About Loot Hunt | Loot Hunt

What is Loot Hunt?

Loot Hunt is a digital treasure hunt game. Organizers hide QR codes in the real world and players scan them to earn points. Think geocaching, but entirely digital — no swapping trinkets, just bragging rights and leaderboard glory.

Each QR code is called a package, and packages are grouped into hunts. A hunt might be a set of codes hidden around a neighborhood, an event venue, a campus — anywhere, really.

Scoring

Points are awarded based on how early you find a package:

500

1st Find

250

2nd Find

100

3rd Find

50

4th+ Finds

Being first matters! Race to discover new packages before anyone else to maximize your score.

How to Play

Create an account — pick a username and you're in.
Find a QR code — look for Loot Hunt stickers, cards, or signs in the wild.
Scan it — use our built-in QR scanner or any camera app. The built-in scanner verifies the code is a legit Loot Hunt link.
Claim your points — log in (or sign up) and the points are yours.
Climb the leaderboard — check the global leaderboard or per-hunt rankings.

Features & Quirks

First finder photo — the first person to scan a package can upload a photo as proof of discovery. Show off where you found it!
Hints — the most recent scanner can leave a hint for future hunters. Be helpful, be cryptic, or be funny — your call.
Display names — set a display name on your profile that's different from your login username. Express yourself.
Hunt scheduling — hunts can have start dates. Some are hidden until they begin — keep checking back!
Safe scanning — the built-in QR scanner checks that codes link to this site before opening them, protecting you from shady QR codes in the wild.
Each package can only be scanned once per player — no farming the same code for infinite points.
Dark mode — toggle it in the header. Your eyes will thank you.

For Organizers

Want to create your own hunt? Ask an admin to grant you the Organizer role. Once you have it, you can:

Create hunts with any number of packages
Set expiry dates and start dates
Hide hunts until they start
Download printable PDF cards with QR codes (Avery 5371 format, 10 per page)
Monitor scan activity and leaderboards for your hunts

Interested? Apply to become an organizer.

Sustainability

Loot Hunt should not create litter, waste, or friction with the places people live, work, and share. The goal is to keep the game fun while aiming for zero environmental impact.

Organizers are expected to place materials thoughtfully, avoid problematic or prohibited locations, and clean up after themselves. If a package becomes damaged, misplaced, or unwelcome, it should be removed or relocated quickly.

If you find a card causing an issue, you are welcome to recycle it and submit a complaint from that package page so the organizer can review and respond responsibly.

Get in Touch

Have questions, ideas, or found a bug? Reach out!

🐘 Mastodon 📦 Source Code

Loot Hunt is open source. Contributions, bug reports, and forks are welcome!