We’ve delved into a few technologies to improve our skillset and determine the viability of working them into the game mechanics.

This blog post is a sputtering of ideas and avenues to consider for the game.

Technical Toolset

• Persistant Storage
  • Cookies – small amount of stringified data
  • Local Data – reasonable amount of stringified data
  • IndexedDB – large amount of typed data asynchronously
• Barcode Detection API
  • Linear
    • Code 2of5
    • Code-39
    • Code-93
    • Code-128
    • Codeabar
    • EAN-8
    • EAN-13
    • UPC-A
    • UPC-B
  • 2D
    • Aztec (limit ~1,900 bytes)
    • Data Matrix (limit ~1,500 bytes)
    • PDF417 (limit ~1,100 bytes)
    • QR Code (limit ~3,000 bytes)
  • Pollyfilled with ZXing
  • Acquire individual barcodes from images using openCV.js
• Sound – Web Audio API
  • Create our own sound effects
  • Transfer data with sound waves (ideal for small amounts under 100 bytes)
• Secured Input devices
  • Microphone
  • User Camera
  • Environment Camera
  • Geolocation
• 3D Modeling with WebGL
  • Using the three.js library
  • Ability for end-users to edit models
  • Ability to read/write sculpted prim format from Second Life
• Packetization
  • Transfer data in small packets
  • Transfer data out of order
  • Pickup and continue transferring at any time
  • Error correction
  • Error detection

Game Overview

At its core, the game is a scavenger hunt. You go looking for things to collect. Some stuff is junk. Other stuff is rare. If you collect a whole set of things, you get something cool. When you are closer to specific points of interest, content related to that specific place may become available.

The initial game 15 years ago let you look for clues for alien activity with a flashlight in Second Life. Visiting different locations within the platform would yield different results.

I restarted the development of this came for the web recently with the focus of using GPS coordinates to create a scavenger hunt.

Given all of the ideas that I’ve had recently, I want to open this up a bit more than just sticking with the alien theme. I’ve had other theme ideas, and couldn’t come up with a viable idea to tie them all together into a game as to the reason of why you are looking for all of this stuff.

• Aliens
• UFO’s
• Big Foot
• Ghosts
• Local Legends

In addition, I want this to be inviting to businesses, charity events, and just plain fun. I love sandbox environments where the end-user can do anything that they want. With this approach, we can open this up to be a platform rather than a game. Everyone can create their own themed scavenger hunt.

The game encourages people to work together. End-users are able to transfer assets between each other using audio or QR codes. I like the idea that the creator of an asset can set it up so that the person who acquires it is able to copy, modify, and transfer it to others. This also gives us the ability to work in the ability to sell or trade packets with others. There is a lot of work that goes into secure transactions when trading, including the assurance that the transaction fully completed. However – I would like that feature. If someone finds duplicate clues, they may want to let others have them. They could even setup a storefront listing what packets they have available to purchase online. Even if I don’t offer the ability to do this – someone would eventually work out how to do it and build it themselves to game the system (if the game becomes popular).

Creativity. I want people to be able to create and modify everything themselves once they are comfortable with the platform.

Target Audience

We have two target audience categories. The people looking for clues, and the people that make the clues/hunts.

The Participants

The participants are the end-user having the most fun. Their entertainment is the most important part of the game. If it’s not fun, it’s not a game.

• Adventure Seekers
• Competitive Individuals
• Team Players
• Intellectuals and Puzzle Enthusiasts
• Socializers/Networkers
• Tourists and travelers
• Educators and Students
• Event Enthusiasts
• Fitness Enthusiasts
• Tech-Savvy Individuals
• Geocachers and Treasure Hunters
• Collectors

The Creators

• Individuals
  • To entertain themselves and others on a personal level
  • Birthdays, Weddings, Family Reunions
• Businesses
  • A single business can promote brand awareness and customer relationships by encouraging customers to participate and get a promotional product or discount.
  • A business can host team building exercises for employees to collaborate, communicate, and use their problem-solving skills among team members.
  • A collection of business owners encouraging people to visit all storefronts in a particular area to get a promotion/incentive for participating in and/or completing the hunt. Brand awareness is increased due to the collective cooperation of the business community.
  • Market corporate events, product launches, and experimental campaigns to drive foot traffic to retail locations or promote brand loyalty
• Festivals
  • Attract more attendees to the festival offering an additional activity.
  • Encourages attendees to explore the grounds and interact with festival attractions, vendors, and performers for a more memorable experience. Drives traffic to specific areas increasing exposure for vendors.
  • Social media buzz may be increased as participants post photos, videos and updates as the complete challenges or find clues.
  • Sponsorship opportunities that may offer prices, incentives, or promotional materials for participants to increase brand visibility.
• Fundraising
  • Attracts supporters and donors with an engaging experience to increase overall engagement and involvement.
  • Attracts new networks of communities that may not typically engage with fundraising activities.
  • A fun and interactive way to raise funds, attract supporters, and promote awareness of the cause or mission.
• Education
  • Create an orientation hunt for a self-guided tour of the campus, resources, and academic departments.
  • Create an exciting field trip to historical sites.
  • Museums to provide content about artwork, artifacts and historical sites
• Tourism
  • Promote local attractions, landmarks, and points of interest to visitors and tourists.
  • Parks, Nature Reserves, and Recreation centers to explore the natural landscape and discover hidden treasures.
  • Civil War trails offering clues about the history

