Famed Minecraft speedrunner Dream has pulled back the curtain on one of YouTube’s most popular gaming formats, revealing that his Minecraft Manhunt videos rely on carefully designed rules and even cash incentives to keep them competitive.
In a recently uploaded breakdown video, Dream explained how Manhunt works behind the scenes and why the format would often fall apart without intervention. While the premise is simple on paper, Dream said raw, unmodified gameplay usually leads to short or uneventful runs.
Seeds used in Manhunt are pre-scouted by a third party rather than chosen at random. These scouters look for spawns that create early tension, such as villages, ravines, or specific biomes that allow for creative escapes.
The speedrunner is also given limited information about nearby points of interest to ensure the opening moments produce action rather than a long chase with no encounters.
Early Manhunt kills rewarded with cash prizes
However, the most notable reveal came when Dream addressed what happens if the hunters kill him too early.
He explained that deaths near spawn do not count as a completed run, as they would result in extremely short videos. To prevent the hunters from easing off during these early moments, Dream said he pays them an undisclosed cash reward if they manage to kill him before the video reaches what would be considered a viable midpoint.
“If the hunters kill the runner at any point before the video would be a good video, like right off spawn, they get a cash prize of an undisclosed amount,” Dream said. He added that this ensures the hunters always try their hardest, even when an early kill would otherwise end the run.
Dream also noted that this system benefits him as the runner, allowing him to attempt riskier plays early on without completely derailing the project.
Some of the most iconic Manhunt moments, including last-second clutches and high-risk dives, come from this window where failure only results in restarting with a new seed rather than scrapping the entire video.
Beyond the opening phase, Dream outlined additional rules designed to maintain balance, including restrictions on Nether travel, bans on portal traps, and limitations on reusing overpowered strategies across multiple videos.
Once the run reaches the mid-game and beyond, deaths typically count as a full loss, raising the stakes significantly.
Dream said all of these rules are designed with one goal in mind: maximizing tension, fights, and memorable moments while keeping the competition genuine.
