Hunt the Scavenger
| Hunt the Scavenger | |
|---|---|
| |
| Designer: | Holly Gramazio |
| Year: | unknown |
| Players: | 4+ |
| Stuff required: | Pre-prepared scavenger hunt sheets; small bags; pens; shirts or tabards or sandwich-boards. |
| Crew required: | One. |
| Preparation: | Scouting the area, preparing hunt lists, making signs. |
| Time required: | Twenty minutes upwards. |
| Place required: | A large public area with plenty of cover. |
| Activities: | Finding, sneaking, chasing. |
| This is a playable game - it's finished, tested and ready to play. | |
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A competitive scavenger hunt where the opposing players are the most valuable prizes of all.
Preparation
Prepare a scavenger hunt list appropriate to the playing area - a list of a dozen or so small items that could be found in the environment. This list should be divided into "easy" and "difficult" items, about half and half.
Prepare a number of four-letter words for the players to wear. These should be written large enough to be legible at a distance. You could write them with soluble marker across the back of some cheap T-shirts, stick them onto marathon runners' tabards, or use A4 sheets of cardboard or paper which the players can tie or tape to their backs.
Pick a large, clearly-delineated starting area for the game, with as many entrances as possible. This will serve as a "safe zone" when players return at the end of the game.
Hand each player a list, a pen, a bag (to collect their items in) and a word sign, making sure that nobody else can read the word.
Player instructions
You've been given a list of things to collect, and a word sign. When the game starts, you have two minutes to move away from the starting area. You can not collect anything during this period: just move away from the starting area, and put your sign on your back.
Once your sign is on and two minutes have passed, collect as many items on the list below as you can, and put them in the bag. Each item is worth either one point or two points.
On the outside of the bag, write down any words that you see on the back of any opponent. Each of these is worth one point if they've also written down your word, or three points if they haven't.
When the game ends, return to the starting point with your bag. You will be docked one point for each minute that you're late. Once you're back inside the safe zone, you can take your sign off; once you've done this you can no longer collect any items or words.
Example item list
This item list was used for a game in a large public park, at the Stoke Newington Sandpit.
1-point items
- A brown pebble at least 2 cm wide on its longest side
- A green leaf
- A red leaf
- A feather
- A twig with two bends in it
- A page from a free newspaper
2-point items
- A pebble that looks a bit like a face, as judged by Holly
- A sachet of sugar
- A seed pod
- A three-leaf clover
- A promotional postcard or leaflet
