Fugitive

Overview:
Fugitive is a quick 2 player game where one player is the fugitive moving from hideout to hideout on his escape route, and the other player is the marshal trying to catch him before he escapes.

The main deck is composed of 43 hideout cards, which represent places the fugitive can hide. Optionally, you can add event cards to introduce more uncertainty to the fugitive and marshal stand off.

To win:
The fugitive wins by playing cards until he can eventually play the #42 hideout card to escape the marshal.

The marshal wins by identifying all the fugitive's hideouts to find and arrest the fugitive

setup:
Place the 0 card, the fugitive's first hideout, in the center of the play area. This is the first card of the center row. sort the hideout cards into three decks, 4-14, 15-28 and 29-41. Shuffle each deck separately and place each deck face down near the center row. Give the fugitive his starting hand (the marshal has no starting hand)
The fugtitive starts with the hideout cards numbered 1, 2, 3, and 42.
The fugitive draws additional cards from the three sorted hideout decks.

Deck 1 (4-14): draw 3 cards
Deck 2 (15-28): draw 2 cards
Deck 0 (29-41): draw 0 cards

Hideout cards:
Each card has 2 values: a hideout number (0-42) and a sprint number indicated by the footprints (+1 or +2)
The fugitive uses cards by placing them as hideouts and by sacrificing them to sprint. The marhsal uses cards to deduce where the fugitive is hiding and, by holding them, to decrease the number of options available to the fugitive.

Event and Placeholder cards:
Event cards and placeholder cards are an optional variant. Each event either helps the fugitive, helps the marshal, or helps whomever draws it. Placeholder cards are used in place of events for certain variants.

For your first game, set the event cards aside. For information on playing with events, read the gameplay varients section below.

Gameplay:>
The fugitive and marshal alternate turns throughout the game. On the fugitive's turn, he may move to a new hideout as part of his path to escape. On the marshal's turn, she attempts to catch the fugitive by uncovering the fugitive's hideouts. The fugitive always takes the first turn.

Fugitive's first turn:
The fugitive places 1 or 2 new hideouts.


Marshal's first turn:
The marshal draws 2 cards total, either from the same deck or from different decks.
The marshal makes a guess to find one or more hideouts.


Fugitive's subsequent turns:
The fugitive draws 1 card from any deck.
The fugitive may place 1 new hideout (or pass)

Marshal's normal turn:
The marshal draws 1 card from any deck.
The marshal makes a guess to find one or ore hideouts


Continue taking turns until one player wins:
The fugitive wins by playing card 42 (and escaping the manhunt, if necessary)

The marshal wins by guessing all the fugitive's hideouts, either during her normal turn or by starting a manhunt.

The Fugitive's options

Place a new hideout
The fugitive places a card face down to the right of the previous hideout; establishing a new hideout. Hidouts are any face down or face up cards in the center row. The fugitive can look at any faceodwn cards at any time to help him remeber what has been played.
Placing a hideout normally

Normally, the fugitive can place a hideout card if its hideout number is up to 3 higher than the previous hideout. The fugitive cannot place a new hideout witha lower number than his previous hideout.
For example, if the previous hideout was a 4, the fugtivie could choose to play a card with the hideout numbers 5,6, or 7 card but not a card with the hideout numbers 3 (because that's lower than the previous hideout number) or 15 (because that's more than 3 higher than the previous hideout number)

Using cards to sprint

The fugitive may extend the normal range of 3 by placing the new hideout with one or more extra cards underneath it, face down. These extra cards are used as sprint cards, and they extend the fugitive's range by the sum of their sprint numbers.
when using cards as sprint cards, the fugitive place them so that the marshal can see how many sprint cards have been played(but not their sprint numbers) The fugitive may always choose to place more sprint cards than necessary, even if no sprinting is required

For example, if the previous hideout had the hideout number 4m the fugitive could normally play only the 5, 6 or 7. If the fugititve wants to play the 10 as the next hideout, he must add cards with a total sprint value of at least 3 (cause 10 is 3 higher than the fugitive's normal range)

Pass

The fugitive can choose to pass his turn and play no cards. This lets him build up cards in his hand for later turns, but it gives the marshal a chance to catch up.

