Location-Based Scavenger Hunt Items

Seekt Quick Guide: Location Triggers

Welcome to the Seekt Quick Guide series. In this episode, we are looking at location triggers — one of the most powerful features for creating immersive scavenger hunts.

A location trigger locks an item behind a GPS location. The item appears in the player's hunt list, but it cannot be submitted until the player physically arrives at the location you set. This turns a scavenger hunt into a guided journey where players have to go to specific places, not just find things wherever they happen to be.

Here is how it works. When you create or edit an item, you toggle on the location trigger and place a pin on the map. You also set a radius — how close the player needs to get before the item unlocks. The default is fifty metres, but you can adjust it wider or tighter depending on the location.

On the player's side, the item shows a directional arrow that points toward the target and shows the remaining distance. As they walk, the arrow updates in real time. When they step inside the radius, the item unlocks automatically and they can submit their evidence.

Any item type can have a location trigger. A photo item, a multiple choice question, a text answer — all of them can be locked behind a location. This means you could set up a quiz that only appears when players reach a historical marker, or a photo challenge that requires them to be standing at a specific viewpoint.

Location triggers also work with the hint system. If a player is struggling to find the location, they can reveal a hint — which might be a text clue or even a location pin on their map — to help guide them. If you have set a hint cost, they will have to weigh whether spending points for help is worth it.

One practical tip: if you are setting up a hunt in advance, visit the locations yourself and drop the pins while standing there. This ensures the GPS coordinates are accurate. The map in the item editor also shows your game zone if you have one set, so you can make sure the trigger location is inside the play area.

That is "location triggers" in Seekt. For more, visit the seekt.ca website.