In Hunt ‘n Sneak, light is both friend and foe

Manic four-player party game out now on Steam.

Local-multiplayer party games often place a focus on fighting, racing, or otherwise battling each other to the death. But Hunt ‘n Sneak – from Australian developer Pixel Engineers – approaches the genre a little differently.

In the game’s main mode, a novel couch co-op experience, one player takes on the role of the fearsome Gobbler, while up to three remaining players team up as the Pixies – mischievous yet innocent critters who live in a pitch black world.

The Gobbler can’t see in the dark. Nor can the Pixies, for that matter. What they can do, however, is emit pings of light – illuminating their environment for just a second, long enough to see where they’re going, and perhaps catch a glimpse of the Gobbler. Light your way and you can locate hiding spots and an escape route around the world. But doing so also alerts the Gobbler to your location. The hunt, as they say, is on.

As players engage in this epic and fantastical game of hide-and-seek, the Gobbler must try to devour all three Pixies within the allotted time. The Pixies’ objective is simple: make sure at least one of you survives until the end of the round.

Hunt ‘n Sneak began its life as part of an experimental game jam at the Academy of Interactive Entertainment in Melbourne, Victoria. Then known as Ping, it won first place in the jam’s ‘Couch Multiplayer’ award category thanks to its frantic and inventive gameplay mechanics.

This completely overhauled version of the game, several years in the making, contains both local and online multiplayer, multiple game modes, and a variety of environments – from murky caves to abandoned mansions, an enchanted forest, and the ruins of an old castle.

While Hunt ‘n Sneak already comprises a considerable amount of content, the developers at Pixel Engineers say this is just the start of their plans – with free updates planned for the game over the coming months.

So what are you waiting for? Hunt ‘n Sneak is out now via Steam, priced at $19.99. Close your eyes, count to 30, and get involved…