The Hunt (2025) Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Game Overview
  • Note of Intent
• How to Win
• Components
• Setup
  • Example of a 3-Player Setup
• Playing the Game
  • Action Phase
• Move an Agent
  • Move an agent to investigate
  • Move an agent to hunt down a Fugitive
• Inform an Agent
• Capture a Fugitive
  • Ambition Progression: The Network & Tzaar
  • Example: Capturing a Fugitive
• Use a Captured Fugitive
  • Hunt
  • Mission
  • Cooperation
• Activate an Ability in Your HQ
• Complete an Objective
  • Ambition Progression
• Spend Your Fate Token
• Pass
• Upkeep Phase
  • Tips for your first game
• End of the Game and Final Scoring
  • 2-player game mode
• Faction Overview
  • USA
    • Ambition: The Apollo Program
  • CCCP
    • Ambition: World Revolution
  • Tzaar
    • Ambition: International Tribunal
  • The Network
    • Ambition: Global Reach
• F.A.Q.
  • Alois Hudal Card

Game Overview

The Hunt is a game featuring the confrontation of four factions in the post-World War II era: two historical world superpowers, the Soviet Union and the United States, and two fictitious organizations, Tzaar (an Israeli vengeance organization) and the Network (a criminal syndicate), invented for the purposes of the game. Each player takes on the role of a faction tracking down fugitives on the run after the fall of the Third Reich.

Note of Intent

While not a precise historical reconstruction, this game is largely inspired by events that took place after World War II. The characters and objectives in the game reference this time period, though certain liberties have been taken for gameplay purposes. The goal of this game is also to help keep the memory of these tragic historical events alive.

To learn more about the historical figures and events featured in the game, visit The Hunt page on the publisher's website (www.dontpanicgames.com) and download the PDF.

How to Win

To win The Hunt, lead your faction to victory by accumulating World Domination points.

As soon as a player reaches or exceeds 12 World Domination points, the game ends. To score points, you'll need to go on the hunt for former Nazis and collaborators, collectively called Fugitives.

Note that The Hunt is an asymmetrical game. The way you hunt, and especially the way you "use" Fugitives, will differ from faction to faction.

Components

• 1 game board
• 120 Clue cards: 20 medal cards, 20 document cards, 20 microfilm cards, 20 funding cards and 40 rumor cards
• 80 unique Fugitive cards: 20 scientists, 20 collaborators, 20 military, 20 politicians
• 4 Faction boards: USA, CCCP, Tzaar, Network
• 4 Score markers: USA, CCCP, Tzaar, Network
• 5 CCCP tokens
• 4 Lock tokens
• 1 Rank board
• 22 Agents: 6 USA, 6 CCCP, 5 Tzaar, 5 Network
• 18 Influence markers: 4 USA, 4 CCCP, 4 Tzaar, 6 Network
• 62 Objective cards and Special cards: 12 USA, 13 CCCP, 18 Network, 19 Tzaar
• 4 Fate tokens
• 4 Reference cards
• 1 First Player token

Setup

1. Place the game board in the center of the table.

2. Sort the medals, documents, and microfilms Clue cards by the icon visible in the top left and bottom right corners, forming 3 face-down decks, each with 2 Clue types. Place each deck in the designated space (Registers, Press or Archives) on the game board.

   Place the Funding and Rumor decks on the game board face-up. The black part of the game board containing these five decks is called the Investigation Area.

3. Sort the Fugitive cards according to their level (1, 2, or 3 stars). Shuffle each deck and place the three decks face-down next to the game board along with the Rank board. Each deck has a designated slot in the Rank board.

4. The 3 colorful zones on the game board are Hunting Areas. Place one Fugitive card of the correct level face-up in each Hunting Area card space.

   For 2- or 3-player games, some Hunting Area spaces will remain empty. The agent-silhouette symbol shows the minimum player count needed for a space to be used during the game (2 players minimum; 3 players minimum; 4 players minimum).

   Depending on the number of players, certain spaces in the Investigation Area will not be used. Place Lock tokens on these unused spaces, to avoid accidentally using them during the game.

   Example: for a 2-player game, spaces for 3 and 4 players are blocked with a Lock token.

