luck.”