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Vampire Hunters

One player volunteers as the vampire, everyone else guards a tomb, and the vampire has about a minute each round to slip into whichever tomb's left open. It works because the board shrinks as it plays — every tomb the vampire takes turns the nearest hunter into a teammate and pulls a tomb off the map, so the group that started with plenty of cover ends up defending almost as much with far fewer hands.

15–30 min4–10 peopleEasyHula hoops, cones, or chairsIn-personClassroom ✓
By Jon Zajac · Founder & Chief Icebreaker · Last updated February 19, 2024

What is Vampire Hunters?

Vampire Hunters splits the group into one vampire and a handful of hunters, each guarding a tomb — hula hoops, cones, or chairs all work — with one tomb always left open. The vampire tries to reach that open tomb before the hunters can cover it; land in an empty one, and the nearest hunter turns into a vampire and joins the other side.

It works because the game gets harder for hunters exactly when they can least afford it. Every hunter who turns pulls a tomb off the board too, so the group that started with cover to spare ends up defending almost as many tombs with far fewer hands — and each round only runs about a minute, so there's no time to regroup before the count changes again.

It needs real room to run: tombs scattered across an open floor or a stretch of grass, with space for a full sprint. That makes it a poor fit for a cramped classroom, a conference room, or anything remote — the best fit is ages 8 and up, in a gym, yard, or any space where nobody's dodging furniture.

The rules

  1. One player volunteers to be the vampire; everyone else is a hunter.
  2. Set out one more tomb than you have hunters, using hula hoops, cones, or chairs.
  3. Assign each hunter to guard one tomb, leaving exactly one unguarded.
  4. The vampire tries to reach the unguarded tomb before a hunter can cover it.
  5. Every tomb the vampire takes turns the nearest hunter into a vampire, and a tomb comes off the board.
  6. The round ends after a minute; if any tomb's still guarded, the hunters win it.

Before you start

  • Group size: 4–10 hunters, plus one vampire. Works from age 8 up — old enough to run a straight line and keep track of who's watching which tomb.
  • Clear a large space. Indoors or out, players need room to run without colliding — a gym, yard, or open field all work.
  • Set out one tomb per hunter, plus one. Hula hoops, cones, or chairs all work as tombs. Whatever number of hunters you have, put down one more marker than that.
  • No other prep required. Beyond marking the tombs and picking a vampire, the game starts as soon as hunters are assigned.

How to run it

  1. Volunteer a vampire 30 sec

    One player volunteers to be the vampire. Everyone else becomes a hunter.

  2. Assign hunters to tombs 1–2 min

    Set out one more tomb than you have hunters and assign each hunter to guard one, leaving exactly one tomb unguarded.

  3. Play a round 1 min

    The vampire has a minute to reach the unguarded tomb before the sun comes up. Hunters hold their own tomb and call out if the vampire changes direction.

  4. Turn a hunter, drop a tomb 30 sec

    If the vampire reaches an empty tomb, the closest hunter turns into a vampire and joins their side — and one tomb comes off the board.

  5. Reset and go again 10–20 min

    Start the next round with fewer hunters and fewer tombs. Keep playing until every hunter has turned, or a round ends with a tomb still guarded — that round, the hunters win.

← fewer hunters, fewer tombs, faster ending.

Facilitator tips

Swap in whatever's on handNo hula hoops or cones? Pillows, books, or sheets of paper mark a tomb just as well.
Let a hunter guard from a chairPlayers with mobility limits can guard their tomb seated, or get extra time to reach one when they're playing the vampire.
Add a signal to pause the gameAgree on a word or gesture upfront that stops play instantly if anyone needs a break.

Why it works

Every turned hunter shrinks the boardOne tomb comes off the map for every hunter who turns, so the last few rounds condense the whole group's attention onto fewer targets — the tension escalates on its own.
Reactions replace scriptsThe vampire's only move is picking which tomb looks weakest right now, and hunters have to read that shift and react — split-second decisions, not memorized lines.
Movement is the whole pointThere's no sit-and-talk phase — everyone's guarding, running, or catching their breath as a freshly turned vampire the second a round starts.
HELLO, MY NAME ISJon

"I like that the board shrinks as you play. Losing one hunter costs the group a tomb, so by the last round everyone's genuinely calling out for backup instead of just running around. It's easy to set up — a few hula hoops and a big room — and it works from kids to a Friday happy hour."

Jon Zajac · Founder & Chief Icebreaker

Reflection questions

A few minutes here turn the chase into an actual conversation about strategy and nerves.

  1. What did you enjoy most about playing Vampire Hunters?Surfaces which part of the game actually landed — the chase, the reveal, or the shrinking board.
  2. How did communication and teamwork play a role in the game?Gets hunters naming the calls and cover that actually kept a tomb standing.
  3. Did you find any challenges or difficulties while playing Vampire Hunters? If so, what were they?Surfaces what to adjust before the next round — the pace, the space, or the group size.
  4. How did you feel when your team lost a tomb to the vampire? What about when you successfully protected a tomb?A quick read on how the group handles losing ground versus holding it.
  5. If you were the vampire, what strategies did you use to try and capture a tomb? If you were a hunter, what tactics did you employ to protect your tomb?Gets both sides comparing tactics — good intel for the next round.
  6. What could have been done differently by either the vampire or the hunters to change the outcome of the game?Encourages the group to critique their own strategy instead of just the result.
  7. How might the skills you used in Vampire Hunters apply to real-life situations or other group activities?Bridges the chase back to real teamwork and communication, past just the running around.

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Jon Zajac

Founder & Chief Icebreaker

I started IcebreakerSpot because I believe strong connections are the foundation of successful teams. This site exists to make it easy to find and share the icebreakers and team-building activities that build trust, spark collaboration, and help groups do great things together.

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