Overview

Fugitive is a quick two-player game where one player is the Fugitive moving from hideout to hideout along an escape route, while the other player is the Marshal trying to catch the Fugitive before they escape.

The deck is composed of 43 cards numbered 0–42, each representing a possible hideout.

• If the Fugitive successfully plays Hideout #42, they have escaped and win the game.
• If the Marshal uncovers every one of the Fugitive's hideouts before then, the Marshal wins.

Setup

Place the 0 card face up in the center row as the Fugitive's starting location.

The Fugitive begins the game with:

• Cards 1, 2, 3, and 42.

Separate the remaining cards into three draw decks:

• Deck 1: Cards 4–14
  • The Fugitive draws 3 cards from this deck.
• Deck 2: Cards 15–28
  • The Fugitive draws 2 cards from this deck.
• Deck 3: Cards 29–41
  • No cards are drawn from this deck during setup.

Shuffle each deck separately and place them face down.

The Marshal begins the game with no cards.

Game Play

Players alternate turns throughout the game.

• During the Fugitive's turn, they may extend their escape route by creating a new hidden hideout to the right.
• During the Marshal's turn, they attempt to uncover those hidden hideouts through deduction and guessing.

Fugitive First Turn

On the first turn of the game, the Fugitive establishes two hideouts. Each hideout is placed face down in the center row to the right of the previous hideout (starting with the 0 card).

Creating Hideouts

Each newly played hideout must satisfy the following rules:

• It must have a higher number than the previous hideout.
• It may normally increase by only 1, 2, or 3.

Example

• If the previous hideout is 4, the next hideout may only be: 5, 6 or 7
• The Fugitive may never move backward by playing a lower-numbered hideout.

Sprinting

To move farther than three spaces, the Fugitive may Sprint. When Sprinting, additional cards are placed face down below the new hideout. Each Sprint card contributes either +1 or +2 (number of foot steps shown in the top right hand corner).

• The combined Sprint value must make up the extra distance beyond the normal movement of three spaces.

Example

• Previous hideout: 4
• Desired hideout: 10
• Normally the Fugitive could only move to 7.
• Since 10 is three spaces farther, Sprint cards totaling at least +3 must be placed beneath the 10 hideout.
• The Fugitive may always overpay for a Sprint by placing more Sprint value than required, even if no Sprint movement is actually needed.
• After placing the initial two hideouts, the Fugitive's first turn ends.

Fugitive Normal Turn

At the start of each turn after the first, the Fugitive draws one card from any of the three draw decks and adds it to their hand.

The Fugitive may then:

• Establish one new hideout by placing a card face down to the right of their most recent hideout.
• Sprint to the new hideout by placing Sprint cards underneath it, following the normal Sprint rules.

The Fugitive is not required to establish a new hideout each turn. Instead, they may simply announce "Pass".

The Fugitive may look at any of their own face-down Hideout and Sprint cards at any time during the game.

Marshal First Turn

On the first turn of the game, the Marshal draws two cards from any of the three draw decks and adds them to their hand.

The Marshal may then attempt to uncover the Fugitive's hidden hideouts.

Uncovering Hideouts

To uncover a hideout, the Marshal announces one or more hideout numbers.

The Fugitive compares the guesses to all face-down hideouts currently in their escape route.

Single Guess

If the Marshal guesses one number:

• If that number matches any face-down hideout, the Fugitive immediately reveals that hideout.
• Any Sprint cards beneath that hideout are also revealed.
• If the guess is incorrect, nothing is revealed.

The Marshal does not point to a specific hideout. If the guessed number exists anywhere among the Fugitive's unrevealed hideouts, that hideout is revealed.

Multiple Guesses

Instead of making a single guess, the Marshal may attempt to reveal multiple hideouts at once.

When making multiple guesses:

• Every guessed number must be an unrevealed hideout.
• If all guesses are correct, every matching hideout is revealed, along with any Sprint cards beneath them.
• If even one guessed number is incorrect, nothing is revealed.

Because of this risk, multiple guesses can be powerful but are much less reliable than single guesses.

Sprint cards themselves are never guessed.

After attempting to uncover hideouts—whether successful or not—the Marshal's turn ends.

Marshal Normal Turn

At the start of each turn after the first, the Marshal draws one card from any of the three draw decks and adds it to their hand.

The Marshal may then attempt to uncover the Fugitive's hidden hideouts using the normal guessing rules.

Game End

The game ends in one of two ways:

• Fugitive Wins — The Fugitive successfully plays Hideout #42.
• Marshal Wins — The Marshal has uncovered every existing Fugitive hideout before the Fugitive escapes.

Manhunt

If the Fugitive reaches Hideout #42, there may be one final opportunity for the Marshal to make an arrest.

Check the highest-numbered revealed hideout.

Highest Revealed Hideout is Less Than 30

A Manhunt begins.

During the Manhunt:

• The Marshal makes single-number guesses only.
• Each guess is resolved immediately before another guess is made.
• Every correct guess reveals another hideout.
• The Marshal continues guessing as long as every guess is correct.
• If the Marshal successfully reveals all remaining hideouts, the Marshal wins.
• If the Marshal makes one incorrect guess, the Manhunt immediately ends and the Fugitive escapes, winning the game.

Highest Revealed Hideout is 30 or Higher

No Manhunt occurs.

The Fugitive immediately escapes after playing Hideout #42 and wins the game.

Strategies and Tips

Success in Fugitive comes from careful planning, bluffing, and deduction. While luck can influence which cards are drawn, both players have meaningful strategic decisions throughout the game.

Fugitive Strategy

• You don't have to establish a new hideout every turn. Sometimes passing and waiting for a better draw is the strongest play.
• Sprinting too often consumes valuable cards and can leave you unable to make efficient future moves.
• Bluffing can be effective, but overusing it may reveal patterns that the Marshal can exploit.
• Drawing from a higher-numbered deck than you currently need can disguise your future plans and make your escape route less predictable.
• If the Marshal has just guessed a particular hideout number, it can be an excellent time to play that hideout, since they are unlikely to guess the same number again immediately.
• Remember that you may overpay when Sprinting. Extra Sprint cards can make it much harder for the Marshal to determine exactly how far you traveled.

Marshal Strategy

• Keep notes throughout the game. Tracking previous guesses and revealed hideouts greatly improves your deductions.
• When a revealed hideout contains two Sprint cards, there is roughly a 50% chance their combined value is +3, providing useful clues about neighboring hideouts.
• Avoid making multiple guesses too often. A single incorrect guess causes the entire attempt to fail.
• However, if you are highly confident about one hideout, pairing it with a second educated guess can sometimes reveal two hideouts at once.
• Drawing cards primarily from higher-numbered decks can create a "roadblock" that limits the Fugitive's future options.
• Revealing a later hideout often provides valuable Sprint information that helps identify earlier hideouts. Sometimes you can work backward by counting Sprint values.
• Watch the Fugitive carefully. Which cards they check after your guesses, and which draw deck they choose, can provide valuable information about their escape route.

Winning Through Deduction

Fugitive is a game of hidden information, careful planning, and psychological play.

The Fugitive must balance speed with secrecy, deciding when to Sprint, when to bluff, and when to wait for a better opportunity.

The Marshal must gather information from every reveal, every draw, and every decision the Fugitive makes, using logic and deduction to uncover the entire escape route before it is too late.