I'm a big fan of puzzlehunts. The MIT Mystery Hunt is one of the bigger events in a puzzler's calendar, and has been going strong for over 30 years! But the first time I ever got involved in a public treasure hunt was back in 2009 when a guy from Wellington who got dumped by his girlfriend decided to hold a treasure hunt to give the ring away. It was an event that even made international headlines, and being the gamesmaster was something I aspired to do myself.
At a glance
Platform: Twitter / Digital Media
Genre: Treasure Hunt
Concept: A simple occasional weekend activity that's family-friendly. Tracking down a coin hidden in a city by following clues posted online.
About the Project
I was inspired by the idea of hiding something and posting clues publicly on Twitter. And so I started up this currently ongoing project, where members of the public can come and search for their own treasure! On a hunt day (usually announced a couple of weeks in advance), ten clues are sporadically posted online, getting progressively easier throughout the day. And whoever solves the clues and physically travels to that location first and finds the treasure, wins! (That's typically how treasure hunts work)
And what is the treasure? Well, nothing too fancy... but to make sure the winners don't leave feeling empty-handed, I had a bunch of special medallions created for the project. And they look like this:
Players don't need to register for anything. Providing they can access Twitter (and with most internet connections, you can), you can view the clues as they get posted. I try to post the event in advance on event websites like Eventfinda, in the hopes of finding some new followers. But so far, it's running mostly on word-of-mouth with no advertising budget.
I'd love to be able to just go to different cities every week and hosts regular hunts everywhere (even internationally, that would be cool), but it's currently all on my own time and money off work. I try to give a bit of variety in the locations though; if I ever go on holiday or visit another city I plan to take the hunts there, too. So far 2 hunts have taken place in Auckland, and 1 in Wellington.
And what is the treasure? Well, nothing too fancy... but to make sure the winners don't leave feeling empty-handed, I had a bunch of special medallions created for the project. And they look like this:
 |
| Winners get a special box to put it in, too. |
I'd love to be able to just go to different cities every week and hosts regular hunts everywhere (even internationally, that would be cool), but it's currently all on my own time and money off work. I try to give a bit of variety in the locations though; if I ever go on holiday or visit another city I plan to take the hunts there, too. So far 2 hunts have taken place in Auckland, and 1 in Wellington.
Current Status
This project is still ongoing, with hunts taking place every month or so, usually on a Saturday. The 4th edition of The Hunt is taking place in two weeks time, as a matter of fact, in Auckland. So if you're around and free on February 21, why not give it a go?
Also, as I'll be going on holiday to Wellington soon, I'll be running a hunt when I get there, too.
Players can also play along and view past events at the Hunt Blog, where I post the answers to all the clues used, and show off the winners of past hunts. It's a great way for new players to study up on my clue-writing style.
This project is still ongoing, with hunts taking place every month or so, usually on a Saturday. The 4th edition of The Hunt is taking place in two weeks time, as a matter of fact, in Auckland. So if you're around and free on February 21, why not give it a go?
Also, as I'll be going on holiday to Wellington soon, I'll be running a hunt when I get there, too.
Players can also play along and view past events at the Hunt Blog, where I post the answers to all the clues used, and show off the winners of past hunts. It's a great way for new players to study up on my clue-writing style.
Here's the link to the Hunt Blog:
Credits
Trophy Centre - Local trophy and medals business that created the medallions for the prizes.
Eventfinda - Free event listings. Many news and council sites grab listings straight from here, so it's a good way to cover most bases at once.
Eventfinda - Free event listings. Many news and council sites grab listings straight from here, so it's a good way to cover most bases at once.
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