Prop Hunt
Prop hunt is an online multiplayer video game genre in which a team of one or more players hide in a level while disguised as objects, while another team of players try to find them, similar to Hide-and-seek. The goal for the seekers is to find all hiders before a predetermined amount of time, while the hiders' goal is to have one or more players survive said amount of time. The seekers are given weapons that are used to catch hiders. The hiders are commonly given little-to-no way of defending themselves, but are made to look like incidental background objects from the level, commonly called props, to help them blend in and evade seekers.[1]
It was popularized as a game mod for Garry's Mod[2], and it's mechanics have been adapted into other games as mods like Team Fortress 2[3] and Rocket League[3], officially included as game modes in Fortnite[2], World of Warcraft[4],Call of Duty: Black Ops III[5] and Genshin Impact[6] and made into standalone titles such as Propnight.[7]
History
The precursor of the genre is considered to be CrateDM, a mod for Quake II released in 14th of April 1998 by Chris "Shatter" Holden.[8][9] According to the README shipped with the mod, it originated when Chris changed the player model to a crate as a test but "laughed [his] ass off watching it move around the map" and considered making a Deathmatch one-on-one with both players using the player model in a level with many crates, where the player could stop and blend in. The level included in the mod was made in less than 20 minutes after he couldn't find an existing level with as many crates as he would've liked. After playing it with a friend for several hours, he decided to release it.[8] Versions of the mod were created for other games, such as Half-Life.[10]
In 15th of September 2007, Andrew "AMT" Theis released the first version of the Prop Hunt gamemode for Garry's Mod, who noted it to being similar to a mod called Hide and Seek from Counter-Strike: Source.[11] In October 7th 2010, Prop Hunt was added as an official game mode[12], but was removed before the release of Version 13. The mode became popular among players and YouTubers[7] and as of March 2026, a version of Prop Hunt is the most subscribed addon on the Steam Workshop of Garry's Mod.[13]
References
- ↑ "Black Ops 6 Prop Hunt release date and mode explained". Eurogamer.net. 2024-11-15. Retrieved 2026-03-09.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Carpenter, Nicole (2019-06-18). "What Is 'Fortnite' Prop Hunt?". VICE. Retrieved 2026-03-08.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Co-founder, Kieron Gillen; Gillen, Kieron (2009-10-10). "Mad Props: Prop Hunt For TF2". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved 2026-03-09.
- ↑ Writer, Mark Warren Senior Staff; Warren, Mark (2026-01-30). "World of Warcraft's getting a prop hunt mode, so you can pretend to be a chair during breaks from Midnight's voidpocalypse". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved 2026-03-08.
- ↑ McWhertor, Michael (2018-05-02). "Black Ops 3 adds Prop Hunt and more in Operation Swarm update". Polygon. Retrieved 2026-03-09.
- ↑ "Genshin Impact's Prop Hunt-like mode Windtrace lands tomorrow". PCGamesN. 2021-05-13. Retrieved 2026-03-09.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Purslow, Matt (2021-10-15). "Propnight Is a New Multiplayer Horror That Crosses Dead By Daylight With Goosebumps". IGN. Retrieved 2026-03-09.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 "From modders to mimics: a people's history of the "prop hunt" genre". Retrieved 2026-03-08.
- ↑ Editor, Alice O'Connor Former Associate; O'Connor, Alice (2016-08-02). "Have You Played... Quake 2 CrateDM?". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved 2026-03-09.
- ↑ "Planet Half-Life: Features". www.planethalflife.com. Archived from the original on 2004-12-12. Retrieved 2026-03-08.
- ↑ "Prop Hunt - Facepunch". www.facepunch.com. Archived from the original on 2010-05-28. Retrieved 2026-03-08.
- ↑ "Garry's Mod » Incoming Update 102". www.garrysmod.com. Archived from the original on 2010-10-12. Retrieved 2026-03-09.
- ↑ "Garry's Mod". steamcommunity.com. Retrieved 2026-03-09.
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