5. Each player chooses a faction (USA, CCCP, Tzaar, Network) and takes the corresponding components.

   Faction Components:

   • 1 Faction board
   • 4 Influence markers (or 6 for Network)
   • 1 Score marker
   • 5 Agents (6 for USA and CCCP)
   • 1 Fate token
   • 1 Reference card
   • Objective cards and Special cards

Example of a 3-Player Setup

(Illustration only: the game board with Hunting areas Americas, Europe and Middle East, the central Investigation area, the World Domination track, each player's HQ with Faction board, Objective deck and three face-up objectives, and starting hands, labelled with the setup step numbers above.)

Playing the Game

The Hunt is played in a succession of rounds until the end-of-game condition is triggered (see End of the Game, page 14).

Each round is divided into two phases: an Action phase, in which players take turns performing actions, and an Upkeep phase, to prepare for the next round.

Action Phase

Starting with the First Player, each player performs 1 to 3 actions when it's their turn. There are 8 possible actions. A player can perform the same action multiple times on their turn. Players get multiple turns each round, until they pass.

One action is to Pass. Once a player has passed, skip their turns. They cannot perform any further actions during the current round.

The other players continue taking turns until everyone has passed, which triggers the Upkeep phase.

The 8 possible actions:

• Move an Agent
• Inform an Agent
• Capture a Fugitive
• Use a captured Fugitive
• Activate an ability in your HQ
• Complete an objective
• Spend your Fate token
• Pass

Move an Agent

One possible action is to move one of your available Agents from your HQ to the central game board. You can move an agent to investigate or send them into the field to hunt for Fugitives.

Move an agent to investigate

Gathering clues to find a Fugitive requires a great deal of investigative work. Your agents will have to investigate different zones to put together all the puzzle pieces.

Move one of your available Agents from your HQ to a free space in any of the three zones (Rumors - Registers/Press/Archives - Funding) that make up the Investigation Area. Depending on the number of players, not all spaces are available.

You cannot place multiple Agents in the same zone on the same turn, but you can place several Agents in different zones on the same turn, or in a zone where you've already placed one of your Agents on a previous turn.

(Illustration: Agent 1 is placed in zone no. 1; Agent 2 may not be placed in zone no. 1 again: "Must wait until next turn"; Agent 3 is placed in zone no. 2.)

Your Agent investigates, and you immediately draw Clue cards from the top of the corresponding decks as described below. Look at the cards, then place them in your Reserve, next to your Faction board.

Your Reserve is a section of your HQ for storing cards you'll put in your hand at the start of the next round.

• The Rumors zone allows you to draw 4 cards from the deck of Rumors Clue cards. There are 4 spaces for Agents in this zone.

• The Registers / Press / Archives zone allows you to draw one Clue card from each adjacent Clue deck. There are 2 spaces for Agents between each deck, so 6 spaces total in this zone.

  In each of the three Clue decks containing multiple Clue types, one type is more common than the other. This is indicated by a larger icon (Majority / Minority).

• The Funding zone allows you to draw a clue card from the deck of Funding Clue cards. There are 4 spaces for Agents in this zone.

NOTE: When a card effect tells you to investigate without placing an Agent, take cards from a zone and put them in your Reserve without placing an Agent. You may do so even if there is no free space for an Agent in the chosen zone.

Move an agent to hunt down a Fugitive

Send your agents to different continents to track down Fugitives.

Place an available Agent from your HQ next to the Hunting Area of your choice.

There are 3 Hunting Areas: the Americas, Europe, and the Middle East.

Multiple Agents from the same faction may be present in the same Hunting Area and may be sent there during the same turn.

Inform an Agent

You provide your field agent with new information to help them identify and capture their target.

Your Agents will need the right clues in order to capture Fugitives. Take a Clue card from your hand and place it face-down under one of your Agents currently in a Hunting Area. You may instead place a captured Fugitive if the card has Hunt. (See "Use a Captured Fugitive" on page 10.)

All the Clue cards can be used as Rumor cards. You have the right to look at your face-down Clue cards at any time.