Play

There are different things in the game

• Point of interest – a building, landmark, or other structure
• Item – A digital asset such as a 3D Model, Image, or sound effect.
• Clue – A part of an item. Once all clues are found, they form an item.
• Virtual Hunt – A collection of locations to visit with clues and challenges leading to the next
• Hosted Hunt – A collection of locations to visit where clues and/or challenges may be physical/tangible

There are various ways to play the game. The initial way is to do a GPS search.

• Open the app.
• Do the “Search” action
• Wait…
• If you found something
  • You are told what you found “You found UFO”
  • You are asked if you want to keep it
  • The UFO is added to your inventory

You’ll either find a “clue” or an “item”. Combining all clues of a specific item will create an item.

Rather than doing a random search, you can join in on a hunt. A hunt can be a list of clues that lead you to various locations, or be just one clue that sequentially leads you to one location after another. The hunts can be the most fun and rewarding part of the game. Hunts can be themed. They can also be physical at an event where the host may offer you a physical challenge or offer you their own riddles to solve. Afterwards, they would provide you with a QR code to scan your reward and offer a clue as to where to go next.

Friends

Having a friend makes it easier to transfer assets with each other online. Friends can trade items, send messages to each other, and have a quick link to view eachothers profile. A friendship request can be sent in person by using QR codes on each others device as a handshake to confirm the friendship.

Teams

Players should be able to join multiple teams. Some scavenger hunts may start in the future and teams gather members in preparation to join the hunt and possibly raise funds for charitable events. The team/group has its own inventory. Each team member has access to the teams inventory. For hunts that are open to teams – the team is listed, not the individual members. Clicking on the team will show the members of that team, as well as how many clues they have found. Teams offers the ability for participating in global scavenger hunts without the overhead of cost and time flying long distances.

The leader(s) of a team can sign the team up for multiple scavenger hunts.

Team members can invite others to their team by displaying a QR code. Teams can be managed so that new members must be approved before being accepted.

Modify

Some items are marked that allow you to modify them. This can be something like painting a 3D models skin/texture, or altering the 3D models geometry itself. If its a sound effect, you can alter the settings that create the sound.

Trade

You are able to trade some items with others if they provide the permissions to do so.

Create

You will be able to create your own items to modify/trade with others.

Place

You will be able to place an item “in-world” at a location for others to find at the GPS coordinates.

Show & Tell

You can look at items in your inventory and open them. You may have images, sounds, and 3D models. You have a page that you can choose what to display that you have found. Some items are made up of many items before they can be assembled and viewed.

Sell

You may end up with duplicate clues. In that case, players will be able to offer their clues for sale.

Revenue

The original game had a flashlight with a battery that would drain. Once it was depleted, you had to pay money to recharge the flashlight. Now that players have a cell phone, it has a literal battery that they already pay to recharge with electricity at home.

Do we still limit searches? We could setup a threshold to prevent more than five searches in 10 minutes. We could add a daily count of searches so that once you run out, you have to wait for the next day to search. Does it limit the fun?

What can be done to turn players into payers? We need to do something that doesn’t prevent people from having fun regardless if they pay or not. If it’s not fun, or not worth the wait to have fun, then the app could be uninstalled.

Any one ore more item here can be a way to incentives players to pay for a subscription or one-time fee.

• Introduce a GPS search threshold limit. Increase that limit for paying players.is increased.
• The amount of unique items that can be found in one area before it is exhausted is increased
• The quality of items can be increased.
  • Rare items become more available
  • Rare items become available in an area quicker
• Inventory limit is increased
• Added ability to
  • Create items
  • Exchange items with other players
  • Place items at GPS locations
  • Create new scavenger hunts
  • Find premium items
  • Customize a profile with cosmetics (Items, Avatars, etc.)
• Experience points per item increased
• Ability to leave feedback for more players
• Feedback left for self increases rewards
• Additional campaigns/groups/hunts to join
• Additional number of friends list
• Display more items found in a larger trophy case
• Ability to sell items in a store front
• Charge money to create a hunt
• Offer branded hunts and link to a customizable shop to promote the hunt with tangible swag

With a freemium model, we could limit the number of GPS searches someone could do in a daily or hour unless they pay for a plan. Players could still go around and scan QR codes and exchange content with others.

