Nuns on the Run

Overview

Nuns on the Run is a hidden movement game for 2-8 players. Most players are novice nuns sneaking out of their cells at night to fulfill a secret wish, while one player (or team of two) controls the guard figures (Abbess and Prioress) patrolling the abbey. Novices must obtain keys, pick up their secret item, and return to their cell before the 15th turn – all while avoiding detection. The guards try to catch the novices before time runs out.

Components

• 1 Game board (abbey map), 1 Six-sided die, 1 Line-of-sight straight edge
• 6 Novice tokens, 2 Guard figures
• 6 Novice status cards, 4 Guard movement cards, 24 Novice movement cards
• 8 Secret wish cards, 8 Blessings cards, 16 Guard path cards
• 16 Noise/vanished tokens, Captured & turn markers, Novice log sheets

Setup

1. Place turn marker on space 1, “novices captured” marker above track.
2. One player controls both guards (or 2 players share, one each for 8 players). Place both guard figures in Abbess’s Cell (location 26).
3. Each novice receives: random novice token (start in their cell, locations 1-6), 1 Secret Wish card, 4 movement cards, 1 Blessing card, status card (“On the Run” side up), log sheet and pencil.

Turn Structure

Each turn has 3 parts:

1. Novices Move

• Secretly record movement on log sheets.
• Reveal a movement card (standing still/sneaking/walking/running) showing distance.
• Roll die for noise: if noise is generated, place a noise token at your current location.

2. Guards Move

• Move guard figures along patrol paths or freely toward noise/sightings.
• Remove old noise/vanished tokens.
• Roll die for hearing: guards may detect nearby noise tokens.
• Check line of sight: if a guard can see a novice’s location, the novice is caught!

3. Move Turn Marker

Advance the turn marker. If turn 15 ends with no novice winner, guards win.

Actions

Novice Movement

• Standing still: 0 spaces, no noise risk.
• Sneaking: 1 space, low noise risk.
• Walking: 2 spaces, moderate noise risk.
• Running: 3 spaces, high noise risk.

Movement is recorded secretly on the log sheet. Novice tokens are only placed on the board when visible to guards.

Novice Objective

1. Visit the location with your key (on your Secret Wish card).
2. Visit the location of your secret item.
3. Return to your cell.

Guard Patrol

Guards follow preset path cards or may deviate to investigate noise. Guards check line of sight using the straight edge tool.

Blessings

One-time-use cards that provide a special advantage (e.g., extra movement, avoid detection). Once used, removed from game.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

• Novice wins: First novice to obtain keys, pick up their item, and return to their cell before end of turn 15.
• Guards win: If no novice completes their mission by end of turn 15, or if all novices are caught.
• Caught novices: If caught, your status flips to “Caught.” You skip noise/vanished tokens. On a subsequent turn, if out of guard sight, return token to your cell and flip back to “On the Run.” If you already had your item when caught, you must retrieve it again.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• First turn bonus: Novices get 2 movement phases on the first turn before guards move.
• Noise tokens: Placed when a novice generates noise; guards can investigate these.
• Vanished tokens: When a novice moves out of a guard’s line of sight, a vanished token marks their last known position.
• Line of sight: Determined using the physical straight-edge tool on the board.
• Hidden movement: Novices’ positions are secret unless detected. Log sheets track actual positions.

Player Reference

Movement Type	Spaces	Noise Risk
Standing Still	0	None
Sneaking	1	Low
Walking	2	Moderate
Running	3	High

Win Condition	Details
Novice victory	Get keys -> Get item -> Return to cell (before turn 15)
Guard victory	No novice wins by end of turn 15