Create and Solve Amazing Treasure Hunts

There are no excuses for using a list of questions for treasure hunt clues when there is such a wealth of source material to work with.

Here are a few ideas that can be used for creating treasure hunt clues:

Treasure Hunt Riddles

Click here for How to Make Riddles or see if you can Solve These Puzzles.

Treasure Hunt Clues:

Article

You can write an article and hide the treasure hunt clue or make it part of the text.

Audio

Find somewhere which has a constant audio feature which can only be heard from one point, like a clock ticking in another room (if it is going to be quiet) or a motorway hum on the top of a hill.

Code

Come up with a cipher coding system, i.e. A=7, B=2 or use an existing one such as morse code to give instructions on how to solve a clue.

Colours

What is the most prevalent/unusual colour in this area?

Directions

Start with your back to the door. Take 2 paces forward. Turn 90 degrees clockwise, take 7 paces forwards etc.

Lists

Give a list of things that are found at the treasure hunt clue location, and add an extra plausible one that isn’t.

Maths

Palm Trees – Lamp Posts + Car Spaces = ??

Materials

What is the archway made of? Stone/Wood/Hedge/Brick? It helps to give examples to narrow down the choice of answers

Obscure Photos

Take a really close up photograph of an object that you can only make out when you are in the right location and see it for yourself.

Optical Alignment

One of our favourite treasure hunt clues, line up objects like lamp posts and signposts and see what is directly in line on the horizon.

Scene Description

Write a detailed description of what you can see from a certain point, and include a mistake.

Signs

Overused in treasure hunt clues, but you can be excused for using them once. Find a word on a sign, or pick out letters from the sign to put together i.e. 3rd word, 4th letter, 6th word 1st letter.

Spot the Difference

Take a photo and photoshop out a key part of the landscape

Tastes

Do a blind taste test to work out which pot contains what food i.e. salt, sugar, flour, cocoa powder.

Text/Telephone

Leave them a number to call or text, then give them the answer verbally.

Textures

Lead the treasure hunter to an answer by feel, going from wallpaper to wood to brick to glass.

YouTube

Let them work out a website address which will lead them to the final treasure.

The more effort that is put into the way the treasure hunt clues are written, the more participants will enjoy the experience.