The marshal's options

Guess a single hideout

The marshal guesses a number between 1 and 41. If that number matches any of the face down hideouts in the center row, the fugitive reveals the hideout card and any sprint cards uner it.
The marshal doesn't need to select a spectific face down card when guessing, and the marshal never needs to guess sprint cards. Guess a series of hideouts

The marshall guesses multiple numbers

If all of her guessed numbers match face down hideouts in the venter row, the fugitive reveals all the guessed hideout cards and any sprint cards under them.
If any of her guessed numbers are wrong, the fugitive does not reveal any cards, even if one or more guessed numbers are correct. The marshal doesn't have to select specific face down cards when guessing and she never has to guess sprint cards.

Start a manhunt

As a last effort to catch the fugitive, the marshal can start a manhunt, which happens separately from the normal sequence of turns. The marshal can start a manhunt only when the fugitive plays the hideout card numbered 42 while the highest revealed hideout number is 29 or lower.
In a manhunt, the marshal guesses a single hideout (as above)
if she guesses correctly, she continues to guess on any other single hideout. If the marshal guesses all hidouts, the manhunt was successful. She catches the fugitive at teh last second, and the marshal wins! If she guesses incorrectly at any point, the manhunt failed. The fugitive escapes, and the marshal loses!

Gameplay variants

Random events
This variant adds more randomness and uncertainty to the game
After setup:
Shuffle all the event cards (not the placesholder cards) together.
Shuffle 2 random event cards into each of the three draw piles.
Set aside the other event cards and the place holder cards, they are not used.
During game play, when either player draws an event, resolve it immediately. Then they draw another card.

Discovery events
This variant introduces a twist to the game whenever the marshall discovers a hideout.
During setup, shuffle all the event cards together and place them near the play area. Set aside the placeholder cards, they are not used. During play, when the marshal successfully guesses one or more hideouts, the fugitive immediately draws and reveals an event from the event pile.

Helpful events
This varient gives some help to one of the players.
During setup:
sort out all the vents that have the icon for the player who recieves help from the events (fugitive or marshal) shuffle those vents evently into each of the three draw piles. Set aside the other event cards and the place holder cards, they are not used.
during play: when either player draws an event, resolve it immediatel, then draw another card.

Catchup events
This varient helps the player who's currently behind.

During setup:
Sor the event cards into 3 event piles based on their icons(fugitive, marshal or no icon) Shuffle each event pile.
Place the event piles near the play area, keeping track of each event pile.
Shuffle 2 placeholder cards into each of the 3 draw piles of hideout cards.
During play:
when either player draws a placeholder card, draw and resolve an event card from one of the event piles depending on how many hideouts are currently face down in the center row.
1 hideout is face down: draw and resolve an event from the fugitive's event pile
2 hideout are face down , draw and resolve an event from the neutral event pile
3 hideouts or more are face down: draw and resolve an event from the marshal's event pile.

After each event, that player draws another card.

strategies and tips

Being a good fugitive requires taking risks. The marshal must methodically search and deduce where the fugitive might be. Here are a few strategies and tips for each side.

Fugitivie strategies
You don't always have to play a hideout. Sometimes it's best to wait for better cards.
You may sprint to your first hideouts.
Sprinting too often as the fugitive can use up too many cards, often making you wait for a good draw.
You can bluff by playing unnecessary sprint cards, but don't bluff too often. It may keep the marshal guessing, but it can also make you run out of cards quickly.
Drawing from a higher pile than you need can throw off the marshall and help you later ini the game.
Playing a hideout number that the marshal just guessed can be smart, she'll unliekly to guess it again.

Marshall strategies
Take notes with the marker on the notepad to remeber what you've guessed.
When guessing a hideout with tow sprint cards there is a 50% chance the total sprint value is +3
don't guess more than one hideout very often. It can leave you further behind instead of catching up. However, if you are certain about one hideout, it can be useful to guess it along with another number.
Sometimes drawing exclusively from a higher pile can create a "roadblock" that is harder for the fugitive to get around.
Jumping ahead and guessing a higher hideout can reveal sprint cards that help guess the hidouts before it. Sometimes you can 'count' backwards with the revealed sprint cards to determine the hideout immediately before it.
Pay attention to the cards the fugitive looks at when checking a guess. Watch which pile he draws from. Information is everywhere.

Credits

Design: Tim Flowers
Art: Ryan Goldsberry
Rules: Scott Post
Layout: Charles Polenzoni

Special Thanks:
All the kickstarter backers.
Sam Aho for being unbeatable.
Utah State University Dept of Theatre Arts
My wife Nikki