Scav

Scav is a user-generated scavenger hunt. Each goal of the hunt is a location, and you can claim the goal by recording your presence (within a certain accepted perimeter) at the target location. The user’s location will be determined either by mobile hardware (phonegap/iPhone app) or Loki. Each goal location must be found via text, audio, and video clues. Each “winner” of a goal will then be given the opportunity to select the next goal and create a clue.

There have been numerous smartphone- or location-focused scavenger hunts, but Scav is different:

1. Scav is ongoing - Players have individual scores and play at their leisure instead of as a time-limited engagement. Their incentive is also to improve the game by adding their own clues & goals...but only if they “win” one.

2. Scav is not a “photo” scavenger hunt - While media sharing won’t be discriminated against, the users can only “claim” a clue when they check-in from a GPS-equipped smartphone or a laptop using Skyhook. The goal is to solve a clue about a location and then travel there.

3. Scav can scale - a Scav user’s game can be limited to a neighborhood, a city, or even the entire world. Users can filter by perimeters...and the further the goal they claim is from their registered “home”, the more points they can receive.

Other mobile-focused scavenger hunts and related services:

http://platial.com/laborday - just a photo scavenger hunt with the ability to see other teams on a map

http://www.geocaching.com/ - the clue is a set of coordinates, and the goal is a physical object. only sorta fun...and has lost some luster now that GPS tech is becoming ubiquitous

http://www.waymarking.com/

http://www.wherigo.com/ - This is pretty similar, but more advanced than Scav. It’s also more of a platform for a multitude of “adventures”. Scav will be a single focused game.

Scav iPhone App

Four functions:

1. Get a Clue
2. Goal Claiming
3. Current Score
4. Scav News (“New Clue by mawopi!” “Crackhead is the current leader!”)

INTERACTION

Get a Clue:

• User selects either difficulty level or proximity, and a clue is returned. The database is updated indicating which clue the player is currently pursuing.

Goal Claiming

• Player checks-in by selecting clue first and clicking “claim” button. The app then verifies if their current loc matches the clue, and returns the result

1. If user wins goal:
2. If first - claims the top point value and is given one clue-creation credit
3. If second or lower - user claims current clue point value of points, the the value is decreased for the next user

• Database is updated with goal claim attempt and result...as well as a residual value for the clue creator
• How are the residual values assigned? Users rank clue

Current Score

• User’s Score is displayed, as well as rank and leaderboard

Scav News

• Recent alerts are displayed. These can also be distributed via SMS, if desired.

Clue Examples

• photo of the foot of a statue
• History-based question