How it works

A hunt in six steps, from opening the game to the medal ceremony.

1. Open the game

   Go to play.the-scavengers.com on your phone (any modern phone, Android or iPhone), or open the app. Choose a name; no account is needed.

2. Start a hunt where you stand

   Run solo starts a 30-minute hunt at once. Host a hunt lets you choose the length (30 minutes to 2 hours), the level (Relaxed, Classic or Expedition), teams and hazards, and shows a code and QR for friends to join.

3. Follow the clues

   The map shows the clues around you. Walk to one, read the riddle and answer from what you see, or take the photo. Photos are checked on your own phone. The General tells you a fact about each place.

4. Take on The Man

   Mid-hunt, The Man offers a puzzle for treasure: ciphers, gears, rolling relics and 18 more kinds.

5. Keep away from the hazards

   From a few minutes in, tanks, spider tanks and a bomber appear on the map and head your way along the roads. Keep moving, fire a flare to lure them or raise a shield from your battle cards.

6. Get to the pickup

   In the last minutes the Mists of Time close in and the pickup area appears. Reach your evacuation zone before time's up for the plane, then a medal ceremony, your team's report card and a place on the city leaderboard.

Playing

How do I start a hunt?

Open the game, choose Run solo for a quick 30-minute hunt, or Host a hunt to set the length and level and invite friends with a code or QR. The hunt starts where you stand, using your phone's location. Friends choose Join a hunt and type the code.

How long does a hunt take?

You choose: 30 minutes, 45 minutes, 1 hour, 1½ hours or 2 hours (solo hunts 30 to 60 minutes). The clock is shown all the time; in the last minutes the Mists of Time close in and you head for the pickup point where the plane lands.

How many people can play?

Play alone, as one team, or as several rival teams in the same hunt. A team has up to 8 players, each on their own phone, and team-mates see each other on the map. A whole family can also share one phone.

Do I need an internet connection?

The game uses the internet to start the hunt and check answers, but it saves the clues and the map for the area as you go, and offline city packs let you play whole hunts without a signal in Belfast, East Belfast and around Rhodes (others can be downloaded in the app).

What if there aren't many landmarks where I live?

The game builds a hunt from open map data wherever you start. Where landmarks are thin on the ground it adds walking zones to reach, and the host can choose "Country walk" for a hunt along paths and lanes.

Is there something to do without a hunt?

Yes: the Enigma Rooms (The Man's 21 puzzles on their own, at your level), the Daily Expedition, Story Mode, a City Tour (a relaxed guided walk through the town's history with no clues or clock), collecting the city's statues and climbing your city's leaderboard.