With a subscription model, users could have access to premium features by paying monthly or annually. This could give them access to exclusive content, priority access to events, premium items, and ad-free gameplay.

Premium Content Packs offers an expansion to unlock new scavenger hunt quests, storylines, locations, or challenges. Players can purchase these packs to expand their gameplay experience and access fresh content beyond the base game.

A VIP Membership model can be similar to a subscription model, but also provide dedicated customer support and early access to new content.

With an advertising model, we could display an advertisement image or video to the end-user. However, this is often intrusive in most games displaying a banner somewhere. We could have a button where they can click to view advertisements in exchange for a reward such as more GPS searches.

A limited-time offer may create a sense of urgency to incentivize players to purchase a subscription.

With refer-a-friend, players could earn rewards for referring friends. This would incentivize people to talk to others while out on a hunt who are not familiar with the game. It would help with player acquisition and encourage social sharing. This does not directly result in the player in paying money, but helps attract additional players who may pay money.

With time-limited events, players can participate for a fee or purchase premium passes to gain access to special promotions that offer exclusive items and challenges to players.

With premium listings, we could display a list of local businesses nearby that offer items of interest, or discount codes at the business itself. I could add a button that people click to see the local businesses if they want.

What do people hate?

• Excessive Ads
  • Intrusive and frequent advertisements that disrupt gameplay. Especially ads that pop up and require to be viewed for a certain period of time before you can get back to gameplay.
• Pay-to-Win
  • In-App purchases or micro transactions to progress makes players feel pressured to spend real money to advance. This leads to frustration and resentment.
  • We may sort of cross over into this problem with allowing players to sell their clues/items to other players. What is the currency in the game?
• Aggressive Monetization
  • Energy Systems – Limiting the GPS search to a threshold would introduce an energy system.
  • Loot Boxes – We are on the cusp of this as the GPS Search provides a random chance of getting something. Given that the “loot” is tied to a specific location, the rewards are not as random. The loot is based on the location rather than luck alone.
  • Gocha Mechanics – Again, we are handing out random rewards with the GPS Search. However, if the player is not paying for the search, is this still considered Gocha?
• Excessive Grind
  • I was thinking about doing an excessive grind on leveling up, but with a work-around by positive feedback from strangers to help promote positivity. This may not be ideal after all.
• Limited Gameplay Depth
  • The gameplay mechanics are fairly simple without any strategy other than where you perform your search.
  • Does the game need a progression and story where something is winnable overall? I would need a few things.
    • Storyline: themes, settings, characters, plot points
    • Objectives: collect items, solve puzzles, complete tasks, uncover clues
    • Challenges: riddles, puzzles, mini-games, physical tasks, NPC interaction
    • Branching Paths: multiple outcomes based on player decisions
    • Climactic Finale: resolve the main conflict in the story/boss fight
    • Rewards & Endings: special item, recognition, unlock new content
• Poor performance
  • Bugs, crashes, long load times, and slow responses detracts from overall experience
• Poor game design
  • The game needs to be intuitive. Controls need to be easily usable.
  • Repetitive gameplay mechanics fail to engage players and hold interest over time.
    • We will definitely find this to be a problem as a scavenger hunt doesn’t change much in how it plays. What can be done to change it? We could make different challenge types. You can answer a riddle in one challenge, and another would be to play a mini-game like sliding 15 numbers in order in a 4×4 grid. Whatever it may be – the puzzles should be short/quick paced with an excessively large variety to play.
  • Players become bored/frustrated with games that lack depth, challenge, or innovation.
    • We may face this problem. We need to ensure our clues or items can offer challenges before they can be accessed.
• Intrusive Permissions
  • We currently need permissions for Microphone, Camera, and Location. Although lots of this stuff is optional. The microphone is only needed for receiving audio transfers. The camera is only needed to scan QR Codes. The location is only needed to search in the current area. You need at least one of them to do something, but not all are necessary.
• Lack of Balance/Fairness
  • Progression systems, matchmaking in player-vs-player (PVP) modes
  • We currently don’t have the intent to put players against eachother
• Lack of Content or Updates
  • Game becomes/feels stagnant or uninteresting.
  • Ideally, the open asset system will allow other players to create their own content. If I prevent non-paying players from creating content, it puts a damper on the number of people who create new content.
• Overuse of Notifications
  • The current thought is to prompt the user and ask if they want to receive an item that they found. The thought being that the name contains information that they may not want, or already have. We could discard this feature, or add a checkbox that says to trust/accept all content from this creator/location.

