House of Games is a 1987 American neo-noir[1] film about con-men and confidence scams by David Mamet, his directorial debut.

Psychiatrist Margaret Ford has achieved success with her recently published book about obsessive-compulsive disorder, but feels unfulfilled.

Her patient, Billy Hahn, says his life is in danger because he owes money to a criminal figure named Mike Mancuso.

He is willing to forgive Billy's debt if Margaret accompanies him to a back-room poker game and watch for the tell of George, another player: he plays with his ring when he bluffs.

The con involves Mike, his partner Joey, and the "mark", a businessman, discovering a briefcase full of money and taking it to a hotel room.

She, Mike, and Joey escape to the garage, where they force Margaret to steal a car and drive past two uniformed police officers with the con men concealed in the back seat.

She tracks him to a bar and sees Mike, all his associates, the man posing as the hotel guest, and the fake undercover policeman, discussing the night's events - a scheme to con Margaret out of $80,000.

Mike is lured by the money, then realizes he is being tricked when she inadvertently reveals she overheard the con men discussing the pocketknife.

"[4] Striking a contrary note, The Washington Post saw Mamet as "rechewing film noir, Hitchcock twists and MacGuffins, as well as the Freudian mumbo-jumbo already masticated tasteless by so many cine-kids.

"[5] House of Games has a Metacritic rating of 78 based on 13 reviews and a 97% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 29 reviews, with the website's critics consensus reading, "Galvanized by David Mamet's punchy dialogue and a winding succession of surprises, House of Games is a terse thriller where confidence is currency.

Among the supplemental material included are an audio commentary with Mamet and Ricky Jay, new interviews with actors Lindsay Crouse and Joe Mantegna, and a short documentary shot on location during the film's production.

To meet the confines of the medium the stage version is set in just two locations, and the final resolution between Mike and Margaret is softened.