The ‘Treasure Hunt’ as a game type is what I will be exploring in this analysis. I will look at different genres in which it is played and look at the similarities and differences as they occur. I am interested in exploring how a treasure hunt can be used to create interesting and learning experiences in an urban context using a cross medial approach. After introducing each of the 3 games I will be analyzing them using a range of benchmark features.
Introduction
Treasure Hunts are games where players try to find certain objects by unravelling riddles, solving clues and/or meeting challenges. The goals can be various: finding a prize, arriving at a location, locating an object. The reward can be the discovery itself or the end object. Teams or individuals can play against each other; even an individual van play again herself. The level of game play can be varied to suit different audiences and the locations where it can be played are endless. All these factors make it a hugely malleable type of game. It has also been said that the “pre-digital” treasure hunt is the first form of the pervasive game[1]. In this analysis I will take three examples of very different treasure hunts and examine how these different aspects are implemented in the playing of the game.
The Games
1.Outdoor Treasure Hunt for British Boy Scouts
http://www.inquiry.net/outdoor/games/mackenzie/outdoor/treasure_hunts.htm
The first game is a simple, low-tech treasure hunt, one of many developed for British boy scouts in the mid 20th century. In addition to giving the boys a compelling outdoor bonding experience, these are a great way to train path-finding skills and deductive powers.
How does it work?
The game I have found it is without a story or any role playing but could be easily, and most probably was, given a story making the boys pirates, polar explorers, ancient Incas or whatever with a relevant adventure to experience and attributes to match.[1] In this game teams (patrols) compete against each other. They start off together, each with a copy of the first clue and with instructions to return in two hours. One clue is given and the other 6 are picked up as they are solved along the way. They must solve navigation and item clues and decode a word puzzle to negotiate their way to the end where the first to arrive back in base camp with the “prize” is the winner. It would have been played in an outdoor camp situation in rural England.
2. The London Rainbow Cache
by Roderick Howie
http://www.geocaching.com/map/default.aspx?guid=118a86a2-ad8a-4421- ae12-dfc3a6b2284c
That is a geo-caching treasure hunt[2] that takes you to different locations, off the beaten track, around central London. It is created for visitors or Londoners who want to explore some less known spots. This game uses a system of virtual caches, each of which has a connection to the colours of the rainbow. The 7 stages must be completed (and logged) in any order before an eighth, physical cache can be found.
How does it work?
You can use geocahing.com to find the locations of the hunt and the clues beforehand. Or, you can use a smartphone with GPS and the Geocahing App to locate the caches and clues as you go. You receive clues to navigate yourself to a historic location or point of interest. The example below is from The London Rainbow Cache 1 – Red
“Not far from this coloured place lived a well known doctor of literature. The location is well sign posted. From the co-ordinates, follow this coloured beast north for about 100m. Then turn right and walk about 45m. Turn right again, walk through the arch and then a couple of dozen paces south and the information you require is to be found on your right.”
Once you have found the location you are asked some relevant questions.
“a. Who was the doctor?.
b. What year was he born?
c. What year did he die?”
Often there will be additional hints .
To claim the find you upload pictures of all the finders and you send an email to forenamesurnameborndied@howeasy.org. If your answer is correct you will get an email back immediately and you can log your find. Then is also then possible to post photos and forum comments to the geocahing website.
Finally the answer to each cache will help you find the eight cache.
“To locate the final cache use the year the doctor was born = ABCD and the year he died = EFGH.
C = position “W1″
B-H = position “N6″
The same mechanics are used for each cache.
3. The Lost Ring
Game director, Jane McGonigal. Developed by AKQA for McDonald’s and the International Olympic Committee for the 2008 Summer Games.
http://olympics.wikibruce.com/Beginners_Guide
Because initially this game was launched under the motto “Find the Lost Ring” I am defining this a treasure hunt. This is where a treasure hunt can turn into a quest i.e “save the world” which makes it also a full-blown adventure game. This is argualbly the first global ARG[3], “allowing players to combine fictitious and real world elements using a range of digital and social media. Players are involved in determining what happens in the game and a real live person (called the Puppet Master or PM) controls how the story goes based on the interactions that happen”, according to the Lost Ring wiki. This gives the game a potentially deeper level of complexity and wider range of possibilities for interaction and involvement.
Brief Overview[4]
“There’s a history to the Olympics that’s been hidden for centuries – A series of events dating back to Ancient Greece that were somehow mysteriously erased and have long since been forgotten.
Fast forward to today, Six individuals, ancient Olympians, wake up in late February…, in various… Labyrinths…with amnesia, blindfolded, and with a tattoo on their arms saying trovu la ringon perditan, or “Find the lost ring” in Esperanto .
Now the six are seeking our help to find out who they are, where they’re from, what their purpose is, and just what the heck is going on around here.
Expect to dig into legends, talk to people from various parts of the world, solve puzzles, research things online, learn about Greek mythology, study ancient Greek lore and philosophy – …
Join with others around the world, communicating across language barriers – even learn Esperanto if you like – in an attempt to help our six amnesiacs ‘save the world’.”
How does it work?
Throughout a six month period from February 29 till August 2008, leading up to the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, the game was played by more than a million people across 100 countries. It was a cross media experience involving, posters, puzzles, wikis, videos and more, on line and off. It was also a game with a mission. According to Jane McDonigal The Lost Ring “was all about giving gamers worldwide the opportunity experience the best of the Olympics firsthand, … There were two main parts to this mission. First, the global hunt for the Lost Ring Codex and the Sixth Ring, which we hoped would bring players worldwide together, give them a spirit of global collaboration and unity…. Second, the revival of the Lost Sport of Olympia, which gave players the chance to train for real and compete with a team at a world-class level in an alternate reality Olympic sport.”
Finding the rings and the codex, hidden in 27 historic building across the world as well as the playing of the Lost Sport of Olympia uncovered a symbol that unlocked the portal to a parallel universe, creating a union that saved the world from devastation.
Benchmark features
Role playing Is there any. What does it add or how does it deter participation
Game Environment What is the environment. How does the environment effect the game play. What does it add to the playing pleasure.
Game Story Is there one and if so what does it add to the experience
Game mechanics Is it played in a linear fashion. What kind of clues or puzzles etc are used. Is there a finite amount of game time. Are there teams or can it be played individually. Do they compete or collaborate. Are the goals clear up-front or are they to be unraveled along the way. Is research necessary. What is the level of difficulty.
Media and Technology What kind of offline and online media is necessary including any other tools that may be needed to play. Hoe this effect the possibilities and possible target audience.
Target audience and age group Here I will look primarily at age, location, media use.
Audience Motivation Why do they engage. What is level of commitment necessary. Role of community.
Visual Style If there is one, what is it and what does it add to the game
USP What makes it special.
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Footnotes below may reference files not included with this document.
[1] Pervasive game: A location-based game (or location-enabled game) is one in which the game play somehow evolves and progresses via a player’s location. Thus, location-based games almost always support some kind of localization technology, for example by using satellite positioning like GPS. …
[2] See Appendix 1 for details
[3] For more information read Geocahing Appendix 2
[4] Alternate Reality Gaming is, according to CNET, “…an obsession-inspiring genre that blends real-life treasure hunting, interactive storytelling, video games and online community…
“These games are an intensely complicated series of puzzles involving coded Web sites, real-world clues like the newspaper advertisements, phone calls in the middle of the night from game characters and more. That blend of real-world activities and a dramatic storyline has proven irresistible to many.”
[5] http://olympics.wikibruce.com/Beginners_Guide