Leveling Up

Higher levels allow for better rewards to be found during the GPS search. It could also lead to allowing people to register more items for GPS search locations – especially at a distance farther away than where they are currently located.

Ideally, leveling up should be based more on positive feedback rather than experience alone. This encourages people to be nice. Someone could level up without ever meeting people, but it should be a very tough grind. The level up process should be purely to encourage positivity.

• As you find more clues, your experience increases, leading to level up.
• If you meet strangers, they can leave positive feedback (Kind, Helpful, Teamwork, Leadership, Generous) afterwards to increase your level at a faster pace

To pull this off, we need to define what a friendly interaction is, track those interactions, reward the leveling up, and apply safeguards to prevent abuse of the system. In addition, we may need a way to report inappropriate behavior while allowing some kind of process to dispute if the behavior was inappropriate or not. Remember the phrase – “Is it fun?”. The negative feedback may not be needed.

One problem is that solo players would not benefit. Maybe someone prefers to play on their own. They are being penalized for not interacting with people. They have done nothing negative. Maybe another aspect is that the solo players could get positive feedback through the items that they create. Can you leave positive feedback for content creators?

Creating Clues

The game itself is fairly open. The binary data of Assets are available in the public as QR codes, internet URLs, or short bits of audio that can be captured by a mobile device. The packetization of data allows each individual packet to be distributed as any choice of QR Code, Audio sound, or a link to a website. Each packet becomes a clue. Find all the packets, and you end up with the complete binary data/file as the reward. Clues do not need to be published in the public. They can be downloaded and left up to the author of the clues in how they wish to distribute them. They could create their own online store front and sell the clues individually. They can also be registered to be found through a GPS hunt.

Sequential or Out of Order

You can mark the clues so that one must found before another, or they can be found in any order.

Geofencing

Clues can be registered with the website so that they can be found using GPS. The entire packet is tied down to a specific area. Each clue can be tied down to smaller areas within the packets area. Ideally you would want all clues to be found in the same area. Geofenced areas can be tied to a planet, country, state, county, park, town, district, neighborhood, shopping center, etc. The end-user looks at a world map, zooms in on the area of interest, and essentially draws a an outline. By default, clues may be found anywhere within the packets area. However, they may be goefenced into one or more points of interest such as buildings, or monuments. A clue regarding George Washington may be found at the many places he visited. Clues may be assigned an availability or frequency of occurrence, including a limited number that can be found or time in which they can be found.

• Frequency of Occurrence
  • Common – Widely available
  • Uncommon – Not as frequently found
  • Rare – Not easily found
  • Scarce – Very limited. Harder to find than rare items
• Availability
  • Limited Edition – Only a limited quantity is available
  • Discontinued – No longer available
  • Obsolete – No longer usable (technology changed)
  • Custom – made to order
  • Prototype – pre-production
  • Backordered – Temporarily out of stock
  • Restocked – No longer out of stock
  • Exclusive – only available at one place
• Cost
  • Free – Default. Finders keepers
  • Trade – must offer a clue or item from inventory
  • Premium – Once found, must pay a price to acquire
• Chronological
  • Seasonal – only available during a certain time of year (Holidays)
  • Event-Based Availability – Only available during an event (concerts, sports, theater performance, festival)
  • Limited Time – No longer available after a specific date/time
  • Business Hours – Only available during a businesses opening hours
• Celestial
  • Moon Phase-Dependent – Only available during New, Full, Waxing, Waning moon.
  • Eclipse-Based Availability – Only available during viewing events, or time leading up to or after the eclipse.
  • Astrological Based – Only available during various astrological transits or alignments

Racing

Given that we have access to both a location and clock, this offers the ability that some clues could be acquired by traveling a short distance in a specific period of time. We could even change the outcome of the clue provided if they were too slow, just in time, or early. Imagine a clue that says something is about to happen. If you get there in time, you stop it from happening. If you get there too late, the event happens, but the story continues.

Offensive Content

TTP

In any user-generated content platform, we deal with Time to Penis (TTP), where people try to create or move digital assets to resemble genitalia or explicit content. TTP is the amount of time for someone to exploit the tools or features to create that content. It’s a given that this will undoubtedly happen. However, safeguards can be put into place to avoid it when others play by the rules.

What Offends

When people get creative, it can get offensive to others. Just look at the movie industry, books published, and the Internet. Since no one knows what clues they will find, we need the ability to filter out unwanted items. The movie, television, and video game industries have their own rating systems. We need one as well where the default rating is generally acceptable to the public at large. If kids are going to use then, then I want the ability to clamp down content even further. “Adult” covers so much, that perhaps someone is okay with finding a bottle of wine during a wine festival, but does not want to see nudity. However, a religious person may find it offensive to find the wine bottle but would be just fine finding a rosary beads. We also need allow the end-user to choose what they are okay with seeing, and allow the creator of clues indicate what it contains.

