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We go to the quest alone. A game for the brave and smart

Used for corporate teambuildings and events. We design and conduct quests in the city or park. In any room, for example, in an office. Or even abroad.

In this article, we'll cover:

  • types of quests
  • quest mechanics
  • development of quests - the process and duration of the project
  • how to develop a quest yourself
  • quest price and cost components

Types of quests

Having appeared in the early 80s as a direction of computer games (for example, "Mystery House" for the computer Aplle II, released in 1980), quests "spread and proliferated." Now you will not surprise anyone with this word.

Although we can say that the quest (if we take the meaning of the word - the search for something, accompanied by adventure) has always existed. Primitive buried a mammoth's leg and marked the place with a stick ... Pirates buried treasures on a desert island. The deceased comrade was laid on a hill to indicate the direction, they made a map, and then this map was also divided into several parts! Isn't it a quest?

We use the following concept of a quest - a legendary game consisting of a set of activities of various orientations (search, intellectual, creative, motor, etc.). We will not consider computer quests in which a person interacts with the program. We are still engaged in live quests.

So, about the types of quests by the way participants move:

  • pedestrian quest - searching for locations and exploring the territory with walking (it is possible to use transport in the city);
  • bike / scooter quest - almost the same, only more pleasant (you can't go down in the metro with a bike);
  • car quest - partially or completely on cars (quest locations are remote from each other or speed of movement is required, more often it is carried out on weekends or at night).

By territorial criterion:

  • indoor quest (, quest room or escape room, quest in a cafe or restaurant, armchair role-playing game);
  • a quest in the museum - allocated as a separate item;
  • or a historic manor;
  • tourist quest or quest abroad.

Quests are very diverse in application:

  • educational quest
  • networking - pause in the event
  • team building event
  • acquaintance with the new office, etc.

Also, the concept of "business quest" has recently appeared, with which, at times, they try to replace the "business game". Most often, a business quest is aimed at demonstrating or practicing skills that are important for employees. During such an event, an assessment of employees may take place. We don't see much difference between a business simulation or a business game - another attempt to give the old fashionable name. By the way, one of our business games- "" - uses the quest mechanic: participants explore the territory.

Features of quests

Still, the main feature of the quest is to recognize the presence of search activities / stages and the solution of "riddles": in the process of the quest itself, the participants solve an intellectual problem (anything - a mathematical or logical example, text, visual image). Often this is a two- or three-way: the elements are put together like a puzzle or provide a resource for the next stage.

Or all the stages provide a clue / resource for the final part. For example, opening a chest, phone number, etc.

Not related to the previous feature, but important for corporate events - time. Still, it should be admitted that most of the quests are conducted for team building and joint recreation. We recommend conducting quests no longer than 4 hours. This is due to the group dynamics and physical capabilities of the participants - not everyone, for example, will be ready to continue solving problems or walking around the city for more than 3.5 hours.

The quest should have alternating activities, different formats and a level of difficulty that forces the participants to make efforts. Otherwise, the quest ceases to be itself - the participants get bored, mechanically completing repetitive tasks. Therefore, when developing a quest, we create a matrix of stages and arrange tasks for a specific group or event.

Quest mechanics

When developing quests, two main mechanics are used:

  • chain - tasks / stages come sequentially (automatically or through game technicians) and without completing one stage there is no way to move to the next - it is more often used if it is necessary to withstand the time schedule;
  • assault ("assault") - all tasks at once, the teams determine the order themselves - it is used, for example, if several teams go through the same locations, and they need to be "diluted" at the start.

The quest can be controlled:

  • booklet / cards;
  • SMS, phone, messengers;
  • engine on the site;
  • links to the Internet;
  • QR codes;
  • presenter, game technicians and "agents" on the territory of the quest.

Quest tasks

Also, the mechanics consists in using different types of tasks that can be in the quest:

  • "Find" - caches (envelopes, codes, artifacts, etc.);
  • "Learn" - information (company, colleagues, etc.);
  • "To do" - team activity;
  • "Solve" - ​​logical, mathematical and word problems.

For example, we write a message in hieroglyphs with a UV marker, and the team, having received a UV flashlight at one of the previous stages, must read and decipher it. It turns out that there are two types of tasks at once: search and intellectual two-way.

Quest development: how does it work?

The development of a quest used for a corporate event begins with collecting needs - all the same, there is no need to put the consulting "leaven" anywhere. It is important to understand the objectives and limitations of the event. It's one thing to design a quest for a corporate party in a restaurant, it's another thing to reflect the peculiarities of corporate culture.

