Fall Premiere Road Rallies

A road rally (or puzzle hunt) is a challenging game in which teams compete by solving clues in order to find their way along a hidden route through the whole city. Put on your thinking caps for a fun filled evening for all!

Game: Midland Olympics
Date: Saturday, September 9th, 2008
Time: 5:30 pm Check-In; 6:00 pm Rally Start
Location: Midland, MI
Start: Midland Mall Parking Lot, near Barnes & Noble Bookstore
Flyer: Download
Contact: Doremus / Frankowski / Rosener

Q: What is a Puzzle Hunt/Road Rally/The Game?

A: This is a game that goes by many names: Treasure Hunt, Road Rally, All-Nighter, and in Seattle & San Francisco simply “The Game”. While the scope, scale, and production values differ between these games, the basic structure does not. You are given a clue, which when solved will give you a destination. You drive to that destination (usually several miles away) to receive your next clue. You continue in this fashion until you reach the finish line. You are competing against other teams to complete the course the fastest.

This is probably best explained by "Leon" from the 1980 movie "Midnight Madness"

Q: How big of a team can I enter?

A: There is no size limit, except that your team can only use one vehicle. If you really want to rent a 15 passenger van and fill it up, go for it. Most teams will fall into the 4-6 person range.

Q: How long does a hunt/game/rally take?

A: While the different versions have varying lengths, our version will have last about 4 hours during the actual game. It is followed up by a reception at a restraurant so you can eat, drink, look at clue solutions, and mingle with the other players.

Q: What kind of clues do I have to solve?

A: Most clues will fall into theses categories:

• Letter Shifts: A -> B, B -> C, etc
  • NQVZQC OZRR = FORWARD PASS
• Letter/Number Conversions: 1=A, 2=B, 3=C, etc. or maybe 26=A, 25=B, etc.
• 3 1 20 = CAT
• Letter Extractions: 10-1 might mean 10th Word, 1st Letter, or maybe 10th Line, 1st Word, etc.
  • This Clue is going to be really hard
  • 4-4 5-2 3-1 1-1 1-3 3-2 4-4 5-1 = NO IT ISNT
• Jig-Saw Puzzles: Just like yours at home, but watch out for extra pieces!
• Audio Clues: Composer Names, Song Titles, or maybe someone reading a poem. Trying pickout letter or work combinations to form a destination.
• Hidden Clues: You are given what seems like random stuff with no obvious clue. Look closely: You weren't given a poncho to stop the rain, maybe a clue is taped inside?
• Logic Puzzle: Follow the given instructions exactly to figure out the solution
  • O comes after D, G comes last = DOG
• Anagrams: Unscramble letters to form new words
• Coding: Morse Code, Braille, Semaphore, Phonetic Alphabet used to disguse words & letters.
  • Do yourself a favor a get a good cheat sheet. Our friends over at gamecontrol.org have an excellent one. Check the link at the top of the page
• Most of the more difficult puzzles will combine 2 or 3 of the above techniques to get the final answer!

Q: Isn't hard to figure it out or won't it take too long?

A: Ideally you will want to work as a team. Split up the work; have one person start at the bottom while another starts at the top. Also think out loud. You may not figure it out yourself, but you give some else an idea of how to solve the clue.

The following clip from "Midnight Madness" shows clue solving in action. Granted, in our Rally the destination would be more clear once the clue is solved, but it gives you an idea of what to expect.

Q: What will a clue tell you?

A: Usually the clue, when solved, will only reveal a location name. This is where the phonebook and map come into play. Unless you are familiar with this location you will have to look up the location in phonebook to get an address and then use your map to find where to drive.

Occassionally if the location is not found in the phone book, then the full address will be given in the solved clue.

Q: What kind of supplies do I need?

A: These supplies will fall into three categories: Must Have, Optional, and Standard Supplies

• MUST HAVE
  • Area Map & Phonebook – Most clues will only reveal a location name. Unless you know of this location, you will have to look it up in the phone book to get an address and then use the map to find where to go.
  • Flashlight – Hunts will last into the night and you don’t want to stumble around in the dark
  • Cell Phone – Some Hunt Hosts will provide a call-in phone for hints. This is a necessity is you get stuck.
  • Hunt Specific Supplies – Hosts will often list supplies on their advertisement flyer. Bring it! Did they say to bring a CD player? You’re probably getting an audio clue on a CD-R. Did they say to bring a measuring tape? Then you’ll probably have to measure something. Did they say to bring a World Almanac? Get ready for random trivia. Did they say to bring scissors? Then you will probably have to cut something up. Some clues will be unsolvable if you don’t come prepared.
• OPTIONAL
  • Extra Phonebook – The phonebook will be used most often during the hunt. A spare phonebook can allow two team members to search.
  • Food & Drink – Most Hunters will eat before and wait for the party afterwards, but others like to munch during the hunt. It is your preference. Watch out for unexpected (and time consuming) bathroom breaks!
  • Magnifying Glass – Some clues may not have the largest font for you and a magnifying glass can help shed some light on it.
• STANDARD SUPPLIES
  • Theses are your office supplies that help you stay organized and work on your clues: Pencils, Pens, Paper, Highlighters, Clipboard, Notepads, Scotch Tape, Ruler, Post-It Notes.