The the question is – What offends? Honestly, everything. Something is going to offend someone else. Cartoons and television shows suitable for young children when I was growing up are highly offensive in todays society. There are a few movies from the 80’s that today would bring up issues with the “Me Too” movement. Anything can “trigger” anyone. So I’ve come up with a list of what people can exclude.

Mind you, the creator also has to tag their item with these categories in order for them to be excluded. Some of these items I’m thinking twice about. Is the item itself what people find offensive, or using/promoting the item is the offensive part? Would creators take the time to classify their content appropriately? If they have too much stuff to choose from, they may ignore it altogether. If they want to get their “message” out, they may simply say its suitable for the general public and publish it. What are the risks of not classifying your products appropriately? Who’s going to enforce it?

Another question is religion. Christians, Muslims, Pagans and the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster may find each others religions offensive. If configures their platform to view religious content, they would be making themselves capable of seeing content from religions that they find offensive.

So the other thing I need to think about is – if I let people classify this stuff, and host it on my website, am I liable? To begin with – I don’t want propaganda, hate speech, or extremist content within the game. Furthermore, I don’t want many of the items on the list showing up when I use the game myself.

The rating system at the start may simply be “General Public” and “Adult” until this can be hashed out.

Licensing

The content creator should retain all rights to the content the create – regardless if its a texture, model, or sound. Content should have a license field to indicate a license type such as Creative Commons, MIT, GNU, Public Domain, Copyright, etc. A URL could also be provided to the full license.

An individual asset can be flagged so that the next owner is able to copy, transfer, or modify it within the platform. By default, the next owner is unable to do this. If the next owner is able to copy and transfer, they are able to hand out or sell as many of your clues as they like. If the next owner is unable to copy but are able to transfer it, then it disappears from their inventory once it is transferred to another user. Keep in mind that publicly displaying a clue as a QR Code, audio file, or URL link essentially lets people stock up on an unlimited supply to hand out.

Gatekeeping

A clue may be guarded with a passphrase. Even if you find the clue, you can not access it until you provide the correct passphrase. The clue may also provide text in the form of a hint or a riddle that you have to answer. Giving the same clue to someone else without modification would require them to know how to unlock it. Rather than adding gate keeping to the clue itself, it could be put onto the final object that is acquired after all of the clues are collected. Each clue may list a hint, and at the end of a list, you need to provide the correct answer to unlock the file.

Gatekeeping can also be used simply to unlock a message of where the next clue may be found.

Assets

The primary focus on assets is making them available and transferrable without the need for a third party host. Allowing assets to be freely available in the public or among fellow players allows the content to be available regardless if the original server (or internet) is operating or not. It allows other games to be developed around the same assets to import and trade, so long as the specification of content is open.

As a content creator in Second Life, it was always frustrating that once an asset was created, it could not be backed up locally. The asset server would occasionally lose the content to an asset and become unavailable.

Content Creators must have access to their own assets to easily store in their own local file system or within a source code repository for versioning/history.

The physical world at large is the asset server when it comes to QR codes, the internet, radio, television, dvd and VCR tapes can store audio.

Images / Stickers / Skins

The simplest thing to do is to upload an image and automate the process to break it down into packets. The end-user could choose to download each individual assets data as a QR Code, audio file, or link to a web page. As additional methods of data transfer are added, they can be downloaded here as well. The end-user could also choose whether part of the image is revealed while collecting packets, or if they must have all packets before it can be viewed. To prevent a developer from just looking at the packets and creating a tool to display the data, the data could be encrypted or scrambled to make it impossible to view until the entire file is acquired.

3D Models

In the original game, you would be rewarded with collectable 3D objects as you found more stuff. I like the 3D Models as they seem more tangible than an image. You can animate them and use them within various scenes. Not only do I want to allow them to be found and traded among users, but I also want the users to be able to modify them. I have worked out how to paint the skins/textures of 3D models. I’ve also worked out how to edit individual vertices to reshape the model into something else.

Sound Effects

Some of the 3D models may have sound effects associated with them. Audio files can be rather large. Rather than upload audio files directly, we can store a small amount of data that instructs us as to how to build the sound effect. I can currently make sound effects with 36 bytes of data letting users draw their sound effects similar to what the old RDS Game Maker sound editor offered in the 90’s.

Hunt Creator

For new hunts, someone needs to some up with some information. A hunt can be purely virtual, or physical.