So, the first thing is what the quest is for. Determination of the purpose of the event and the criteria that everything succeeded.

The second point is the number of participants / teams. It is desirable that the team does not have more than 7-8 participants. This is not a training group whose dynamics are fueled by a trainer and / or a psychologist. All participants should find a "use", no one should drop out of the process.

The third point is the venue, time constraints. The composition and nature of the stages are selected or developed for specific conditions.

After all this, the layout of the quest takes place - the tasks are lined up in the required sequence (if it is a chain quest) or a matrix of individual tasks for each team is laid out (as in most of our office quests). A schedule is drawn up according to which game technicians can track the dynamics of the quest. Some parts of the quest can be tested.

The development of a new quest takes 2 to 4 weeks. There were projects when we had to develop a quest in 3 days. It was a quest abroad - we were "thrown" into the city 3 days before the event. But we already drove with some groundwork.

How to develop a quest yourself?

Yes, we do not deny this possibility. Why don't you try to design the quest yourself? For example, bring colleagues to a new office.

To do this, it is necessary, as we already wrote, to come up with several different stages / tasks. For example, the first will be to receive an e-mail with a request to gather all participants in a certain place - this can already be done in the form of a riddle. At this point, the participants find an envelope with a rebus indicating the name of the metro station at which the agent will meet them. This agent needs to be told the password, and he will give the coordinates of the business center. Can you think of further? If it is difficult, then right now you can order from us the development of a quest for your event.

Ready-made quests from the "Business Games Laboratory"

As mentioned above, we carry out almost the entire range of quests that can be used for corporate events:

  • city ​​quests - the wonderful quest "Moscow" (or "Boulevard") and the compact "Zamoskvorechye";
  • quests in the estates "Kuskovo", "Tsaritsyno", "Kuzminki";
  • office quests adapted for events and premises;
  • business game that includes an element of the quest - exploring the territory.

Quest price: development and implementation

First, about the components of the price of an escape room for a corporate event. It consists of the cost of developing or using an idea, as well as administrative costs. The second component is the necessary adaptation to the number of groups / participants, duration. The third part is the work of the presenter and game technicians at the event. And the fourth is the cost of entrance tickets (for example, to a museum), if any.

The latter is the payment for the transfer if the quest is not held in Moscow.

So, the cost of a quest for a participant can vary between 900-2000 rubles. As a rule, the more participants, the lower the cost per person is.

If the quest is developed from "0", then we can talk about the approximate cost of such a development - from 15,000 rubles.

We are ready to develop and conduct YOUR quest.

A live quest is a new, modern, fashionable and extremely popular way to spend time with a narrow company of "fellow soldiers".

Surely in your city there is a great number of organizers of such fun.

Before signing up for a game, you should find out what a quest is in reality.

A game for the brave and smart

Quests were originally called computer games: teenagers willingly unraveled complex puzzles and searched for valuable artifacts in castles and dungeons.

But diving into virtual world was never complete, so gentlemen-entertainers brought the game into reality.

It is enough to trust the professional team of organizers and surrender to your imagination - and now you are investigating a murder in an English mansion, escaping from a maniac with a chainsaw or fighting a zombie.

Entertaining quests help to escape from boring life and routine worries, turning for an hour into a detective, magician, super agent or marine stuck on a sinking ship.

What are the types of quests

1) Subject (live) quest... The most popular option, in which you need to take turns to go through all the tasks planned for you by the presenter.

2) Mini-quest... You are given 10-15 minutes to complete the task. Speed ​​of reaction, attentiveness and a tendency to teamwork will come in handy.

3) Action game or sports quest ... Participants will need coordination and dexterity, be prepared for physical activity and push-ups. If you wanted to crawl for a long time ventilation shafts like Die Hard, you come here. Remember the tasks in the Fort Boyard TV game - something similar awaits you.

4) Performance or quest show... Luxurious immersion is achieved through the participation of real actors, acting from a script or improvising on the go. They will smoothly introduce you into fictional world and accompany the plot.

5) Escape quest or "escape from the room"... In the game, the participants are asked to find a way to get out of the enclosed space.

Of course, there are both clues and riddles here. Also, behind the mysterious doors, additional rooms may open.

6) Unreal quest ("morpheus")... All the intricacies of the plot occur exclusively in your head.

The participants are blindfolded, they cannot see and therefore strain the rest of the senses. You will have to actively sniff, touch and listen to unravel the riddles.