Note that Clue cards played in this way are linked to your Agent. Your Agent can use these cards to capture any Fugitive in the Hunting Area. You may need to revise your strategy as the Fugitive cards available in the Hunting Area change.

Capture a Fugitive

With enough evidence, your agent apprehends the Fugitive and brings them back to your headquarters.

You can capture a Fugitive if one of your agents on the hunt has all the clues required and is in the same Hunting Area. In this case:

1. Reveal the hidden cards under your Agent to show other players you have the required clues.

2. Immediately gain Influence equal to the Fugitive's level, on the Influence track corresponding to their category: military, scientists or politicians. Collaborators allow you to progress on the Influence track of your choice (but you cannot split the points earned between different tracks).

   Examples: Capturing a 1-star military Fugitive moves you up 1 on the military Influence track. Capturing a 2-star collaborator Fugitive moves you up 2 on an Influence track of your choice (but you cannot split the 2 points between different tracks).

3. Place the captured Fugitive card face-down in your Reserve.

4. All Clue cards that were under the Agent go to the bottom of their respective Clue decks. All Fugitive cards that were under the Agent are removed from the game. The Agent used is now resting, and should be laid flat in the empty Hunting Area card space from which you took the Fugitive card. It will be available again at the start of the next round.

NOTE: The empty Fugitive card space remains empty until the next round. Do NOT add a new Fugitive card.

Ambition Progression: The Network & Tzaar

If you play the Network or Tzaar faction, capturing Fugitives can help you advance on your ambition track (the bottom part of your Faction board). See "The Factions" pages 17 and 18.

Example: Capturing a Fugitive

A player reveals the cards placed under one of their Agents in order to capture a fugitive located in the same Hunting Area: Laszlo Csatar (a 1-star politician). Laszlo Csatar's cost is 1 Document and 3 Rumor. (His Hunt: Medal + Rumor. His Mission: "Without placing an Agent, investigate any zone.")

The player reveals the following Clue cards: a Medal card, a Microfilm card, a Document card, and 2 Rumor cards.

The player has 1 Document card and 2 Rumor cards. Each of the other 2 Clue cards (Microfilm and Medal) can be used as a Rumor card, so the Fugitive is captured. There is 1 extra Clue card, but it is returned to its Clue deck like all the other Clue cards. As the Fugitive is level 1 star, and a politician, the player gains one point of political Influence. Laszlo Csatar is captured and placed in the player's Reserve.

Use a Captured Fugitive

Once captured, the Fugitive card goes into your Reserve and will be in your hand at the start of the next round. There are several ways to use captured Fugitive cards. Most Fugitives have two abilities, and you'll have to choose which to use.

Hunt

Sometimes it takes a Fugitive to catch a Fugitive...

Fugitives with Hunt can be placed as a clue during the "Inform an Agent" action, i.e. face-down under one of your Agents in a Hunting Area. You do not say if you are playing a Clue card or a captured Fugitive card. Captured Fugitive cards provide the Clue types listed in the Hunt section of the card, and can have special abilities that apply, unless otherwise specified, when you Capture a Fugitive.

(Example card: Paul Touvier, 2 stars. Hunt: Funding, Medal and Rumor clue types; special ability: "Reset 2 recurring abilities from your HQ that have already been activated by returning the cards to an upright, vertical position.")

Mission

Used wisely, information from certain Fugitives will speed up your research considerably.

To use a captured Fugitive for a Mission, show the card and immediately apply its effect. The Fugitive card is then removed from the game.

(Example card: Hubertus Strughold, 3 stars. Mission: "Without placing an Agent, investigate any zone." Cooperation: "Your Microfilm Clue cards are also worth +1 Rumor.")

Cooperation

There are times when every bit of help counts.

Fugitive cards with Cooperation have a permanent or recurring ability. Use a captured Fugitive card with Cooperation by placing it from your hand into your HQ, and benefit from the card's ability. These Fugitives remain next to your Faction board for the rest of the game.

Recurring abilities have a gear symbol. You can use the ability once per round as an action (see the following section). Cards without a symbol grant permanent abilities that you do not need to activate. You automatically benefit from permanent abilities for the rest of the game.

