Download MP3Seekt Quick Guide: Item Types
Welcome to the Seekt Quick Guide series. In this episode, we are looking at the different types of items you can add to a scavenger hunt.
When you create a hunt in Seekt, each item starts with a clue and a point value. What makes it interesting is how players respond to that clue. Seekt gives you several item types to choose from, and you can mix and match them within the same hunt.
The most common type is photo and video evidence. You write a clue like "find something red" or "photograph the tallest building you can see," and players submit a photo or a short video as proof. GPS coordinates are recorded automatically, so you can see exactly where each submission came from. Videos are trimmed to ten seconds and compressed automatically.
Text and numeric answers let you ask questions. "What is written on the sign by the entrance?" or "How many steps are on the staircase?" You choose whether the app scores these automatically against an exact answer, or whether you want to review each response yourself. Numeric answers restrict the input to numbers only.
Multiple choice items present players with a question and four options. You mark the correct answer when you create the item, and the app scores it instantly when the player submits.
Photo matching is a visual challenge. You upload a reference photo as the clue — maybe a close-up of an interesting texture or a detail from a building — and players have to find the real thing and photograph it. You review the match.
Multi-part items require more than one submission. If you want players to photograph three different types of flowers, you set the required count to three. Players see their progress as they go — "two of three submitted" — and the item is not complete until all parts are in.
Collect items are things players need to physically pick up and bring back. A smooth stone, a feather, a leaf. The item shows a special indicator so players know they need to retrieve something, not just photograph it.
Barcode scan items let you create product-finding challenges. You scan a product's barcode when designing the item and write a clue like "this is used for baking cookies." Players search for the product and scan its barcode. The host sets a maximum number of scan attempts — say, five or ten — so players cannot just scan everything in sight. The app auto-scores the scan against the stored barcode.
Any item can also be marked as a power-up. When a team completes a power-up item, they earn a score multiplier — say, two times — that applies to their next several items. This adds a layer of strategy: teams have to decide when to go after the power-up to maximise its effect.
You do not have to use all of these. A hunt with nothing but photo items works perfectly well. But having the variety there means you can create a more engaging experience when you want to.
That is "item types" in Seekt. For more, visit the seekt.ca website.