The first escape rooms (literally "escape rooms") appeared in the advanced East - China, Japan - back in 2007. In our country, they have become widely demanded relatively recently, but the idea of ​​games in reality is gaining momentum.

Whom to take on the quest?

You can choose friends, relatives or colleagues as companions, or you can trust the chance and join a group of strangers.

This is a very popular corporate fun: a mysterious adventure helps to shake up the gray everyday life, to show your strengths, raise self-esteem and become akin to the team in difficult circumstances.

There are no special requirements for the participants of the quest - neither a certain IQ level, nor fantastic physical training.

It is enough to have developed logic, be attentive to the little things, be able to work in a team, memorize details and apply ingenuity.

This is an absolutely safe activity, even for children over 12 years old. All the time that you are in a special room, cameras are watching you. Operators control every step and help in difficult situations.

Quest in reality: what to do

Most often, the tasks in the quest have an intellectual color and resemble exercises for the brains.

These are all sorts of puzzles, tasks for logic and erudition, searches for artifacts, evidence and clues, investigation of incidents.

Unraveling a complex chain of events in the course of the plot will inevitably lead to a final denouement and victory.

The theme of the quest in reality can be a famous film or book, then your team will turn into characters in the story. Often, well-promoted computer games become the basis for the plot.

There are adventure quests that require stamina and readiness for physical exploits.

The main framework is time (the lack of allotted minutes urges you on and promotes an adrenaline rush) and spatial (traditionally the quest is held inside one or several rooms).

The design of the space is clearly in line with the theme: if a group of teenagers is stuck on a submarine, then there will be hatches, metal pipes, accompanying lighting, and an actual “view from the window”.

A well-thought-out scenario, entertaining mechanisms, realistic scenery and props will ensure a complete immersion in the story.

How to organize an educational quest: guidelines, rules for conducting and a quest script for an English lesson.

A little bit about yourself: My name is Vadim Suslov, I am a teacher of English and economics, screenwriter, writer, entrepreneur. He worked with children of different ages from 5 to 16 years old.

What motivated me to create educational quests?

First, it is the strict framework of the program. You and I must understand that in 1 year or, for example, in 6 years, the child will not learn English... God forbid, if he masters it in 11 years. This is important to understand and accept. Therefore, the main thing is to instill interest in the child, to motivate him to learn the language.

Secondly, many children need an individual approach, and educational quests, in this case, serve as an ideal universal tool.

Thirdly, quests help to involve students with poor academic performance in the educational process.

And, of course, what could be better than children's emotions, genuine and pure? The very long-awaited feedback that every teacher is waiting for.

Information is absorbed better during the game - that was and is my motto. Children aged 5,6,7 are not very interested in grammar or rules, they are interested in the teacher and his instrumentation.

Synopsis educational quest(point by point) or guideline for beginners

1. Give the children a printed quest (task sheet).
2. Explain the rules and order of passage, set a tight timing.
3. Test in beta test quest for a small group of students.

4. Present the legend in parts, do not "unload" everything at once, if it is not
olympiad or competition.
5. Try to make the puzzles parallel so that all participants are involved in the process. Do not forget about the logic of the quest.
6. When creating a quest, come up with a problem and smoothly lead the players towards solving it. When it comes to primary school, then try to introduce a negative character into the game.
7. Use as many tools as possible during the quest, such as a safe, UV flashlight, UV marker, combination locks, etc.

Quests like this shouldn't be done every day. Enough 1-2 per month, first of all, in order to consolidate the passed material.

Is it difficult to implement such a quest? No, not difficult. For simple quest enough have this modest set:

  • Whatman sheet
  • Colored markers or felt-tip pens
  • Scissors
  • Paper
  • Pens
  • A pinch of fantasy

In my experience, optimal number of participants in one command - from 4 to 5 people.

Themes can be any: Olympiad of the Future or Investigation of the Century.

According to research, the most popular quest topics are jailbreak or robbery. These themes are universal, they are equally popular with men and women, and at the same time can be adapted for educational quests.

For example, the legend may be as follows: the students were trapped in a hold aboard the ship "Ignorance".

I suggest already ready script educational quest. The script was tested on the territory of the Open World.

Educational quest in English

Introductory script:
The Players are a group of professional Olympic athletes from the future. Legend (told to the players or written on the sheet with tasks): the distant future has come in the courtyard of the year 2166. Many things known in the 21st century have undergone significant changes: flying cars, environmental concerns, a vegetarian society and much more. Including sports, or rather the Olympic Games, now in athletes, it is not strength that is valued, but knowledge or skills. So, today has come for you the very day that all athletes from all over the world are looking forward to. It is here and now, you have to show yourself and reveal all your skills and abilities. Do not forget that your goal- this is to score as many points as possible and get into the TOP rating. As you know, all winners will receive a prize.

