Hunch
About Hunch
Hunch is a card-based deduction game in the spirit of Eleusis: somewhere behind the table sits a rule you cannot see, and the only way to learn it is to experiment. Each run hands you three rules in rising order of trickiness. The first looks at a single card on its own, the second compares each card with the last one accepted onto the line, and the third combines two clues at once. You hold eight cards. Test one and the game answers instantly: accepted cards extend the main line, rejected ones hang underneath it, so your whole experiment stays on screen like a lab notebook. When you think you have it, switch to Predict. Now the game deals probe cards, deliberately mixing ones the rule accepts with ones it rejects, and you must call five in a row correctly to crack the rule. A wrong call costs one of three lives and resets the streak. Scoring rewards efficiency: every stage pays a base bonus plus extra for each test you save under twenty, and finishing all three adds a bonus for every life left. The daily set is the same for everyone, and any scoring run can become a challenge link that replays your exact rules and deck.
How to play
- A hidden rule decides which cards are accepted. Tap a card in your eight-card hand, then tap it again (or press Test card) to try it. Accepted cards join the main line, and rejected ones hang under the last card on the line.
- Each run has three stages. Stage 1 rules judge the card alone. Stage 2 rules compare it with the last accepted card on the line. Stage 3 rules combine two clues. The START card is just a random opener.
- When you think you know the rule, press Predict. A probe card appears, and you call Accept or Reject. Five correct calls in a row crack the rule and move you to the next stage. You can go back to testing at any time, but that resets your streak.
- A wrong call costs one of three lives and sends you back to testing. You get 40 tests per stage. Crack all three rules to win. Lose your last life and the run ends with the rule revealed.
Strategy & tips
- Pick tests that split your guesses. If you suspect "red", play a red card and a black card of the same rank, not two more hearts.
- From stage 2 on, judge every card against the last accepted card, not the last one you played. Rejected cards never become the reference.
- Probes are a deliberate mix of cards the rule accepts and rejects, so answering the same way every time will not work. Only predict when you can explain every card on the line.
- Each stage pays 20 extra points for every test you save under 20, so after a few tests a confident prediction beats more probing. Unused lives pay a bonus when you finish the run.
FAQ
How is Hunch scored?
Each correct prediction is worth 10 points. Cracking a stage adds a base bonus of 300, 500 or 800 points, plus 20 for every test you used under 20. Winning all three stages adds 150 points per life you have left.
What kinds of rules are there?
There are 36 rules, 12 per stage. Stage 1 rules look at one card: its color, suit or rank. Stage 2 rules compare a card with the last accepted card. Stage 3 rules combine two such clues with "and" or "or".
What is the difference between Daily and Practice?
Daily gives everyone the same three rules and deck for the UTC day, keeps a streak and has a shareable result. Practice deals a new rule set every time. Any run that scores can also become a challenge link that replays your exact rules and deck for a friend.