One-of-a-kind crafted outdoor quests built around the real places near you. Pick your location, choose a theme, and a personalized storyline with GPS-tracked clues is ready in 90 seconds — playable immediately, almost anywhere, any time you like.
Every quest is generated on demand and self-guided. There's no app to download, no time limit, and no schedule to follow. Just decide where you'll be and our system does the rest.
Decide where you'll be — a downtown area or a city you're visiting. The quest is built around the real places within walking or driving distance of that spot.
Pick a theme, difficulty, and how many clues you want. A unique storyline with GPS-tracked clues, puzzles, and unlock combinations is ready in 90 seconds.
Follow the clues, solve the puzzles, and uncover the story as you go. Play immediately or save it for a free Saturday months from now. The quest waits for you.
Cryptic Quests is like a piece of interactive fiction set in the real world: every clue is a chapter in a single connected story, the locations are part of the plot, and the satisfaction comes from the narrative resolving as much as from finding things. If you've enjoyed scavenger hunts or treasure hunts, you'll recognize the shape - but the experience is closer to playing through a short story you star in.
Every quest created is original — below is a real one played by a real quester. Refresh the page for a different one. No two are alike.
Listen up, recruit! I’m Agent Buck Henderson, the lead custodian for the local branch of the Intergalactic Customs Bureau. My signal detector—which I swear is not just a modified meat thermometer—is screaming like a banshee in a blender. It seems some high-tech Interdimensional Day-Tripper has been wandering through Texarkana, leaving behind a trail of sub-atomic lint and messing with the local physics. This morning, I found my morning coffee floating three inches above the mug, and let me tell you, lukewarm lattes are much harder to catch mid-air than you’d think. We’ve got a serious situation on our hands that requires immediate, slightly bumbling intervention.
Our primary concern is the missing Universal Galactic Clicker, a device that looks suspiciously like a vintage television remote but can actually rearrange the molecular structure of entire city blocks. The tourist who had it seems to have dropped it somewhere between the state lines, and if someone accidentally sits on the 'Mute' button, we might lose the ability to hear the color yellow forever. We’re also tracking a series of anomalous energy spikes that suggest the space-time fabric here is thinning, which would explain why the local pigeons have started humming 1980s power ballads in perfect harmony. The stakes couldn't be higher: if we don't recover the device, the moon might turn into a giant disco ball by midnight.
I’ve managed to lock onto the tourist's trail, but my sensor's battery is dying, and I forgot to pack the charger. I need you to follow the breadcrumbs—which are actually glowing green particles of 'chronal dust'—and secure the device before the disco moon phenomenon becomes irreversible. You'll need to navigate the streets of this two-state town and look for places where the mundane meets the magnificent. There's no time to lose, mainly because time is currently stretching like a piece of overcooked saltwater taffy and I’m pretty sure I just saw a dinosaur wearing a fedora. Now, get out there and save the planet, or at least save our hearing from those power-ballad pigeons!
No subscriptions, no hidden fees. Buy a quest credit when you want one and use it whenever you're ready — today, next weekend, or six months from now.
Everything you need to create and play your one-of-a-kind outdoor adventure.
From first-time questers to weekend regulars — here's what folks have to say after a day spent following the clues.
“I’ve always been intrigued by “treasure hunts” and have always wanted to participate. I actually did my first quest last night and it was all that I had thought plus more. The clues were awesome and the storyline was fantastic. If you do get stuck, I love the hint option. I highly recommended this. You can do it solo or with a group! ”
“Cryptic Quests is brilliant! Get out and pursue a mini adventure! Looking forward to more quests!”
“Had a great time!!! Running around the city and trying to do it faster than others made for a great experience and fun time”
“Great experience!! Some of the clues were easier than others, but some of them took a lot of time to figure out. Overall a great quest and very fun time with friends.”
“We had a great time on our first family quest! Fun clues, well thought out, enjoyable all around! Looking forward to the next quest.”
“Our quest was fun! We got a little turned around on one clue that had as many as 6 different possible answers, but we made it. Thanks!”
“So much fun!! It was a great reason to get off my couch & explore texarkana!”
“We enjoyed the adventure. It wasn’t too long or too difficult for my group to get our feet wet with this game. Looking forward to the next one.”
“My first adventure with Cryptic Quest has me hooked. I really liked the website layout and the directions for the quest were simple. Being a competitive person, this was very exciting and enjoyable.”
Pick your spot, configure your quest, and a one-of-a-kind custom-generated adventure is ready in 90 seconds. No download. No deadline. Just you, your phone, and somewhere new to explore.
Start your first quest