Hot or Not - City Treasure Hunt Game

Un croisement entre un jeu traditionnel "Hot ou Cold" et une chasse au trésor.

Hot or Not is a mobile-based crossover between a traditional game “Hot or Cold” and a scavenger hunt.

The game requires, at least, two people or two teams. It can be played either between individuals or competing teams.

game play

Game admins create tasks for competing teams. A task can be a hidden object or a landmark for competing players or teams to find. Game admins upload photos and hints describing the hidden object.

Tasks are then made available to players within the mobile app. One game can have several tasks.

objective

The goal is to find as many hidden objects as quickly as possible. Once you load a task page through the mobile app, you are shown a photo of the hidden object and the first hint. Everytime you click on a hint button, the app shows you :

1) A textual hint left by the game admins to help you find the object. The number of textual hints is limited. Usually there are no more than 10 hints for a task, but there can be less hints depending on the difficulty level. When textual hints are over, they are looped over and over if you keep pressing  on the Hint button.

2) the approximate eagle-view distance (in meters) between your phone and the hidden object. The distance doesn’t take into account road twists and means of transport. This is a straight line between point A and B taking into account only the curvature of Earth.

3) the approximate cardinal direction towards the object: S is South, W is West, NW is North West and so on. The game uses your phone to determine in which direction you are heading. The compass accuracy depends on your phone capabilities and works better outside.

4) The app also shows “Warmer” when you are closer to the object and “Colder” when you are farther. Additionally, the app tells you whether you’re hot (close to the object), ‘red hot’ if you are pretty much next to it.

Take into account that accuracy of these hints depend on the connection with the GPS and can vary depending on your mobile operator, phone, quality of connection, also whether you are inside or outside a building. But you wouldn’t want the app to lead you directly to the object, anyway. That would be too easy and defeat the purpose of this game!

If you have found the hidden object, press Found Button. You will be directed to a page where you will need to provide a proof that you have found the object. To prove it, take a selfie with a hidden object.

scoring

Every time you press the Hint button, the app checks if you are closer or farther from the object. If you are closer, you get 10 points. If you are farther away than before, you lose 10 points. Everytime you press the Hint button, you also lose 3 points. This is to discourage players from pressing the Hint button too often.

Once you have found the object and submitted the proof, the game admins are notified about task completion and will check your photo proof. If they confirm your photo, you get additional 100 points for each completed task. If not, your score for incorrect submission is reset to 0.

Game admin privileges can be acquired from the developer.

Developer: Andrei Khrapavitski (2018)