Activate an Ability in Your HQ

Some Fugitive cards and Objective cards placed in your HQ have the gear symbol, indicating abilities that are not permanent and are usable only once per round. When you use an action to activate one of these abilities, turn the card on its side and apply its effects. A turned card cannot be used again until the next round.

(Example: Helmut Grottrup has a recurring ability indicated by the corresponding symbol. Spend an action and turn the card 90 degrees to activate the ability. You cannot use this ability again until the next round.)

Complete an Objective

If you have the necessary Influence points, you can complete an objective by paying its cost with Influence. Move your Influence markers back by the cost indicated in the Success or Triumph column. If no Influence track is specified, you choose, and you can remove points from multiple Influence tracks to pay. Then earn the World Domination points shown (if any).

Objective cards have a cooperation ability or a mission. These go into effect immediately.

If the Objective card has a mission, apply its effects then remove the card from the game.

If the Objective card has cooperation, place it in your HQ. For the rest of the game, you automatically benefit from its permanent ability (if any), and can use an action to activate its recurring ability once per round (if it has one).

The empty Objective card space remains empty until the next round. Do NOT add a new Objective card.

NOTE: Each Objective card has two options, Success and Triumph, with different costs and gains.

(Example card: Remembering Wewelsburg. Success cost: Any 3. Triumph cost: military 3. Mission: "Immediately capture 1 available 2-star Fugitive for free, from any Hunting Area (but don't move on the Influence or Ambition tracks).")

Example: The Network player completes the Peralta Commission Objective card by paying its Triumph cost. The player moves their military Influence marker back 3 spaces to pay the cost, gains 2 World Domination points, and immediately uses the card's power to capture a 1-star Fugitive available in a Hunting Area. Even if no 1-star Fugitive is available, the Objective card is still discarded.

(Card: The Peralta Commission. Success: Any 3, gain 1 World Domination point. Triumph: military 3, gain 2 World Domination points. Mission: "Immediately capture 1 available 1-star Fugitive for free, from any Hunting Area.")

Ambition Progression

Completing Objective cards can help you move forward on your faction's Ambition track. This is your faction's long-term goal, explained in the "Faction Overview" section of this booklet.

Spend Your Fate Token

What we call luck is often just a sign of fate...

Once in the game, you can spend your fate token to replace all the visible Objective cards in your HQ that haven't been completed. Draw that many new Objective cards, then shuffle the old Objective cards into your deck.

Spending your Fate token counts as an action on your turn.

(Illustration: the player already completed an Objective card this round. They spend their fate token to discard their two remaining Objective cards. Then the player draws 2 new cards.)

Pass

You can pass whenever you like, just like a normal action. You must pass if you cannot perform any other action. Once you have passed, the other players will skip your turn until the end of the round, and you must wait for all other players to pass. Once all players have passed, proceed to the upkeep phase.

Upkeep Phase

1. Players with cards remaining in their hand may keep up to two for the next round, and discard the others. Any discarded Fugitive cards are removed from the game, while discarded Clue cards go to the bottom of the corresponding Clue deck.

2. Each player takes all the cards from their Reserve and adds the cards to their hand.

3. All Agents in the Investigation Area and any resting agents (lying flat) return to their respective HQs. Do NOT remove non-resting Agents from Hunting Areas.

4. Empty Fugitive card spaces in Hunting Areas are replenished with cards of the corresponding level (1, 2, or 3 stars). Players who do not have 3 uncompleted Objective cards face-up in front of them draw additional Objective cards from their deck until they have 3.

5. Cards in the HQ whose gear-symbol power was used in the previous round are returned to an upright, vertical position.

6. Pass the First Player token clockwise to the next player.

Tips for your first game

Optimize your progress during the current round, but also anticipate the next one. Don't forget to prepare your hand for the next round by investigating to get Clue cards.

The Funding zone is the only one with Funding clues, which are needed to capture many Fugitives.

With the exception of Collaborators, each type of Fugitive needs mainly one kind of clue: Document (teal) for Politicians, Medal (green) for Military, Microfilm (orange) for Scientists. Hunt down Fugitives wisely, depending on the type of Influence you want to obtain, and choose Clue cards accordingly.