So, your team is ready, the time has come!

Quest specifics:

  1. Before the quest, all teams are given special sheets with tasks.
  2. There are few tasks, all of them are designed for 15-20 minutes.
  3. Players will have to fill in several fields on the quest sheet, so it is recommended that you provide the players with a pen or pencil.
  4. To implement the quest you You will need the following items or props:
    pencils, pens, worksheets with assignments, 2 sheets of Whatman paper (several), a projector and
    presenter - actor (but it is possible without him), timer, dictaphone with recording, cork
    stand (as in schools), blindfolds (4 pieces), tennis balls, 4 vessels
    stuff with filling, whistle and visual start line.
  5. Incentive system - three teams in the TOP rating receive prizes:
    a Porsche car, a ticket to life, a ticket to the planet England.
  6. Players receive points for completing tasks (obstacles).
  7. Players must read the quests very carefully.

Quest progress:

Players take-receive sheets with quest (tasks) and read the legend... As they read the legend, players realize that they are players and that some kind of competition awaits them.

After reading the legend, players will have to fill in the field at the top quest list. In the “TEAM:” free field, players must create and write onEnglish languageyour team name.

TEAM: (for example: FOX, Balls)

Task number 1 (on whatman paper)

After the players have entered the name of the team, they go to Whatman with the characteristic number one(under the number: one).

What's on the Whatman: in addition to the number, players will also see a drawing on the Whatman paper, and below it an encrypted message and a small crossword puzzle (5 words).

Decrypt the message: pmizb n(an icon of a heart or a letter in a heart with a hint of the next task) is possible only with the help of the “master letter” (the letter with which the coding begins), using the Julius Caesar cipher.

Julius Caesar's cipher

Caesar's cipher is a kind of substitution cipher, in which each character in the plain text is replaced by a character located at some constant number of positions to the left or to the right of it in the alphabet. For example, in a cipher with a shift to the right by 3, A would be replaced by D, B would become D, and so on.

In order to obtain the “master letter” and unravel the encryptedmessage - players have to guess the crossword puzzle(located on the same sheet Whatman paper).

The crossword puzzle consists of five words and is absolutely linear, i.e. to solve it, you need to consistently enter words, but pictures (pictures or something else) are used as questions. Divide each picture like a field in a sea battle game.


Crossword drawing

Sample questions / answers

  1. What do you see in the picture? (animals)
  2. 3X1 (sheep)
  3. 2X5 (pig)
  4. An animal with a long neck? (giraffe)
  5. This letter is in the alphabet between the first letter of the answer to the fourth
    question and you (you - I)
  6. The players deciphered the code and received the following message: "heart" (you can in English heart F).

With the help of the decoded message, the players understand which stand they need to go to next, and which card they need to draw from the next table.

For this task, players will receive the maximum 5 points... At the discretion of the host.

Task number 2 (stand)

A heart is drawn on the next stand. On the table near the stand there are 10 cards with various tasks (on the front side of each card, players see a letter of the English alphabet). Turning over card with a letter, players will discover the task.

  • Speak for 5 minutes in a squeaky voice.
  • After each word, say the word SR for 10 minutes.

The task is to go through the previous task and not to guess on the "coffee grounds", but to pull out the card with the desired task from the first time.

For completing this task, players will receive a maximum of 4 points (at the discretion of the leader).

Task number 3

Players need to take a selfie with the host in front of him and post it on Instagram or another social network with a hashtag (for example) # scriptquestcloud, #questplanetaingland

For completing this quest, players get a maximum of 4 points ( at the discretion of the presenter).

Task number 4

Dexterity challenge. The task is simple and is carried out (and evaluated) by the presenter: say the phrase and at the same time throw and catch balls (tennis).

  • “Whether the weather be fine
  • Whether the weather be cold
  • Or whether the weather be not.
  • We will walk together.
  • Whatever the weather
  • Whether we like it or not. "

After the leader's assessment, the players receive points from 1 to 5. And they form a word from the letters on the balls (players can receive additional points) " courage "- courage.

Task number 5

All players are waiting for the back of the courage. The players (the whole team) are blindfolded. They need to stick their hand in certain four niches. Your choice: vase, bank, hole, hat. After that, grope there (inside) the object and describe it English words, and other team members must guess it and fill in the free cells in the quest list.

