About
city-seekers is a browser-based AR Scavenger Hunt. You pick a city, follow a trail of written clues to real-world landmarks, and use GPS plus an Augmented Reality (AR) compass camera overlay to navigate. There's no app to install, nothing to pay for, and no account required to browse — just a walk, a puzzle, and a story at each stop.
How it works
- Pick a hunt. Browse the hunts by city or neighborhood. Each hunt has 3–15 stops and is designed as a continuous walk.
- Solve the clue. Every stop gives you a short written puzzle that points to a specific spot — a mural, a bronze plaque, a particular stairwell.
- Walk there. When GPS confirms you're at the stop, the reveal unlocks: history, trivia, or a photo challenge. If you get stuck, text hints, an AR compass, and a map are available in escalating order (each adds a small time penalty).
- Finish and share. Your final time lands on the live board for that hunt. Anyone can spectate.
What it costs
Nothing. city-seekers is free to play. There are no ads, no upsells, no "pro" tier, and no tracking to monetize your attention later. See the privacy policy for the full details of what we do and don't collect.
Who's behind it
city-seekers is an independent project, not a corporate product. It's maintained by a small group of people who like walking, puzzles, and looking up weird bits of local history. Hunts are authored by volunteers and local contributors; each one is playtested before it goes live.
Cities we cover
We started in Denver and have since added hunts in Boulder, Golden, and Highlands Ranch, with Boston and other cities on the way. A full list lives on the hunts page.
Want a hunt in your city?
Two ways to help make that happen:
- Suggest a city. Email us and tell us where you'd play. If we see a cluster of requests for the same place, that's usually where we go next.
- Author one yourself. Hunts are defined in plain YAML — one file per hunt, one block per stop. If you know your neighborhood and can write a decent clue, you can author a hunt. Email us and we'll walk you through it.
FAQ
Do I need an account?
To browse hunts and read about stops, no. To actually play (track progress, climb the leaderboard, submit photo challenges), yes — a basic email + password account is enough. We only store what's needed to run the game.
Does it work on iPhone / Android?
Yes. city-seekers runs in any modern browser and can be "installed" as a PWA from Safari or Chrome so it gets its own icon on your home screen. The install prompt appears on first visit once the site determines your browser supports it.
What if GPS doesn't work well at a stop?
Urban canyons and thick tree cover can throw GPS off by 10–50m. Each stop has a radius (typically 20–100m) to absorb that. If a stop is consistently unreachable, email us with the hunt slug and stop name — we'll re-tune the radius or the coordinates.
Can I play offline?
Partially. Once you've loaded a hunt page, the PWA caches the clue text and images. GPS still works offline (it's on your device), but posting a photo or syncing final score needs a network. Start each hunt online for the smoothest run.
Is it safe to play alone?
Most stops are on public streets and plazas, but always use your own judgement about time of day, weather, and your surroundings. Hunts aren't racecourses — take the time you need. If a stop ever feels unsafe, back out and email us. More in the terms of use.
How do I report a bug or wrong answer?
Email [email protected] with the hunt slug (from the URL) and the stop name or number. A screenshot helps. See the contact page for other questions.