While it may be worthwhile to pay the smaller Success cost of certain Objective cards as soon as possible to benefit from their abilities, don't neglect the World Domination points they provide, especially if you pay the higher Triumph cost, even at the start of the game.

End of the Game and Final Scoring

When any player has 12 or more World Domination points, they trigger the end of the game.

Players finish the current round, then the game ends. It is possible for several players to make it to 12 or more World Domination points during the same round.

The player with the most World Domination points wins the game. With their faction, they completed objectives faster and more strategically than competitors. In the event of a tie, the player with the most remaining Influence wins (combine points from all 3 Influence tracks, then compare totals). If the tie persists, the players share the victory.

2-player game mode

In a two-player game, the world is too big to track down all the Fugitives!

To reflect this heightened difficulty, make the following changes:

• During setup, make a pile of Agents from the two unused factions.
• At the end of each round, place 1 Agent from either unused faction on each Fugitive who has not been captured.
• If the number of Agents on a Fugitive card exceeds the Fugitive's level (number of stars), the card is removed from the game. The Fugitive vanished or was captured by a faction not in play.
• "Press Headlines": If you apply this card's effect, Fugitive cards cannot be captured by your adversary, but may still be discarded if the number of Agents from unused factions exceeds the Fugitive's level.
• "The Rats' Cache" / "Nuremberg Trials" / "Green Card": When you apply the effects of these cards, discard the unused factions' agents.

For your first game, we recommend playing either CCCP vs USA or The Network vs Tzaar.

Faction Overview

USA

The Cold War comes quickly after World War II, and American intelligence agencies take a keen interest in the various "skills" developed by their former enemies.

The Fugitives' expertise in suppressing political opposition, particularly in the anti-Bolshevik struggle, could, for example, be used to establish or expand American influence in countries at risk of communist revolution.

However, the American hunt for Fugitives will primarily be driven by the desire to advance the U.S. space program. Technology created by German scientists, especially the V2 and V3 missiles, is of great interest to the Americans. Capturing and protecting these scientists is crucial in order to outpace Soviet rivals and become the first nation to set foot on the Moon.

The USA's ambition? Develop their space program, launch Apollo 11, and secure a significant lead over competitors with this spectacular feat.

Ambition: The Apollo Program

Make progress on the Apollo program by completing Objective cards with one or more rocket icons.

Advance on the Apollo track of your Faction board by the number of rocket icons. Every time you reach or pass a new bonus, apply it immediately.

NOTE: When you capture a Fugitive via the Apollo track, you gain their Influence points.

When you reach or pass 1 on the Apollo track, the bonus Agent is immediately available for use.

Example: When you complete the "Air Force One" Objective card by paying its Triumph cost, gain 3 World Domination points and move forward by two on the Apollo track as there are 2 rocket icons.

(The USA Faction board shows the Influence tracks and the Apollo track; the bonus at each Apollo step is printed on the board.)

CCCP

As the war against the Third Reich comes to a close, a new kind of confrontation begins. While communist ideology had positioned itself as the primary enemy of Nazism during the war, all resources - including Fugitives - that can be used to counter American capitalist imperialism must now be mobilized for the Cause.

The Soviets quickly implement a vast program to utilize the skills of captured Fugitives. Tracking them down will be key to the Soviet Union's success against its American rival. Technology needs to catch up, military strategy needs improvement, and intelligence agencies need to gather information from around the world. The Soviet Union's ambition? Set the stage for a worldwide communist revolutionary uprising.

Ambition: World Revolution

Place the Objective Card "Collectivization of Means of Production" near your Faction board, and unlock it when you arrive at 3 on your World Revolution track. Work toward a World Revolution by completing Objective cards with a Revolution symbol. Place the corresponding CCCP token on the designated space of your Faction board, if it's empty. Every time you place a new CCCP token, move up by one on the World Revolution track and earn the corresponding bonus.

If the completed Objective card has two symbols separated by a slash, choose one. Please note that only objectives completed by paying the Triumph cost offer you this choice.

NOTE: When you reach or pass 1 on the World Revolution track, the bonus Agent is immediately available for use. The same goes for the additional action on 2; You may use it immediately after reaching or passing 2.