The difficulty and specificity lies in the fact that, in addition to the description, the players have to stick their hand into different vessels with “disgusting contents(tactile) ”. An example of filling vessels with "abominations": a vessel with insects (toy), a vessel with plush or hair, a vessel with rice, a vessel with a slug, a vessel with Lego or water.

Descriptive subjects(popular words):

  • asterisk (toy)
  • book or plastic fork
  • ring
  • glasses, stone (flower)

Note: vessels or boxes are located on the table.

For a heightened WOW effect, at the time of the passage of the courage task, it is worth using local sounds (from the speaker) from "horror / horror films".

Safety precautions: it is advisable to use plastic containers so that they do not break and there is no damage from fragments.

Conclusion

Players go to the school board. The result of the players is recorded by the host, after which they leave the area of ​​the quest.

Congratulations from the host!

Annex 1.Content of the quest list (for players)

The players are a group of professional Olympic athletes.
Legend (told to the players or written on the quest sheet):
So the distant future has come in the courtyard of the year 2166. Many famous in 21
century, things have undergone significant changes: flying cars, caring for
ecology, vegetarian society and much more. Including got and
sports, or rather the Olympic Games, now it is not strength that is valued in athletes,
but knowledge or skills. So, today is the day for you,
which all athletes from all over the world are eagerly awaiting. It is here and
now, you have to show yourself and reveal all your skills and abilities. Not
forget that your goal is to score as many points as possible and get into the TOP
rating. As you know, all winners will receive a prize. So your
the team is ready, the time has come!
✔️ Obstacle ONE awaits you.
✔️ Pull out the required card... The excess found in the decryption will help you
letter.
✔️ Say the phrase and at the same time throw and catch balls.
✔️ Be brave and smart. (4 free fields)
✔️ Final standings. Say four groped words.

Vadim Suslov. I hope my article was helpful! You can also order my book "Quest" - in it you will find all the answers to your questions regarding quests. If you have any questions, please email me ( [email protected]) or search VKontakte: https://vk.com/the_tastyfood. My site: www.quest-cloud.biz

The quest is first and foremost team fun... But what about those whose friends don't share a passion for adventure in a locked room of puzzles? Or maybe you ended up in a strange city, you don't know anyone, but you don't want to "lose shape"? It turns out that you can go on quests alone. And you can get into a team of complete strangers or even put together your own - according to your interests. Let's see how to do this.

Join the team

If you have an almost unlimited supply of free time, but do not like to organize strangers into a team, but want to join someone, look at the announcements of teams that are looking for 1-2 participants in groups of quest organizers. At " Claustrophobia" and " World of quests"In the groups" VKontakte ", for example, in the corresponding topics, messages like" We are looking for 1 person to the medieval castle on Saturday 28 at 20:45 "regularly appear. Usually these are teams that suddenly lost one of the participants and do not want to overpay for the game. Time, place, theme - everything has already been determined, it remains only to understand whether you can be there, and, most importantly, whether you want to.

Putting together your team

Are you ready to organize your own team and have already decided on the quest? Then write the message in the group yourself. It is better not to specify the time - determine the one that is convenient for everyone when you assemble the team. The biggest topic, designed specifically for gathering your team at the St. Petersburg " iLocked", But for other cities the already familiar" Claustrophobia "group is perfect. We advise you to immediately indicate in the announcement which specific quests, or at least which topics you are interested in, so that later there will be no misunderstandings. except social networks they are looking for a company for going to the quest on the forums. True, there are not so many people willing there as VKontakte, but there is a convenient breakdown by region.

We go to the quest alone

Do you like quests or just want to try, but don't want to be in the company of strangers? Then choose games that you can go to alone. Fortunately, there are quite a few of them - in Moscow alone there are about 30 quests, to which the organizers officially invite singles. True, it will cost the same as a team quest, so entertainment will not come cheap. But there will be no less pleasure, and even more adrenaline than playing with friends. You can sort the quests by the number of players.

If you don't like the quests that you can go through alone, or you want to try a specific plot, try to negotiate with the organizer. They often make concessions if possible, and in places where at least two players are required, a cameraman will help you cope with the task. In addition, the quest room can be prepared in advance for you, removing or simplifying, if possible, all puzzles intended for teams.

Quest dating

Open play: this concept has long existed in the global quest community. The organizer takes over the search for a team, or, more precisely, announces the date and time when single individuals (of course, by appointment) who do not know each other can come and play together. In Russia, this format is not yet widespread, but in Europe there are more than enough such quests, so if you are going on vacation, for example, to Amsterdam, and know English well, take a look at