Imagine you’re sitting, camped out in the bushes, waiting for a car to pull into the driveway. Your heart is beating out of your chest because while you are waiting to eliminate your target, someone is out there hunting you. Ten seconds sit between you and the elimination of your target, or you being eliminated.

Senior Assassin has become popular among high schoolers across the country. Senior assassin is a game played in the spring, where seniors are assigned targets and have to eliminate them by spraying them with a water gun. Around 130 of Ankeny High School’s seniors participated this year.

“It’s a game that the seniors play at the end of the year, every year, and it’s a little water gun fight where you try to get other people out.” Said senior Harlow Blaser. Blaser and another senior, Will Youngblut, are admins and run the game.

The game involves a lot of strategy and quick thinking. Participating seniors have an app with each other’s locations and are given a target to eliminate. For many seniors, it’s a rush of adrenaline trying to get others out, while still being scared for themselves.

“It’s been really fun stalking people, but it’s also like a weird feeling. I feel like someone is constantly watching me, but it’s been really fun so far.” Christensen said.

There are many rules and regulations that go into place. Water of any kind can be used to get a target out, but any water guns used must be brightly colored. Goggles can be worn as an immunity shield. Many places are off-limits or restricted for gameplay.

“We keep school out of it, they can get strict about it, it’s just not allowed here at all, we also comply if a business doesn’t want that coming into their business.” Youngblut said.

The game is played in rounds; in the first round, seniors paid five dollars to get in. The first round was a trial, and people could buy back into the game at an increased fee of ten dollars to continue. The buy-in money goes straight to the prize.

“We had some people get out multiple times in round one and kept paying to get back in that round, that’s why [the prize] grew so much.” Said Blaser.

Along with assigned targets, the game also includes what are called purges and bounties. During these, it’s a free-for-all, where many of the rules, like immunity, do not apply.

“They’re doing random bounties, selected by ChatGPT, where your immunity doesn’t count at all. And also purges, purges anyone can get anyone out, bounties anyone can get you out, and I don’t want to be selected as a bounty.” Christensen said.

Those not participating in the game can stay updated through the Instagram account. The account has videos posted of people being eliminated throughout the different rounds.

“People will send us videos for immunity being taken or eliminations,” Youngblut said, “and if you send us something funny, we’ll probably post it.”

For many seniors, this is one of the last whole-class things they will do before college; it’s a game the seniors can play with the people they grew up with.

“You’re building community with the people around you in this game, and you should take in all the experiences you can as a senior,” Christensen said.

Gallery • 4 Photos

Senior Ella Shultz eliminates Senior Emilie Danvel.