How the game works
Each round is short and different from the last. Hiders paint a humanoid chameleon with the in-game palette and Spoid eyedropper; Seekers hunt in first person with no flashlight. Success depends on spot choice, silhouette (poses), and local colour layers — not preset skins.
Before a serious session, confirm controls and mode labels in Settings — patch updates can change defaults. Deeper rules live in the Wiki; update context in the patch archive; map-specific drills in the map notes.
Match Flow — Four Phases
- Lobby — Host picks map, mode (Normal / Infection / Double), and privacy. Join via public browse or invite code.
- Role assignment — Split into Hiders (chameleons) and Seekers (Oni). Ratio depends on mode and player count.
- Preparation — Hiders choose a spot, set pose (R), Spoid colours, paint (F). Seekers wait.
- Hunt — Seekers enter, search, and tag with left click. Round ends when all Hiders are tagged or the timer expires.
Results screen = free coaching
Every round reveals all hiding spots and paint jobs. Review it whether you won or lost — consistent players treat it as mandatory feedback.
Your First 30 Minutes
Goal: one repeatable loop — backdrop → pose → local colour → stillness — not a win streak. A private room is ideal; a public match works if you keep the plan simple.
| Round | Practise one thing | Ignore for now |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Commit to one wall, floor edge, or prop cluster before opening paint. | Complex patterns, score, or clever routes. |
| 2 | Use pose so the outline fits the backdrop. | Perfect coverage on every body part. |
| 3 | Sample a lit tone and a darker shadow on the same material. | Moving after the hunt starts. |
| 4 | Play one Seeker round slowly; name the clue that exposed each Hider. | Memorising an entire map. |
Then open the matching map note or try the browser Camouflage Simulator before learning every stage at once.
Roles, Controls & Modes
Hider vs Seeker
| Hider (Chameleon) | Seeker (Oni) | |
|---|---|---|
| Goal | Survive until time runs out | Tag every Hider before timer |
| View | Third person during prep | First person during hunt |
| Tools | Paint palette, Spoid, poses | Tag gun, eyes, patience |
| Core skill | Spot + pose + colour layers | Pattern recognition, sweep order |
| Common mistake | Roaming prep, flat one-colour paint | Sprinting centre map first |
PC controls (confirm in Settings after patches)
| Action | Default | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Move | W A S D | Rebind if needed |
| Camera | Mouse | Lower sensitivity helps Seeker scans |
| Paint menu | F | Open before a live round |
| Pose menu | R | Choose shape before colour work |
| Paint / Tag | Mouse input | Role-dependent; follow in-game prompt |
Pick a mode for your group
| Mode | Players | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| Normal | 2–4 | Classic one Seeker; best for learning |
| Infection | 6–10 | Tagged Hiders join the hunt |
| Double | 4–8 | Everyone hides, then everyone hunts |
Hider Playbook
- Commit early — Within ~15 seconds, pick a wall edge, clutter zone, or prop cluster; stop roaming.
- Pose first — Open poses (R); curl, crouch, or flatten against the backdrop.
- Two-tone paint — Spoid the lit surface, fill large zones; Spoid a shadow tone for the dark side.
- Freeze on hunt — Audio and motion expose you before bad paint does.
Golden order
Spot → Pose → Paint. Silhouette and backdrop come before detail work.
Choosing a backdrop
| Backdrop | Match this | What exposes you |
|---|---|---|
| Flat wall or poster | Width, edge direction, flatter pose | Standing silhouette or hard outline |
| Floor edge or tile | Local tone and surface seam | Colour blob ignoring the seam |
| Low furniture | Height first, then nearest face colour | Head or limbs above the prop |
| Busy prop cluster | One material family, compact shape | Mixing unrelated colours |
| Repeated pattern | Rhythm and spacing, not every detail | Extra stripe, tile, or gap |
Seeker Playbook
Random sprinting feels fast but teaches little. Use three deliberate passes instead:
- Pass one — large shapes — Open edges, tall props, wrong-scale objects.
- Pass two — repeated surfaces — Shelves, tiles, frames, stripes, object rows.
- Pass three — return angle — Walk back along the main route; look for outlines visible only from the other side.
Quick habits: start at the perimeter; count repeating props; pause on flat colour blobs without shadow gradient. Since v1.2.0, ranking considers distance and line-of-sight time — keep main paths in your sweep.
Common Mistakes & FAQ
| Mistake | Why it fails | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Late spot choice | No time to pose + two-layer paint | Commit in ~15s |
| Paint before pose | Colours misalign after curl/flatten | Pose first |
| Single flat colour | Obvious under map lighting | Lit + shadow Spoid |
| Moving during hunt | Audio/motion tells | Freeze completely |
| Skipping results | Repeat the same bad hides | Review every round |
Should I copy a viral hiding clip?
Use it to learn an idea — tile line, lower silhouette — then adapt to your room. Popular clips also tell Seekers where to look.
When should I read a map guide?
After one full match loop. Open the map you are about to play, read landmark prompts only, test one idea per round.
What if controls differ from this page?
Trust your Settings menu. Patch notes may change defaults; this page tracks v1.9.0 as of 2026-06-25.
Next Steps
Move to map data, role deep dives, and lobby setup once the basic loop feels familiar.