How to Play

Specter Ops

2-5 players 60-120 min 7.2 Board Game Geek Rating

An A.R.K. spy infiltrates a Raxxon facility to complete three objectives while avoiding genetically enhanced hunters. This hidden movement game splits players into opposing teams: one controls the invisible agent tracking their position secretly, while others command hunters using special abilities and equipment like scanners and grenades to locate and capture the infiltrator.

Published 2015

Get Ready

Setup the game with these step-by-step instructions before diving into your turn.

Choose the Agent player

One player becomes the Agent and takes the Movement Sheet

Determine objective locations

The Agent rolls a dice for each of the 4 areas to place Mission Objective tokens blue side up on the board

Handle 4-player objective secrecy

Don't reveal objective locations until activated; Agent secretly circles them on their sheet

Select Agent character and equipment

Agent secretly chooses 1 character and 3 equipment cards (5 equipment cards in 4-player games)

Select Hunter characters

Remaining players pick hunter characters

Place the vehicle

Position the vehicle token at K17 (K23 for 4-player games)

Place Hunters in vehicle

All hunter figures start in the vehicle

Handle 2-player games

One player controls 2 hunters

On Your Turn

What you can do during your turn.

Start position

Take first turn on space N1

Use equipment

Play 1 Equipment Card before or after moving; card text describes usage

Move secretly

Record movement of 0-4 spaces (diagonal allowed) on the Movement Sheet

Trigger no motion response

If moving 0-2 spaces, reply "no motion" when Hunters use car sensor next turn

Respect movement restrictions

Cannot move through or onto Hunters or structures

Reveal when spotted

If movement ends in direct line of sight of a hunter, place figure on board and reveal character if not already revealed

Understand line of sight

Line of sight extends Up/Down/Left/Right (orthogonal) to the next obstacle only; not diagonal

Note road coverage

Line of sight on roads covers both lanes

Place last seen marker

When seen by a hunter but not ending in sight, place marker on last space visualized; same applies when disappearing from the board

Complete objectives

Must be adjacent (diagonal allowed) to objective location at the beginning of turn; announce completion by flipping marker to red side, then take turn

Handle Holo Decoy attacks

Act as if attacked and possibly hit, but mark nothing and take no damage

Determine turn order

Hunters take turns in any order (may change each round), but each character must finish before the next begins

Move your hunter

Move 0-4 spaces (diagonal allowed)

Spot the Agent

If Agent can be seen, their figure must be placed on the board

Attack once per turn

Hunter may attack once after moving if Agent is visible

Calculate attack distance

Count spaces to the Agent; roll a dice that must equal or exceed that number to hit

Apply exploding 6s

If a 6 is rolled, roll again and add the value; repeat for each additional 6

Handle automatic miss

Rolling a 1 is always a miss regardless of distance

Score automatic hit

If standing on the same space as the Agent, hit is automatic without rolling

Use the vehicle

Move only on roads up to 10 total spaces per round shared among hunters inside

Enter or exit vehicle

Must be adjacent (diagonal allowed) to vehicle; this ends movement

Pass through vehicle

Vehicle doesn't block line of sight; Agent and Hunters can move through it

Restrictions while in vehicle

Cannot attack or be stunned, but can still provide line of sight

Use motion sensor

Hunter in vehicle can use sensor instead of moving; Agent must state cardinal direction relative to vehicle (or "no motion detected" if they moved 0-2 spaces previous turn)

Apply stun effects

Stunned hunters place a marker nearby; next turn limited to 2 spaces movement and cannot attack