A hunt can be open to the public, or setup to allow individuals or teams to sign up. This is useful for charity events where teams may want to encourage others to join in preparation for the hunt while they raise funds for the charity.

Hosted

Hosted hunts require either the placement of movable things in-world (QR codes, Lockboxes), or an interaction with people (ie Vendors or staff at a festival). They are limited events as the resources required will not always be available. A hosted hunt may be the most fun and engaging as they can offer physical & interactive challenges, but require resources that generally are not available continuously.

A hosted hunt will need both a start and end date/time.

Virtual

A purely virtual scavenger hunt is based on GPS coordinates alone. The app runs on a scripted set of rules to determine where the player is, what they have already found, and offer clues as to where the next location is at. These scavenger hunts can be played during any time. Players can stop and continue months later.

A hunt contains things like a name, description, starting location, and storyline. Each one has a list of clues offered to the player as they reach each location.

One clue leads to the next. Some scavenger hunts may be setup so that you can find clues out of order. Others may require you to find one clue before you find the next. For example, you may need to be anywhere in a park to receive an acknowledgement that you arrived before you find the next clue at the gazebo which then leads you to the caboose. Going directly to the caboose will give you the first clue to go to the gazebo.

Once you arrive at a clues location, you may need to solve a puzzle to get the next clue. The general order on arrival at a clues location is as follows

1. Arrive at location
2. Receive acknowledgement
3. Optional: Play a dialog script (welcome, historical background, fun facts, etc.)
4. Optional: Receive reward for getting the location
5. Optional: Receive challenge
6. Optional: Receive reward for completing challenge
7. If another clue exists
   • A sequential clue exists: Receive next sequential clue
   • Receive clue for closest undiscovered location
8. If final clue found
   • Acknowledge hunt completed
   • Optional: Receive reward for completing the hunt

Here is an unfinished outline of a virtual hunt that could be scripted:

Name

Front Royal Adventure: Secrets of the Shenandoah

Description

By weaving together a captivating storyline, diverse locations, and engaging challenges, “Front Royal Adventure: Secrets of the Shenandoah” offers players a unique and immersive scavenger hunt experience that celebrates the town’s rich history, natural beauty, and local culture.

Starting Location

Gazebo in the town square

Walking Distance

No. You’ll need a vehicle to travel.

Storyline

“Front Royal Adventure: Secrets of the Shenandoah” invites players to embark on a thrilling scavenger hunt through the historic town of Front Royal, Virginia. Armed with a map and a series of cryptic clues, players set out to uncover the hidden treasures, local legends, and untold stories that lie scattered throughout the town’s charming streets, parks, and landmarks.

