If you've ever been part of a well-organized team building activity, you know it's a great way to not only have fun together, but also build trust and understanding between any group of people. That's what makes it a great way to get to know each other.
Sure, icebreakers can get people talking, but if you're looking to make people feel more relaxed around each other, you'll need a proper team-building activity. Like a treasure hunt. And as always, there's an app for that.
So you have decided to organize a treasure hunt for your family, friends or colleagues. Don't know where to start? Don't worry, there are some treasure hunting apps available.
Below, you'll find our roundup of the best mobile apps and online resources that will do most of the legwork for you. All you need to do is make sure your friends know where the starting point for the treasure hunt is.
All scavenger hunt apps have the same basic features. They allow you to create tasks for teams or individual players to complete. Some of them come with a map, so you can assign your tasks to specific locations. Just make sure your players are equipped with smartphones that have data and GPS enabled during the game.
GooseChase is a DIY scavenger hunt platform. This means that you can choose a theme for your game from the existing “mission bank” in the app, or you can create one from scratch. If you choose to write a unique scavenger hunt, you can check out the company blog for inspiration. You can find things like 15 creative scavenger hunt ideas or 15 fun scavenger hunt ideas.
Once you are satisfied with the final result, you can send it to the smartphones of the participants and start the search.
To complete the missions, participants submit photos through the app. The tasks vary, and can sometimes involve talking to strangers and even convincing them to participate in the game in one way or another. Each mission has a set point value, and the team (or individual) that accumulates the most points at the end of the game wins.
The game is free if you use it to organize a small team hunt, and GooseChase offers paid packages for large groups or companies.
Download: GooseChase for iOS | Android (Free)
Locandy is another platform that offers ready-made scavenger hunts. More interestingly, it's not just games, but also missions where you have to make decisions. The story changes and evolves depending on what you choose to do.
Locandy offers interactive multimedia games that will help you discover your surroundings while you are outdoors, or a completely different city while sightseeing. The app and all games are free for users. You need to download them individually before you start, but after that you won't even need an internet connection. Having your GPS enabled is enough.
If you enjoy the Locandy app and the scavenger hunts they offer, you can become a supporter. You can request an author account, start creating your own Locandy games, and then share them with other users.
Download: Locandy for iOS | Android (Free)
Huntzz is another DIY app that also offers some ready-made scavenger hunts. Its main draw, however, is its old-fashioned-looking treasure map interface.
You can create games within the app, or if you're in the place where other users or creators of the app already have shared hunts, you can choose one of those to play. Most hunts are centered around tourism, where each lead that arrives comes with a so-called “scroll” filled with interesting information about a landmark or exhibit it hit. There is also an option to choose different levels of difficulty, from simple clues to cryptic clues.
When you create your own scavenger hunts in the app, you can choose to share them with other users publicly or privately. Some of the games that already exist in the application are free and others have to be paid for. There is also an option to get full access to all paid games in the app.
Download: Huntzz for iOS | Android (Free)
Scavify is a scavenger hunt app that offers complete scavenger hunt games for different audiences such as college students, workplace employees, attendees of educational events, and tourists.
Scavify will offer you different hunts based on various group sizes, whether you want the game to be competitive or not, and the purpose of the scavenger hunt. Tasks on the quest include taking photos and videos in specific locations, solving tricky puzzles 5 Puzzle Locations for Brain Twisters and Logic Riddles 5 Puzzle Locations for Brain Twisters and Logic Riddles If you're looking for a challenge for your brain, then you're ready for a sweet. From free printable puzzles to one of the most diabolical video games ever created, we've got you covered for... Read More
One drawback could be that Scavify does not have a free trial option. Personal packages start at $29 for small groups of 10 players. The company also offers different packages for large groups and companies.
Download: Scavify for iOS | Android (free to use, with paid game packages on site)
How to Play Google's Emoji Scavenger Hunt How to Play Google's Emoji Scavenger Hunt How to Play Google's Emoji Scavenger Hunt AI is often considered serious business, but it can also be fun, as Google's exciting new search Emoji Scavenger Hunt demonstrates. Read More After loading the site and starting the game, you will only have 20 seconds to complete each task. The tasks are quite simple:you need to find the articles that Google throws at you. A neural network will try to identify what you have in front of your camera.
You can even keep the sound on and hear all items being identified as they come into camera view.
If you enjoy this and feel like playing more fun Google games, check out these fast games you can play on Google Search 7 fast games you can play on Google Search 7 fast games you can play on Google Search You know Google hides lots of cheats, but did you know that it also contains a ton of playable games? Here are the best ones that you can start playing in seconds. Read more.
Geocaching is a treasure-type activity where users first create “caches” by filling them with items and then hide them wherever they want. They then upload the GPS coordinate to the web for others to find. Once you find a cache, you can replace it with something of equal or greater value and claim what you found.
For an up-to-date map with nearby cache listings, go to the geocaching website or use one of the many (free) geocaching mobile apps. Caches differ based on their size, distance, and difficulty. An easy one could make for a perfect out-of-the-box romantic getaway with your significant other.
If you experiment with some of those apps and tools, you will definitely crack the formula for your perfect scavenger hunt.
In case these don't hit the right spot for you, even if you identify as an outdoorsy guy who loves exploration and adventure, check out these cool outdoor games to play with your GPS-enabled smartphone. Outdoor Games To Play With GPS Enabled Smartphones 10 Fun Outdoor Games To Play With GPS Enabled Smartphones By using the GPS functionality built into all modern smartphones, you can now walk out the door and start exploring the world, and creating a fun game. Read more.
