Why a Treasure Hunt?

The joy of discovery is universal. Solving a mystery and throwing light on the unknown is a fundamental drive. We love cracking a puzzle. We feel exhilarated when we work through a problem and the solution clicks like a key in a lock. We feel “the joy of the Ah-Ha!”

Treasure hunts satisfy this urge to solve a mystery. San Francisco Treasure Hunts challenge teams of players to solve a series of puzzles or problems, each leading to a carefully chosen mystery location.

A treasure hunt is different than a scavenger hunt, which requires players to amass a series of objects, photographs or tokens from around the city. Both are fun, playful team events, but a treasure hunt challenges players, on an individual and team level, in ways a scavenger hunt cannot. Players use their knowledge of popular culture, local geography, history, culture and the arts, along with puzzle-solving and map reading skills to solve a series of clues, each a mini-mystery that has only one correct solution.

For further reading, try Jayson Wechter's articles "Treasure Hunting as Metaphor" and "Clues, Strategies, and Thinking Outside the Box."

WHAT WE OFFER