Challenge Types Overview
All 15 challenge types, the 7 answer types they pair with, the fields every challenge shares, and the event-only gameplay settings.
Every challenge in Destination Hunts has a Type — it sets the label and map icon players see, and for some types it changes the entire play mechanic. There are 15 types: ten "classic" types built around the shared challenge screen, and five self-contained minigames.
The 15 challenge types
| Type | Admin label | What players do | Answer style |
|---|---|---|---|
riddle | Riddle | Solve a clue and type the answer | Text (or True / False, Multiple Choice, Fill in the Blank) |
counting | Counting | Count something at the location and enter the total | Text — typically numeric, still compared as text |
exploration | Exploration | Explore a place and answer what they find | Text (or a choice-based answer type) |
search | Search | Hunt down a hidden detail and answer | Text (or a choice-based answer type) |
observation | Observation | Notice a specific detail and answer | Text (or a choice-based answer type) |
photo | Photo | Take or choose a photo as evidence | Photo — AI-validatable |
video | Video | Record or choose a short video as evidence | Video — AI-validatable |
finale | Finale | The closing challenge of the hunt | Text (or a choice-based answer type) |
puzzle | Puzzle | Solve a sliding-tile puzzle built from the challenge image | Puzzle board |
roadblock | Roadblock | Find the facilitator; staff mark the team complete | Answerless — facilitator-completed |
slot_machine | Slot Machine | Spin reels until enough match | Answerless — minigame win |
memory_match | Memory Match | Flip cards to find all pairs, optionally against a timer | Answerless — minigame win |
guess_word | Guess the Word | Hangman-style letter guessing | Answerless — minigame win |
guess_song | Guess the Song | Listen to a clip and name the song | Answerless — minigame win |
related_words | Related Words | Pick the words that fit a theme, avoid decoys | Answerless — minigame win |
Text-style types are thematic
Riddle, Counting, Exploration, Search, Observation, and Finale all share the exact same answer flow — the type changes the label and map icon, not the mechanics. Pick the one that matches the story you're telling; use Finale for the closing challenge.
The 7 answer types
The Answer Type field (in Challenge Details) controls what participants must submit. It's hidden for Roadblock and the five minigames — those are answerless.
| Answer type | How it's answered | Pairs with |
|---|---|---|
| Text | Multiline "Your Answer" box; compared case-insensitively against Answer and Alternate Answers | The text-style types (default) |
| Photo | "Take Photo" / "Choose Photo" — uploaded before submit | Photo challenges; AI-validatable, requires AI Validation Criteria |
| Video | "Record Video" / "Choose Video" — max 60s, 720p, 50MB | Video challenges; AI-validatable, requires AI Validation Criteria |
| True / False | Two buttons, True or False | Text-style types; correct answer set with Correct Answer buttons in Content |
| Multiple Choice | Tappable choice list ("Select your answer") | Text-style types; configure Answer Choices (radio-select the correct one, + Add choice, minimum 2) |
| Fill in the Blank | Single-line "Fill in the blank" box | Text-style types; the Clue editor reminds you to "Use ___ (three underscores) to mark blank positions" |
| Puzzle | Sliding-tile puzzle board; solving it submits automatically | The Puzzle type |
Minigames and Roadblock have no answer type at all: minigames report their own win, and roadblocks are completed by a facilitator. See Roadblock and the five minigame pages below.
Fields every challenge shares
These appear in the unified challenge editor for both library and event challenges (see Challenges & Groups for the library-vs-event workflow):
| Section | Field | Behavior |
|---|---|---|
| Challenge Details | Name, Type, Difficulty (Easy / Medium / Hard), Points | Points default to 100 |
| Content | Clue | Rich text shown on the challenge screen; can include audio narration |
| Content | Hint, Hint Cost | "Points deducted when a participant uses the hint (0 for free hints)" — the deduction is applied at solve time, never dropping the award below 0 |
| Content | Answer, Alternate Answers | "Separate multiple answers with commas"; all comparisons are case-insensitive |
| Media | Challenge Image (4:3), Challenge Video | Optional imagery; required for Puzzle (it becomes the board) |
| Access Code | Code (with Generate), Prompt message | Case-insensitive code gate; the prompt is the "Hint shown above the code input on mobile". An Access Code QR block lets you print a scannable code |
| Location | Zone, Latitude / Longitude | Plus a map picker; library challenges also choose a Greater Area, event challenges add Map Icon Color and Custom Map Icon |
Event-only gameplay settings
The Gameplay and Rewards sections only appear when editing a challenge inside an event:
- Activation — how the challenge becomes playable: "Available (default — playable as soon as the group unlocks)", "Manual — team taps 'Start' before the clue is revealed", "GPS proximity — team must be within the radius", "QR scan — team scans the printed QR to start", or "iBeacon — team's mobile detects the configured beacon". See Activation & Beacons.
- Requires Facilitator — hides the mobile submission form and shows your Facilitator Instructions instead (always on and locked for Roadblock).
- Max Completing Teams — "Challenge disappears after this many teams complete it. Leave empty for unlimited." Staff teams don't count against the cap.
- Speed Bonus — per-place bonus tiers ("1st Place", "2nd Place", … via Add Tier). Tiers must be in descending order — the first team to finish can't earn less than the second.
- Rewards — collectible awards/requirements and artifact rewards granted on completion.
All 15 type pages
Riddle
Counting
Exploration
Search
Observation
Photo
Video
Finale
Puzzle
Roadblock
Slot Machine
Memory Match
Guess the Word
Guess the Song
Related Words
Game Templates
Reusable hunt blueprints — what a template captures, visibility and cloning rules, saving an event as a template, and how events are created from templates.
Riddle
The default challenge type — players solve a clue and type the answer. Covers the shared text-answer flow used by all classic types.