Quests

1. The Town Square: Players begin their adventure in the heart of Front Royal’s historic town square, where they meet a local historian who tasks them with unraveling the mysteries of the town’s past. Their first clue leads them to the iconic gazebo, where they must decipher a riddle to unlock the next stage of their journey.
   • [an elderly man standing near a gazebo adorned with historical markers and maps. The man is dressed in traditional attire and carries a weathered leather satchel. He greets the players with a warm smile.]
   • Ah, greetings, travelers! Welcome to Front Royal, the gateway to the Shenandoah Valley. I am delighted to see fellow adventurers eager to explore our town’s rich history and uncover its hidden treasures.
   • [The historian gestures toward the gazebo and the surrounding area.]
   • Here in the heart of our town square, you’ll find a wealth of stories waiting to be told. From the days of early settlers to the tumultuous years of the Civil War, Front Royal has seen its fair share of triumphs and tribulations.
   • [The historian reaches into his satchel and pulls out a weathered map, which he unfurls and presents to the player.]
   • But enough about me! Allow me to introduce you to the first leg of your journey: a scavenger hunt through our town’s most iconic landmarks and historic sites. Your quest begins here, with a map and a series of clues that will lead you on an adventure unlike any other.
   • [The historian hands the player a map and a sealed envelope containing their first clue.]
     • Contents of the Sealed Envelope: A parchment-like paper folded neatly. A clue written in elegant script: To embark on your journey through Front Royal’s storied past, seek out the heart of the town square, where history meets the present. Look for the iconic landmark that stands as a symbol of the town’s heritage – a vibrant beacon of color resting upon the tracks amidst the grassy square. There, beneath the shade of ancient trees, your quest shall truly begin.
       • The clue hints at the location of the first landmark where players must start their scavenger hunt: the red caboose located in the town square.
     • Contents of the Map: The map provided by the local historian is a beautifully illustrated and detailed representation of Front Royal and its surrounding areas. It features key landmarks, historical sites, and points of interest marked with colorful icons and symbols.
       • Landmarks: Iconic landmarks such as the town square, Shenandoah River, Civil War battlefields, and Appalachian Trail are prominently featured on the map.
       • Routes: The map includes suggested routes and pathways for players to follow as they explore the town and embark on their scavenger hunt adventure.
       • Legend: A legend or key accompanies the map, providing explanations for the various symbols, icons, and markings used to denote different types of locations, attractions, and points of interest.
       • Clue Locations: The map may also contain subtle hints or markings indicating the locations of the clues that players must uncover to progress through the scavenger hunt.
       • Overall, the map serves as a valuable tool for players to navigate Front Royal, discover its hidden secrets, and embark on an immersive and exciting adventure through the town’s rich history and natural beauty.
   • Your task is simple, yet challenging: follow the clues, explore the town, and unlock the secrets hidden within its streets and alleys. Along the way, you’ll encounter puzzles to solve, riddles to unravel, and stories to discover.
   • [The historian smiles knowingly, as if he holds secrets of his own.]
   • Remember, adventurer: the true treasure lies not in the riches you may find, but in the journey itself. So, go forth with courage and curiosity, and may your quest be filled with wonder and delight!
   • [As the player sets off on their adventure, the historian watches them go with a twinkle in his eye.]
   • Farewell, my friend. Until we meet again, may the spirit of adventure guide your path!
   • [The scene fades as the player embarks on their scavenger hunt, eager to uncover the mysteries of Front Royal.]
2. The Civil War Trail: Following the clues, players trace the footsteps of soldiers and spies along Front Royal’s Civil War trail, exploring historic sites, battlefields, and monuments that tell the story of the town’s pivotal role in the conflict.
3. Eastham Park: Venturing to the banks of the picturesque Shenandoah River, players embark on a riverfront adventure filled with kayaking, fishing, and wildlife spotting. Along the way, they uncover hidden caches, scenic overlooks, and local legends tied to the river’s storied past.
   • First Arrival: Welcome to Eastham Park, where adventure awaits around every bend! As you step into this scenic oasis along the South Fork Shenandoah River, prepare to embark on a journey filled with discovery and excitement. Your first task awaits you nearby: seek out the playful sounds of furry friends frolicking in the park, where wagging tails and joyful barks beckon you to uncover the next clue. Find it, and your quest shall truly begin.
   • Dog Park: Congratulations on your journey through Eastham Park! As you’ve followed the path along the South Fork Shenandoah River, you’ve uncovered many hidden treasures. But your adventure is not yet complete. To reveal the next clue, continue your path until you reach the journey’s end. There, where the trail meets the footsteps of history, your next clue awaits.
   • End of path: Congratulations, intrepid explorer! You’ve conquered the winding path that winds its way through Eastham Park, ascending to new heights with each step. As you reach the summit, pause to catch your breath and take in the breathtaking views that stretch before you. But your journey is far from over. Ahead lies a hidden treasure waiting to be discovered, nestled amidst the whispers of history and the rustling leaves. Search carefully, for the next clue awaits in [clue to somewhere], where the secrets of Front Royal’s past lie hidden. Find it, and your quest shall continue.
   • Players are awarded a special virtual badge shaped like a compass to commemorate their journey through Eastham Park. This badge serves as a symbol of their exploration and navigation skills as they followed the winding path along the South Fork Shenandoah River and encountered various landmarks and points of interest along the way.
   • The Virtual Compass Badge may appear in the player’s inventory within the app, where they can view and collect it as a token of their achievement. Additionally, earning the badge may unlock access to new areas or challenges within the scavenger hunt game, encouraging players to continue their adventure and discover more hidden treasures throughout the park and beyond.
4. The Appalachian Trail: Hiking through the lush forests and rolling hills of the nearby Appalachian Trail, players discover breathtaking vistas, hidden waterfalls, and secluded campsites. They must use their keen observation skills to locate hidden markers and waypoints that reveal the next clue on their journey.
5. Downtown Discovery: Returning to Front Royal’s charming downtown district, players explore bustling shops, quaint cafes, and historic buildings, searching for clues hidden among the town’s vibrant street art, murals, and sculptures.
6. The Royal Theater Mystery: As night falls, players are drawn to the historic Royal Theater, where rumors of a hidden treasure have long tantalized locals and visitors alike. Unraveling the theater’s secrets, players must solve puzzles, crack codes, and follow a trail of clues to uncover the truth behind the mystery.

