Stealth, infiltration and escape
Stealth manages what observers know through visibility, suspicion, traces, decoys and escape routes. Each overview separates player actions, state changes and alternative rules. Examples are hypothetical design scenarios, not claims about a named game. A prototype check states an observable question for the next iteration. Existing detailed references remain separately linked from the direction map.
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Mechanics and variants
1Visibility, noise and detectionOverview and example ↗Detection depends on observable signals, obstacles and observer attention, letting players manage the visibility of their actions.4
Mechanic variants
- Light increases silhouette visibility.
- Noise propagation accounts for obstacles.
- Movement speed changes footstep loudness.
- Brief contacts accumulate detection progress.
Design example. The player runs while an industrial press masks the sound of footsteps. Prototype check: Test detection near an obstacle edge and show which signal the observer actually noticed.
2Suspicion, alerts and searchingOverview and example ↗Suspicion moves observers from routine behavior through investigation, alerts and searching for a last known target.4
Mechanic variants
- Investigation approaches an unusual signal source.
- Alerts spread through available communication channels.
- Search expands from the last known contact.
- Returning to routine preserves memory of a threat.
Design example. A guard investigates an open door, calls a partner and then searches nearby rooms. Prototype check: Test that a searching guard cannot obtain the hidden player's exact position without observing a new signal.
3Hiding bodies and tracesOverview and example ↗Hiding bodies and traces delays discovery of an action but costs time and can create new vulnerabilities.4
Mechanic variants
- Carrying slows movement and occupies the hands.
- Containers limit the number of hidden objects.
- Cleaning removes a specific type of trace.
- A missing character can itself trigger investigation.
Design example. A guard is concealed, but a missed patrol check prompts a dispatcher to send a replacement. Prototype check: Test trace persistence across room changes and distinguish hiding a body from removing evidence.
4Disguises and social infiltrationOverview and example ↗Social infiltration uses an expected role instead of invisibility: access depends on clothing, behavior and recognition.4
Mechanic variants
- A uniform opens areas for a specific profession.
- An insider recognizes strangers within their group.
- Forbidden actions undermine the assumed role.
- Documents confirm access during an inspection.
Design example. A technician's uniform permits entry, but touching a safe attracts the attendant's suspicion. Prototype check: Test that access boundaries are visible before a violation and recognition has an identifiable observer.
5Lures, distractions and sabotageOverview and example ↗Distraction changes observer priorities while sabotage changes the environment to prepare a later covert action.4
Mechanic variants
- Sound redirects the nearest available observer.
- A lure requires a relevant target motivation.
- A breakdown summons maintenance personnel.
- A false alarm frees a different area.
Design example. A disabled pump makes a technician leave their post and open a service corridor. Prototype check: Test repeated distractions: reactions should account for a known trick or explicitly allow repetition.
6Tailing, reconnaissance and counter-surveillanceOverview and example ↗Tailing maintains contact, reconnaissance learns routines and counter-surveillance checks whether the observer has been exposed.4
Mechanic variants
- Distance balances losing a target against recognition.
- Routes use several observation positions.
- Photographs preserve a verifiable target action.
- A checking turn reveals a follower copying the route.
Design example. A courier changes streets and the player switches to a distant camera instead of closing dangerously. Prototype check: Test regaining contact through a known route after a brief interruption of direct visibility.
7Heists and coordinated infiltrationOverview and example ↗Coordinated infiltration assigns dependent actions to roles and synchronizes them within a limited access window.4
Mechanic variants
- Reconnaissance unlocks operation preparations.
- Synchronized orders combine several actions.
- A fallback plan changes routes after an alert.
- Loot slows the team's final escape.
Design example. One participant cuts power, another opens a gate and a third moves cargo to a vehicle. Prototype check: Test one failed action so the team can understand how to cancel synchronization and use its fallback plan.
8Escape, chases and evading pursuitOverview and example ↗Escape breaks pursuer contact through routes, obstacles and changed visibility rather than running speed alone.4
Mechanic variants
- Branches make a pursuer infer the chosen route.
- A barrier buys time at the cost of a consumable.
- Crowds hide a player who changes behavior.
- Vehicles change speed and usable passages.
Design example. A player closes a grille, changes clothes in a workshop and leaves through another exit. Prototype check: Test the end of pursuit: safety should follow lost information rather than an unexplained hidden timer.
Sources and examples
Sources support particular techniques or methodology, not every family variant. Design examples and mechanic combinations are illustrative.
- Robert Nystrom: State
The author’s original discussion of states and transitions; rule implementation context, not evidence for every editorial variant.
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