A QR code scavenger hunt that works offline
Each code reveals the next clue right on the phone, even deep in a cellar or a forest.
For a QR code scavenger hunt, put each clue in a text code, so the clue sits inside the code itself and shows without internet. Write the clues in order, make one code each, print them as stickers and hide each one where the clue before it points. Players scan, read, run.
The next clue, right there
A team scans the sticker under the piano lid and the next riddle appears on the screen.
How to build the hunt
Plan the route
Pick six to ten spots and walk the order once. Each clue points to the next spot.
Write each clue
Type the clue into the text field above. Keep it short; a riddle of one or two lines scans quickly.
Number the stickers
Print each code with a small number, so you hide them in the right places and spot a missing one.
Test the run
Walk the route with a phone before players arrive and scan every sticker in order.
Worked example: a birthday hunt for ten-year-olds
- The route
- Eight stickers around a garden and a house: the shed, the mailbox, the piano, the fridge.
- The clues
- "I have keys but open no doors" leads to the piano, where the next sticker waits under the lid.
- The finish
- The last code reads "Look under the big tree", where the cake waits.
Fixed or editable for a scavenger hunt?
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Fixed QR code (static)
Fixed text codes hold the clue inside the code, work offline and cost nothing. They are the right choice for almost every hunt.
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Editable QR code (dynamic)
Choose editable when the hunt runs for weeks, as in a museum or a town trail, and you want to change clues or count how many teams reach each stop. From $9 a month after the 14-day trial.
Make it fun and fair
Mix clue types
Riddles, picture clues and a short task, such as "count the steps", keep every age group busy.
Weatherproof outdoors
Laminate stickers or put them in clear sleeves for garden and park hunts.
Have a hint card
Give each team one sealed hint for the clue that stumps them.
Questions and answers
Before you print
- Is it free?
- Fixed codes are free: make as many as you like, download a PNG with no sign-up, and get every other format and print files with a free account. Editable codes come with a plan, a pass, Keep-alive or the 14-day trial.
- Can I change the link after printing?
- Yes, with an editable code. It holds a short link you control, so you can point the printed code somewhere new any time, and the next scan opens the new page. A fixed code keeps the link it was made with.
- Can I use my own domain?
- Yes. A custom domain is included on passes, from Starter, and during the trial. Starter covers one subdomain, for example go.yourbrand.com, and apex domains start on Pro.
- What happens if I stop paying?
- Editable codes work to the end of your paid period, and after a failed payment every code keeps working for 14 days. Turn codes back on within 12 months. Fixed codes keep working as long as their links do.
Do scavenger hunt codes need internet?
Text codes do not. The clue is stored in the code itself, so the phone shows it even with no signal or data.
How long can a clue be?
Short is best. A line or two scans quickly from any angle. Very long clues make the code dense and harder to read from a distance.
Can children scan the codes themselves?
Yes, with any phone or tablet camera. For young children, one device per team with an adult works well.
Can I use a scavenger hunt in the classroom?
Yes. Put a question in each code around the room, and students move to the spot of the right answer.
Can clues show pictures or videos?
Use a link code for those, pointing to the image or video. Players then need internet at that stop.
How many clues should a hunt have?
Six to ten clues fill thirty to sixty minutes for most groups. Younger children enjoy shorter routes with easy clues; teenagers and adults like harder riddles and a longer trail.
Hide the first clue
Type clue one above and print your first sticker.