Locations

1. Town Square and Gazebo: Front Royal’s bustling town square, surrounded by shops, restaurants, and historic buildings, serves as the starting point for the scavenger hunt.
2. Caboose
   • Players receive a virtual interactive object of the caboose.
   • Players can interact with the virtual caboose clicking on the door, and rotating the camera round it.
   • An envelope appears to display the next clue in audio or text
     • Congratulations, intrepid explorer! You’ve reached the vibrant heart of Front Royal, where the town’s history comes alive. But your journey has only just begun. To uncover the next piece of the puzzle, venture towards the riverbank, where a delightful surprise awaits you. Seek out a spot where the eastern ham hides in the western breeze, leading you towards your next destination. Find it, and your quest shall continue.
   • Historical information appears about the caboose’s historical significance and background
   • Players can see avatars of other payers who have reached the caboose
   • Players can share a link to social media showing they have visited the caboose
3. Civil War Battlefields: Explore historic battlefields such as the Battle of Front Royal and the Battle of Cedar Creek, where players can learn about the town’s rich Civil War history.
4. Eastham Park: Enjoy scenic views and outdoor activities along the banks of the Shenandoah River, including kayaking, fishing, and picnicking.
5. Appalachian Trail: Hike a portion of the famous Appalachian Trail, which passes through Front Royal, offering stunning vistas and opportunities for outdoor adventure.
6. Downtown District: Wander through Front Royal’s charming downtown district, filled with shops, galleries, and eateries, as well as public art installations and historic landmarks.
7. Royal Theater: Visit the historic Royal Theater, where players can unravel a mystery tied to the town’s past and uncover hidden treasures.

Challenges

1. Historical Trivia: Test players’ knowledge of Front Royal’s history with trivia questions and facts about the town’s founding, landmarks, and notable events.
   • What is the name of the famous Civil War battle that took place near Front Royal
     • Battle of Gettysburg
     • Battle of Bull Run
     • Battle of Antietam
     • Battle of Front Royal
   • What year was Front Royal officially incorporated as a town
     • 1755
     • 1788
     • 1820
     • 1871
2. Navigation and Wayfinding: Challenge players to navigate the town using a map and GPS technology, locating waypoints and landmarks that lead them to their next destination.
3. Puzzle Solving: Present players with puzzles, riddles, and brain teasers that require logic, deduction, and problem-solving skills to solve.
   • Substitution cipher
     • B tfdsfu ifsf bu bmpof xbudi.
     • Key: A -> B, B -> C, C -> D, … Y -> Z, Z -> A
     • A secret here at alone watch.
   • Riddle
     • I’m tall when I’m young and short when I’m old. I love to dance, but I never walk. What am I?
     • Candle
   • Puzzle
     • Look at jigsaw puzzle pieces and put them together into a picture.
   • Spot the difference
     • Look at two pictures and click areas where the two pictures are different.
   • Word Problem for a Combination Lock
     • During the Civil War, Front Royal’s population was 1,200. Over the course of the war, 350 residents moved away, while 180 new residents moved in. Additionally, 75 soldiers stationed in Front Royal decided to settle in the town after the war.
     • 1105
   • Brain Teaser
     • In Front Royal, there are three bridges spanning the South Fork Shenandoah River: Bridge A, Bridge B, and Bridge C. Each bridge has a different length.
     • Bridge A is twice as long as Bridge B.
     • Bridge C is 30 feet shorter than Bridge A.
     • Together, the three bridges measure 450 feet in total length.
     • What is the length of each bridge?
     • A = 129, B = 96, C = 162
   • Word Search – find some words in a scrambled up puzzle
   • Soduko – solve a soduko puzzle
   • Hidden Object – find hidden objects in a picture
   • Maze – draw a continuous line from the start to the end
   • Deduction
     • Four friends from Front Royal — Alex, Beth, Chris, and Dana — each visited a different historical site in the town: the Warren Rifles Confederate Museum, Belle Boyd Cottage, Bing Crosby Stadium, and the Skyline Caverns. Each friend also purchased a different souvenir: a Civil War replica musket, a book on local history, a baseball cap, and a mineral specimen from the caverns.
     • Using the clues provided, can you determine which friend visited which historical site and which souvenir they purchased?
       • Beth did not visit the Warren Rifles Confederate Museum.
       • Chris did not purchase the book on local history.
       • Dana’s souvenir is not the mineral specimen.
       • The friend who visited Belle Boyd Cottage did not purchase the baseball cap.
     • Alex: Warren Rifles Confederate Museum, book on local history
     • Beth: Bing Crosby Stadium, Mineral Specimen
     • Chris: Skyline Caverns, Civil War Replica Musket
     • Dana: Belle Boyd Cottage, Baseball Cap
4. Scavenger Hunt: Hide clues, items, or markers throughout the town’s various locations, encouraging players to search high and low to uncover hidden treasures and secrets.
5. Interactive Challenges: Incorporate interactive challenges and activities at each location, such as photo opportunities, mini-games, or physical tasks that engage players and immerse them in the experience.