Playing hard to get is about giving a guy a bit of a challenge. It's great for letting your crush know that you are cool, calm, collected and generally not to be messed with. The message you're sending is, 'I'm worth the hard work.'

Rule 1 – Select your target

Play this game with shy guys, or uninterested guys and you could end up disappointed. Go for someone you know is a little bit into you already or someone whose resolve you want to test.

Rule 2 – Have a life

This is the reason why you’re hard to get. So be busy with your friends, get a part time job or subtly let him know you get a lot of offers from guys so you can afford to be picky. Whatever the reason, make sure he sees you as a little bit unavailable – then he’ll want you even more.

Rule 3 – Maintain the mystery

Once you’ve got his attention keep it by maintaining the mystery. You don’t need to tell him everything about yourself straight away. Let him discover more and more about you over time. That way he’ll see you as a puzzle that it is his job to crack.

Rule 4 – On the phone

Don’t confuse playing hard to get with playing never going to get and ignore his calls, texts or IMs completely. But don’t be too keen either. Let the phone ring a few times. Make him wait before you get back to him. Be the one who says ‘gotta go’ first. And most importantly, if you’re busy doing something else let the answer machine get it.

Rule 5 – Get the balance right

If you never return his calls, cancel every date and snog his best mate then honey, you’ve gone too far! Instead keep him on his toes and keep him guessing whether you like him or not – that means whenever you push him away (by not answering the phone, accepting a date or not sitting with him at lunch), you pull him back in again afterward - by giving him a compliment, a flirty smile, or a cheeky text).

Rule 6 – Know the risks

The final rule is the most important one. Playing hard to get makes you look confident because it gives the impression that you aren’t bothered about your guy. That means you could end up missing out. So if you really do think he’s something special, maybe you should stir clear of games altogether and just let him know you like him.