Real life, not a video game
Manhunt
The outdoor chase game everyone played as a kid, with an app that referees it.
Manhunt is an outdoor chase game that mixes hide-and-seek and tag. One team of hunters tries to find and tag runners inside agreed boundaries, usually after dark. Tagged runners go to jail, and teammates can free them with a jailbreak. Games last 15 to 30 minutes and work best with 6 to 20 players. Some groups play it in reverse, with a few people hiding and everyone else hunting; both are Manhunt (two ways to play).
Also called Jailbreak or Hunt. Not the video game or the TV show: which Manhunt is which.
One person hosts, from the app or a browser. Everyone else joins from any phone, Android included.
How to play Manhunt
- Pick a place and a jail. A park or a quiet block with clear edges. One landmark in the middle is jail.
- Split the teams. About one hunter for every three or four players. Everyone else runs.
- Head start. Hunters wait at jail for 2 to 4 minutes while runners hide.
- Hunt. Hunters tag runners with a light touch. Tagged runners walk to jail.
- Jailbreak. A free runner who reaches jail untagged frees everyone inside.
- Win. Hunters win if everyone is caught at once. Runners win if anyone is free when time's up.
Read the full rules · Step-by-step guide · Printable rules
Why groups play it with the app
Manhunt has always had the same three problems: somebody hides forever, somebody swears they weren't tagged, and nobody knows when it ends. The Manhunt app fixes those and leaves the rest alone. You still hide. You still run. The phone stays in your pocket.
Pings, not spyware
Every few minutes, hunters see a fuzzy circle around each runner, never a live dot. Pings speed up as the clock runs down, and turn precise if nobody has been caught for six minutes, so nobody can camp forever.
A heartbeat in your pocket
Runners feel a heartbeat vibration that quickens as a hunter gets close: 80 meters, 50, 25. It never says which way.
Jail and jailbreak, built in
Walk to jail when you're caught. Stand in jail for 5 seconds to free your team while every hunter's phone screams.
The app is the referee
Tap Caught, the runner confirms or disputes, and the server rejects tags from too far away. Boundaries forgive GPS wobble. No more arguments.
Every game ends in a story
A replay of everyone's route, the closest call, awards like Houdini and Final Boss, and a card worth posting.
Nobody gets left out
Friends without the app, or on Android, tap the link and play in their browser. Free for the whole group, forever.
The Manhunt guide
- What is Manhunt?The game at a glance, its other names, and which Manhunt is which.
- Manhunt rulesTeams, boundaries, tags, jail, jailbreak and winning.
- How to playHost your first game in eight steps.
- VariationsInfection, flashlight, sardines, kick the can, speedrunner.
- Strategy25 ways to survive as a runner or close it as a hunter.
- Manhunt at nightLights, boundaries and staying out of trouble.
- Manhunt vs hide and seekWhat makes Manhunt its own game.
- Best hiding spotsCover, a view and two ways out.
- For groups and campsYouth groups, camps, scouts and campus nights.
- Parties and familiesBirthday parties, sleepovers and games for every age.
- Just 2, 3 or 4 of you?Small-group formats that still feel like Manhunt.
- SafetyFor parents, camps, schools and youth groups.
- Best Manhunt appsEvery real-life chase app, compared and dated.
- HistoryFrom kick the can and ringolevio to GPS.
- GlossaryJail, base, "olly olly oxen free" and more.
- Halloween Manhunt nightA 60-minute plan for Saturday, October 31.
Quick answers
Is this Manhunt the video game?
No. This Manhunt is the outdoor game people play in parks and backyards. Rockstar's Manhunt (2003) is an unrelated, mature-rated video game, and Minecraft Manhunt is a YouTube format. Full answer
How many people do you need to play Manhunt?
At least 4, ideally 6 to 20. Use about one hunter for every three or four players. Full answer
How long does a game of Manhunt last?
Most rounds last 15 to 30 minutes after a 2 to 4 minute head start. Short rounds mean more rounds, and everyone gets a turn as a hunter. Full answer
Is Manhunt the same as hide and seek?
No. In Manhunt, hunters must tag runners, runners can run as well as hide, and caught runners go to jail, where teammates can free them with a jailbreak. Full answer
Is the Manhunt app free?
Yes, for the whole group: up to 50 players in a game, no paid tier, every core mode, and equal information for every player. No ads during play. Full answer
Can friends on Android play?
Yes. One person hosts, from the iPhone app or a browser; everyone else, Android included, can join from the invite link in their web browser, with no download. Full answer
Download the app so we can play Manhunt
One person hosts from the app or a browser, then shares a QR code or link. Everyone else joins on any phone. Start a game together, free for the whole group, with no sign-up.