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About Shadow Hunters
Shadow Hunters mixes hidden identities with dice and combat. Each player secretly belongs to the Hunters, the Shadows or the Neutrals, and moves around a map of eerie locations drawing cards, healing, and attacking whoever shares their area. Green Hermit cards let you ask a pointed question of another player, who must answer honestly. It has more luck than a pure deduction game, but the fights and late reveals make for a lively hour with six to eight.
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Is Shadow Hunters Right for You?
Best for
Shadow Hunters is for groups of six to eight who want hidden identities with dice, fights and a bit of horror theme. It is best at seven or eight, where all three factions are in play. Players who find pure talking games tiring often prefer it.
Maybe skip it if…
Luck plays a big part, from dice to card draws, so serious deduction fans may find it unsatisfying. It is older and its BGG rating is modest, and players can be killed before the end.
How to Play Shadow Hunters
Setup
Deal each player a secret character card and set their hit point marker. Place the area cards to form the board.
On Your Turn
- Roll both dice and move to the area shown, then use that area's effect, often drawing a card.
- Green Hermit cards are passed to another player, who must follow the instruction if it applies to them.
- You may attack a player in your area: roll both dice and deal the difference as damage.
- You may reveal your character at any time to use its special ability.
How to Win
Hunters win when all Shadows are dead. Shadows win when all Hunters, or three Neutrals, are dead. Each Neutral has their own personal goal.
💡 Strategy Tips
Don't attack anyone until you have a decent guess at their faction. Hitting your own side is the classic early mistake.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Attacking at random early on. You may be wounding your own team.
- Ignoring Hermit cards. They are the only way to gather solid information about other players.
- Revealing too early. Your ability may be strong, but announcing your faction also makes you a target.
- Forgetting the Neutrals' individual goals. They can tip the game in unexpected ways.
Advanced Strategy
- Give Hermit cards to players you are unsure about, not those you already suspect. Information is worth more than confirmation.
- Neutrals should watch the game state closely and often switch who they help.
- Damage is public and each character has a different hit point total, so how much damage someone survives narrows down who they could be.
- Healing areas and equipment cards matter more in the late game than early attacks.
Variants & House Rules
Expansion characters
An expansion kit added ten new characters across the three factions, and later editions include them in the box.
House rule: no first-round attacks
Some groups ban attacks in the first round to give everyone time to learn something before the fighting starts.
Video Guides
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Our Verdict
Shadow Hunters is a fun, slightly chaotic hidden-identity brawler with a strong theme. It has more luck than modern social deduction games, and it feels its age in places. For groups who want dice and fights in their bluffing game, it still holds up.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many players is it best with?
Seven or eight. It works with four to six, but the factions are less balanced.
Is it a social deduction game?
Partly. There are hidden factions and deduction, but combat, dice and cards play a big role.
How long does it take?
About an hour, though games can end faster when a faction is wiped out quickly.