How to Play Meccha Chameleon

Every player starts as a plain white figure. Hiders survive by painting their body to match the map, while Hunters chase them down with a rifle. If at least one Hider is still hidden when the timer ends, the Hider team wins the round.

1. 01
   Hold the paint button to cover your body in the map's colors and textures
2. 02
   Use the eyedropper to sample an exact color — never guess it
3. 03
   Match the light direction, not just the color, or you will shine
4. 04
   Adjust metallic and roughness so your surface does not reflect light

Which side you draw completely changes how you win. Hiders are called Chameleons and Hunters are called Seekers in the game.

The disguise system is the heart of the game. Get it right and you vanish; get it wrong and you shine.

• Color picker + eyedropper (E): sample the exact surface color instead of matching by eye

• HSV / metallic / roughness sliders fine-tune the finish so your paint matches the material

• Match light direction — a perfect color in the wrong light still reflects

• After painting, the 'answer check' tells you how close your color is; 'Missed Spot Ranking' shows the worst spots

• Paint your whole visible body — an unpainted hand or foot gives you away

• No undo: every brushstroke is permanent until the round ends — paint fast but carefully, because one bad stroke can ruin your disguise (Kotaku)

Extra tools to sell the disguise (clones were added in update 2.0.0).

• Clones: press Q after painting and posing to drop a decoy copy — up to two active clones

• If a clone is destroyed, your main body is revealed — clones are not extra lives

• Poses: crouch, sit, curl, lie — use them to match odd shapes (number keys / pose menu)

• Size: choose blobby or the Cube character (added in 1.9.0) to fit different hiding spots

• Taunt: hiders can whistle to bait Hunters; the host can force taunts after a set time

A full round step by step.

1. 01
   Countdown — everyone spawns as a white figure on the map
2. 02
   Painting phase — Hiders sample colors and paint themselves; Hunters may already be moving
3. 03
   Hunt time — Seekers search while Chameleons stay frozen in disguise
4. 04
   Tag & elimination — a tagged Hider is out (or joins the Hunters in Infection mode)
5. 05
   Timer end — if any Hider remains hidden, the Hider team wins

Do these five things and you will instantly play better than most new players.

• Learn to paint fast: enter paint mode (F), drag to cover your body, sample with E

• Always use the eyedropper — never guess a color

• Match the light: paint faces the same direction as the wall you mimic

• Stay still after painting — movement creates a visible trail

• Play both roles: understanding Hunters makes you a better Hider, and vice versa

• Expect no undo: a wrong stroke stays for the whole round, so sample the surface before you commit

Most new Chameleons get caught for the same reasons. Fix these and your survival time jumps immediately.

• Painting the right color on the wrong surface — a perfect match in the wrong spot still stands out; only mimic surfaces near your hiding spot

• Forgetting the light: paint that matches the wall's color but faces a different direction reflects differently and 'shines'

• Moving after painting — any movement creates a visible trail, so commit to a spot before the Hunt phase starts

• Not using the eyedropper — guessing a color by eye is the #1 way to get a 'missed spot' callout

• Painting the whole body one color — real props have texture, edge wear and highlights; add subtle variation to look like part of the scene

• Standing in open floor space — walls, corners and props hide you far better than a clear patch of ground

Once the basics feel easy, these tactics win rounds against experienced Seekers.

• Layer your disguise: paint a base color, then add streaks or patches that match nearby props so you read as a real object

• Use clones as bait — drop a clone in a visible spot, stay hidden nearby, and watch Seekers reveal themselves when they shoot the decoy

• Match the environment's light direction before you commit — check where the map's key light comes from and orient your 'lit' side toward it

• Learn prop silhouettes: each map has a few signature shapes (vending machines, crates, statues) that you can mimic perfectly with the pose system

• In Infection mode, position near teammates: when they get tagged and switch sides, you know exactly which spots the new Hunters will check first

• Pace your painting: don't finish in the first 10 seconds and then wait — a late touch-up right before Hunt phase starts throws off observers who watched you paint

A repeatable decision process for picking a hiding spot that actually works.

1. 01
   Scan first, commit later

   Take 5-10 seconds to survey the map and note 2-3 props that match your character's size and shape

2. 02
   Pick the less obvious prop

   Everyone hides behind the big crate. Choose the mid-sized prop with texture you can actually reproduce

3. 03
   Check the escape route

   If a Seeker checks your spot, is there a prop to hop to? Position yourself so one quick move buys you another hiding option

4. 04
   Match the sightline

   Hide where passing Seekers naturally look last — above eye level, at the edge of a busy corner, or behind a door frame