Chasing Shadows

About this board game

Chasing Shadows is a trick-avoidance game for 3–5 players, played in about 40 minutes. Set in a secret underworld of espionage, it challenges players to stay hidden while carefully managing the cards they take.

Rather than simply trying to win tricks, players draft which suit they must follow from a dwindling pool of cards. Every choice affects what remains available, so limiting the next player’s options can be just as important as planning your own play.

The central goal is unusual: taking cards and scoring points is bad. Winning a trick may leave you with an unwanted score, but clever planning can turn even a risky-looking play into an opportunity to make previous points disappear.

• Draft the suit you must follow from a shrinking card pool.
• Limit the next player’s options and try to force them to win the trick.
• Plan around specific cards that can remove points you have already gained.
• Compete for the lowest score after three rounds.

Each round becomes a contest of timing, restriction, and calculated risk. The spotlight may expose your identity at any moment, especially when the remaining choices leave you with nowhere safe to hide.

With its distinctive approach to trick avoidance, Chasing Shadows rewards players who look beyond the immediate trick. The winner is the player with the lowest score after three rounds, making every card—and every point—something to consider carefully.