The chaser is the most misunderstood rule in the catalogue — because it sees you, and seeing you does not catch you.
Behaviour
A chaser waits at its post like a sentry. The moment it sees an actor it goes into an alert state and targets whichever node that actor is standing on.
While alert, it advances one edge along the shortest path to that target on every enemy phase. When two paths are equally short, it takes the one whose edge comes first in the level data — so the pursuit is deterministic too, never a guess.
Once it reaches the target it waits out its patience (two turns by default), then walks back to its post under the same rules and resets. Seeing you again refreshes the target and resets the patience.
The tension does not come from being spotted at range. It comes from your escape route closing. Walk into a dead end with a chaser behind you and you cannot get back past it.
How you read it
The alert state is unmistakable: an exclamation mark, a colour change, and a change of posture. A question mark sits on the node it is heading for, so you can see where it is going. The patience counter ticks down above the figure.
Taught in
Taught in2-4
Meeting the pursuit is unavoidable in this level. But the second half of the rule — "its patience runs out and it goes home" — only becomes visible if you are willing to be chased. You can finish the level without ever seeing it, and what you miss is half the rule.
What answers it
A hiding spot: an actor on a hide node
is invisible to a chaser too, so the alarm never fires at all. If it is already
alert, the distraction of a bell stone overrides the alarm and turns it towards
the sound.
The third answer is simply to run: a chaser is no faster than you are.