In Ghost Raiders, each player is a Ghost Raider in a haunted hotel in the dystopian future in a race to become the Head Ghost Raider.
Players try to collect canisters filled with ghosts to be the first player to have collected three canisters. Players draw scenario cards that will aid or inhibit their progress while trying to collect ghosts.
There are two types of cards, Ghost Cards and Haunt (scenario) Cards. Each turn, players go through a scenario and then try to collect as many ghosts into their canisters as they can, but they have to consider that ghost types do not always match, so they will have to empty out canisters quite often to make room for new ghost types. This can cause heartbreak, but it can also put a player in the lead if they play their cards right.
Players' hands represent the radars used as the Ghost Raiders, therefore they can't rearrange the order of cards in their hands.
Players take their turns by doing the following:
1. Draw a Haunt card.
2. Draw or Discard Ghost cards.
3. Play a Ghost card.
4. Re-scan the room (Draw a Ghost card face-up, draw another Ghost card face-down).
5. Exchange Ghost cards.
6. End your turn.