Fugitive: a game of instinct, agility and thrill

After band practice ended on a recent Saturday night, senior Anshul Aggarwal and roughly 20 other members from the marching band decided to hang out and play Fugitive, a game that members of band as well as the boys’ water polo team have recently begun playing.

Most often, the game starts in the school's parking lot with several groups of two or three playing the role of fugitives and the others cops. The fugitives' goal is to reach Safeway in the Argonaut Shopping Center on foot without being caught. "Cops" drive cars and try to catch them.

For junior Alice He, the appeal of the game is the suspense and thrill.

“You are running around in the dark with your friends, diving into shrubs,” He said. “It’s not something you get to do on a daily basis.”

Aggarwal said his favorite moments of the game are the narrow escapes.

“[I love the feeling] when a car is right on your heels and you need to dive behind a bush at the last second,” Aggarwal said. “Although you may be tired from running so long, that last burst of adrenaline is exhilarating.”

Because of the relative simplicity of the game, a game of Fugitive can be set up anywhere with a group of 10 or more people and one or more cars. Due to the minimal requirements,  it is easy for students to play on short notice.

Groups often play Fugitive as a way to get to know each other better.

“During team bonding, we play [Fugitive] because it makes us work with [our] teammates,” sophomore water polo player Armin Agha-Ebrahim said. “This helps build team chemistry and overall brings the team together.”

Players, through several attempts, have found multiple techniques that lead to success. According to senior Brian Lew, runners should always try to be in an area with cover and hide every time they hear a car. Although this may seem like common sense, Lew said it is a lot harder to actually achieve because some streets have few bushes to hide in. Additionally, runners should know which cars are cops.

“One time, I was less than a quarter-mile away from Safeway and I thought for sure I would make it,” Lew said. “I saw a red Mustang that looked familiar, but by the time I realized it was one of the cop’s cars, it was too late and [the cop] rolled down his window and caught me.”

Conversely, when plays the role of a cop, Lew finds ways to avoid detection or drives slowly to minimize the likelihood of passing a runner.

Although students find Fugitive exhilarating, the game comes with dangers. As runners jump into cover to avoid being caught, they often end up with cuts and scratches. According to He, players “don’t know what exactly [they] jump into.”

“I got this long scratch on my left leg that still hasn’t disappeared,” He said. “I really don't know how I got it since there were way too many times when I was hiding in a bush.”

Even though runners generally try to avoid those dangers, they often act on impulse and frantically conceal themselves anywhere possible.

Additionally, runners often trespass and hide on other people’s property, which can lead to uncomfortable and embarrassing encounters with strangers, as junior Sandeep Suresh knows from experience. 

“While I was hiding out in front of a door with some people, this old couple opened the door and saw us there,” Suresh said. “We just awkwardly said ‘hi’ and they asked what we were doing there. After we explained everything, they just closed the door and left.”
Despite the risks Fugitive poses, most people who have played agree that it is an exciting game to play with friends.

“Fugitive is a basic, fun and good way to spend time getting to know your team better,” Lew said. “Even though it may be a typical ‘stupid’ teenager thing to do, it’s still something everyone should try.”