Example: If the player completes the "Sputnik" objective by paying the Success cost, they earn the CCCP token Strikes. If the Strikes space on the Faction board is empty, they place the corresponding CCCP token on it, then advance one space on the "World Revolution track" and obtain the corresponding bonus. If the player already has the Strikes CCCP token, they do not move forward on the World Revolution track. However, if the player needs the Leaders CCCP token, instead of paying the Success cost they could wait to have enough Influence to pay the Triumph cost.

(Card: Sputnik. Mission: "Perform 3 actions. (They do not count toward your total actions this turn.)" The "Collectivization of Means of Production" card, unlocked by advancing on the ambition track and placed in your HQ, has a cooperation: "Remove 2 identical (non-Funding) Clue cards from your hand to earn 1 World Domination point.")

Tzaar

Tzaar means "the price of pain" in the Talmud. In The Hunt, it's the name chosen by a secret organization created by Holocaust survivors.

For those who lived through the horrors of the camps under the Third Reich, it's unthinkable that many former Nazis might live out their lives with impunity.

After World War II, initially through individual initiatives and later through a more structured movement - sometimes with the support of Mossad - Nazi hunters relentlessly pursue Fugitives, bringing them to courts to answer for their crimes. In the game, Tzaar coordinates these efforts to win the battle of memory: no forgetting and no forgiveness.

Ambition: International Tribunal

Advance on the International Tribunal track on the bottom part of your Faction board by capturing Fugitive cards. Each time you capture a Fugitive, move forward on the track a number of spaces equal to the Fugitive's level (number of stars).

Place the 7 Special Tzaar cards (6 Hunters and 1 Tribunal) near your Faction board. Each time you reach or pass a new bonus, earn it immediately. When you reach 2, 4, and 8 on the International Tribunal track, choose one of the two Hunter cards listed and add it to your Reserve.

When you reach 6 on the International Tribunal track, the Tribunal is created. Place the Tribunal card in your Reserve. Once played, it allows you to judge a Fugitive from your HQ or hand once per round, earning Influence equal to the Fugitive's type and level. Then remove the chosen Fugitive card from the game.

NOTE: Judging a Fugitive does not move you forward on the International Tribunal track.

The Network

In The Hunt, the Network is an international crime syndicate with boundless ambition. The Network is present on every continent and needs new people and skills to expand. Fugitives are an invaluable source of recruits: competent, unattached individuals who will be loyal to the Network, the only organization capable of ensuring their safety at a time when the major powers are looking for them.

From its frozen headquarters, the Network orchestrates global operations aimed at sowing disorder and chaos - perfect conditions in which to rise in power and gain influence across the world! Fugitives scattered around the globe are like seeds waiting to sprout, and could help form the roots of this underground organization that aims to dominate the world from the shadows.

Ambition: Global Reach

Place the Special Network cards (6 Plots) near your Faction board. Advance on the Global Reach tracks by capturing Fugitives.

Each time you capture a Fugitive, in addition to earning Influence, advance your marker on the Global Reach track corresponding to the type of Fugitive you've captured. You move forward as many spaces as the Fugitive's level (number of stars).

If the captured Fugitive is a collaborator, your choice of Influence track will determine which Global Reach track you advance (same type/color).

Each time you reach or pass a new bonus (spaces 1, 3, and 4) on a Global Reach track, earn it immediately.

NOTE: When you capture a Fugitive via the Global Reach track, you gain their Influence points.

When you reach or pass 3 on any Global Reach track, choose one of the two Plot cards indicated and place it in your Reserve.

NOTE: When you reach 3 on a Global Reach track, you can choose between two Plot cards. Choose wisely, as you won't have the opportunity to get the other Plot card later in the game.

F.A.Q.

Alois Hudal Card

Fugitives placed under this card are not considered to be in your HQ, and cannot be stolen or put back into your hand by card effects. They also do not go into your Reserve.

If Alois Hudal returns to your hand (thanks to the Tzaar objective "Targeted Exfiltration"), the Fugitive cards under it also go into your hand, but no World Domination points are earned from the Alois Hudal card.