How to Play Manhunt

Last Updated: December 11, 2022

Manhunt is an awesome game to play, day or night! It involves a lot of action and will never get boring. Here's the super fun way to play the awesome game from the 1990s, Manhunt!

Part 1

Part 1 of 4:

Starting the Game

1
Understand the objective of the game. The goal of Manhunt is for the hunted to get from the starting point to the escape zone. The hunters have to find and "tag" the hunted before they get to the escape zone.
- The players both have their own bases. However, the hunted players have to reach their base. The hunters start at their base and patrol around to keep an eye out for the hunted.
2
Get at the minimum six players. (Keep the amount of players even.) Divide everyone into two equal teams and decide which team hides first.
- Pick two captains of each team. Allow the captains to establish the bases of their teams - preferably close together.
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3
Play day or night. They both have their advantages and their disadvantages. Playing during the day grants more visibility (and more time to play the game), but it may be hot and the streets will likely be busy. Night will be cooler and less busy, as well as helping to hide the players in darkness, but your visibility is decreased, which increases the risk of people getting hurt or lost.
- If playing at night, make sure all players have flashlights and some form of a communication device, regardless of what team they're on.
4
Choose whether to play Captains Rule or Majority Rules. In Captains, if the captain of the hiding team gets to base untagged, then the hiding team wins. In Majority (the more common and fun way), if the majority gets to base without being tagged, then that team wins.
5
Even out the teams so that the game is fair. For example, if one of your players has asthma or is a slow runner, pair them up with an older or faster person.
6
Establish "out of bounds" areas. When establishing the rules of the game, make sure that everyone decides what areas are out-of-bounds, and if you are caught in these areas, you are automatically "tagged" and you have to go back to base.
- Make sure players know that private property, cars, and abandoned or under-construction buildings are off-limits, since these could get you in trouble or be hazardous.
7
Set a time limit. Come up with a time limit for the hiding team to hide and get to base, so you can get through a good number of games before you have to go in. A good time is around 1-10 minutes, and make sure everyone is aware of this.
8
Have some sort of signal to indicate when the game starts. An air horn or a loud yell is a good indicator.
- The captains can call a time out for the group if necessary.
9
Make sure all of the players have a form of communication in case someone gets lost or if it's time to come out of hiding. A good way to communicate between players is a group SMS.
- Use this to your advantage. Teams can create their own group SMS or walkie-talkie channel, making it easy to communicate amongst each other.

Part 2

Part 2 of 4:

General Tips

This section applies to all players of the game.

1
Wear lightweight, dark-colored clothing. Choose colors such as brown, grey, navy blue or camouflage. Avoid wearing black, as it tends to make your silhouette stand out against other objects. Don't wear clothing that restricts your movement, as it'll make it harder to run.
- Be cautious with fluorescent or bright colors; if you're playing at night, this will make you more visible to cars and passersby, but it'll also make you more visible to other players.
- Obviously, don't wear your best clothes. Manhunt can involve a lot of crawling around or getting into dirty areas. Pick out clothes that won't show a stain, or clothes that you don't care about.
- If you're wearing shoes with laces, keep them tied, so as not to slow yourself down.
2
Avoid entering areas that may get you in trouble. Boundaries should have been established prior to the game, but if the boundaries are fairly loose, make sure to keep out of areas that could get you hurt. Stay out of abandoned buildings, cars, houses that aren't yours or a friend's, areas that are under construction, and areas with potentially dangerous materials in them (such as broken glass).
- Don't play in forested areas at night or if you haven't explored them before. The risk of getting lost is always there at any time of day, and if you're playing at night, it's much easier to not see dips, tree roots, animals, or other potential hazards.
- Cheating, or going out-of-bounds, can be fun, but it can also result in you getting lost. Stay out of areas that you don't know very well, and don't wander too far away from in-bounds.
3
Don't draw attention to yourself. Regardless of which team you're on, it's important not to make yourself especially visible to other players, since that'll alert them of your presence. Try the following tips to make yourself less noticeable:
- Turn the brightness on your cell phone down, and use flashlights sparingly (unless you don't know the area well).
- Whisper to other players, rather than shouting to them.
- Don't make a lot of noise in your surroundings, unless it's to create a distraction (e.g. slamming a park gate and running off).
- Walk quietly, so as not to alert someone with your footsteps.

Part 3

Part 3 of 4:

Playing as a Hunted

1
Hide in covered areas. Duck into areas or shrubbery such as bushes, sides of ditches with trees that have drooping branches for cover, alleyway corners, hills, behind trees, and more. Try to hide in areas that match the color of your clothes, if possible.
2
Be cautious when it comes to cars. Cars can provide good cover, but they can also drive away at a moment's notice. If you're using cars for cover, make sure to duck underneath the windows so that others can't see your silhouette moving through the windows, and don't look into anyone's car.
- Don't hide in the bed of a pickup truck, since you don't want to run the risk of having to jump from the truck while it's moving.
- Never hide underneath cars. Many people don't check under their cars before starting to drive, and you don't want to get hurt by hiding under a car.
3
Stay still. If you spot a hunter headed your way, and escape without detection is not possible, make yourself into the smallest object you can, stick close to shadows and stay extremely still. The hunter will be looking for movement; if you can blend with your surroundings, you may escape their notice.
4
Try to make it back to your own base without being tagged. Make sure not to touch the other team's base, though! If you touch the other team's base, you're disqualified until the next game.
- If you get tagged, you become a hunter or disqualified, depending on your group's rules of the game.

Part 4

Part 4 of 4:

Playing as a Hunter

1
Be stealthy. You might think this applies to only the hunted, but keep in mind that the hunted will be on the lookout for hunters, too. Move quietly and try to blend in with your surroundings as best as possible. You want to avoid detection so that the hunted don't notice you so quickly (and, as a result, have less time to escape).
2
Be on the lookout. Look for small things that might give away where someone is hiding. Even if it's something simple, like the color of something not quite matching, check it out and approach it if it doesn't look right to you. You might discover a "hidden" player from the other team!
3
Check up and down. Most people tend to look for other people at eye level, especially when it comes to games like this. However, strategic players may hide in areas that you might not expect - such as up trees or underneath objects. Don't just look around - look up (and down, too)! This will increase your chances of catching a player who thought they were being sneaky.
4
Don't loiter around the opposing team's base. It might be funny to you to stand right at the hunted team's base to prevent them from getting to their base, but this isn't fair to them and doesn't give them a chance at winning, which kind of makes the entire game pointless. Before the game starts, discuss with both teams about how long the hunters can stay around the opposing team's base. However, if both teams aren't concerned about fairness, feel free to stick around. It'll make it even tougher for them!

Community Q&A

Question

If you are in the middle of hiding, do you just immediately go to your base if you hear the people trying to find you?

Community Answer

Depends on how confident you are in your hiding spot. If they see you, or you're not sure that you're safe, it might be a good idea to move. If you're confident that you won't be seen, though, there's no need to move.
Question

Can I play Manhunt with only two players?

Community Answer

Yes, but it would be rather boring. One person would hunt down the other person, and it would be over very quickly. It would be more engaging with a few more players.
Question

In what ways can a manhunt be dangerous?

Community Answer

The game should not be dangerous as long as you take common-sense safety precautions. Play in a safe area, avoid busy streets and moving vehicles, make sure you don't fall into a ditch or lake or something, etc.

Warnings

Stay away from automatic lights.

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Do not take valuables with you, things are easy to lose in the dark when you're running and slipping.

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Don't play in truck yards or junkyards.

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Do not go near dogs that you know will bark and give you away.

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Stay off main roads and only cross them when they are vacant.

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