HAIDUK belongs to a lineage of games that descended from wargames but since developed into something else. There are usually several players who create and control characters and interact with a fictional world.
One of the players is designated as a gusle master (GM), their role is to prepare a scenario – locations, characters, and situations that the players’ characters (PCs) will encounter. A story arises from PCs interacting with the world and making decisions that, in turn, influence the setting and its inhabitants. The game’s rules are there to facilitate these interactions, to encourage a particular experience, and to serve as a baseline for the players’ understanding of the shared fiction.
The gameplay loop begins with the GM describing a scene, players reacting to that scene, their decisions being resolved through conversation or by a mechanic, and as a result, the world of the PCs changes forever.
There is little information players need to know before engaging with the game – they should understand their character is an outcast, that they have physical, mental, and social attributes, that they have a set of skills and several items that may be useful. Players should have some understanding of the scenario they are about to play – the context of the situation or a goal they should try to achieve. The game is ultimately about their choices which link together to create a complex and unique tapestry of story.
HAIDUK requires a set of ten six-sided dice (D6s, digital dice may be used) and space to note down information about characters (character sheets will be available for download). The game is designed to run theatre of the mind, that is to say no miniatures or maps are required to play. A game can last for one evening, a set number of sessions, or go on until a satisfying conclusion is reached; this is (at least provisionally) decided by the group before the start.