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theothersideguide

Hunt Mechanics

A hunt begins the moment the door slams, and the first few seconds decide the outcome. This page covers what triggers a hunt, how to break line of sight, and which hiding places actually hold up.

Critical: Hearing your heartbeat means the ghost sees you
Sprint immediately and break line of sight by turning corners. Don't stop until the heartbeat fades.

Phases of a hunt

Sequence

Hunts follow a predictable sequence. Knowing what's happening at each phase tells you how to react.

  1. 1

    Trigger

    Hunt chance scales with the average heart rate of players inside the location. Demons can hunt once players are Anxious; every ghost can hunt when players are Panicked or Distressed. The higher the heart rate climbs, the greater the chance. The front door/gate slams shut.

  2. 2

    Grace Period

    Brief moment before the ghost can kill. Use this time to find a closet. Lights flicker, whispering starts.

  3. 3

    Active Hunt

    Ghost roams looking for players. If you hear footsteps, it's nearby. If you hear a heartbeat, it sees you. Equipment malfunctions during this phase.

  4. 4

    Cooldown

    After the hunt ends, there's a cooldown before the next can start. Length varies by ghost type (40s short, 60s normal, 90s long).

Heart rate & sanity

Reworked in v0.9.8.0

Heart rate is the game's sanity system. The v0.9.8.0 rework widened the range to 60-160 BPM (previously 80-140) and replaced the old fixed BPM threshold with four status tiers. Hunt chance now escalates dynamically the higher your heart rate climbs, rather than flipping on at a single number.

Normal

Resting state. No ghost can hunt.

Anxious

Demons can begin hunting at this tier.

Panicked

Every ghost can hunt. Chance rises with BPM.

Distressed

Highest tier. Hunt chance is at its peak.

Favourite room can move
On Intermediate and higher, a ghost may change its favourite room mid-investigation (low chance on Intermediate, medium on Expert, high on Master). The old room doesn't snap back to room temperature - it warms up slowly over several minutes, so keep re-checking temperatures rather than trusting your first reading.

Hiding rules

What works · What doesn't

Safe hiding

  • · Closets - ghosts won't check inside
  • · Stepping outside the location entirely
  • · Far rooms with broken line of sight
  • · Phone flashlight stays safe to use

Don't hide

  • · Behind boxes or furniture (open spots)
  • · In or near the favourite room
  • · While holding active electronics other than your phone
  • · Crouching in plain sight of the ghost

Speed tiers

Ghost movement

Ghosts have a base speed when roaming and an accelerated speed when they have line of sight on you.

Base Speed

Normal 2.35 m/s
Fast 2.85 m/s

Line of sight

Slow 2.00 m/s
Normal 2.35 m/s
Moderate 2.55 m/s
Fast 2.85 m/s

Holy Water

Defensive tool

Spray Holy Water at the ghost during a hunt to disorient it. Some ghosts have unique reactions.

Standard · 3s stun

Most ghosts (14 of 18). Brief disorientation, enough to break line of sight.

More effective · 5s stun

Demon, Wewe Gombel, Wisp, Wraith - longer disorientation.

Special behaviours
Demon · Stops hunts for 2 minutes, then forces a hunt
Wisp · Stops hunts for 2 minutes, then forces a hunt
Tariaksuq · Stops hunts for 90 seconds, then forces a hunt

Death & revival

Tarot cards

Dying isn't always game over - but you only get one second chance, and Master difficulty removes it entirely.

First death

Play the Tarot card mini-game for a chance to revive.

Second death

Permanent for the run. You become a spectator.

Master difficulty

Tarot revival disabled. One death = run over.

Death Room grace period
v0.9.8.0 added a 5-second grace period when you return from the Death Room, giving you a moment to get your bearings before the ghost can target you again.