All Treasure Hunt Clue Ideas

All the treasure hunt ideas that are available on this site are listed below. They are a great resource for creating your own treasure hunt. There are also ready-made treasure hunts available with our free treasure hunts.

physical not physical outside only outside or indoors
physical clue not physical clue outside only clue outdoors or indoors clue

difficulty min number of people physical location
Alphabet Substitution

Codes written in numbers, where each number represents a letter e.g. 1=a, 2=b...

[easy difficulty, 1+ people, non physical, indoor or outdoor]
easyanynot physical clueoutdoors or indoors clue
Anagram

The location of the next clue is an anagram.

[any difficulty, 1+ people, non physical, indoor or outdoor]
anyanynot physical clueoutdoors or indoors clue
Close-up Photos

The location of the next clue is shown by taking a close-up photo of its location.

[any difficulty, 1+ people, non physical, indoor or outdoor]
anyanynot physical clueoutdoors or indoors clue
Combination Locks

A combination lock gives the next clue by using digits found on other clues

[easy difficulty, 1+ people, non physical, indoor or outdoor]
easyanynot physical clueoutdoors or indoors clue
Compass Directions

Hunters use a compass and directions to locate their next clue

[easy difficulty, 1 people, non physical, indoor or outdoor]
easy1not physical clueoutdoors or indoors clue
Cryptex

A simple cryptex-style puzzle made from toilet roll tubes.

[medium difficulty, 1 people, non physical, indoor or outdoor]
medium1not physical clueoutdoors or indoors clue
Doorway Challenge

Treasure hunters are told how many doors and steps must be navigated to get the next clue.

[hard difficulty, 1+ people, physical, indoor or outdoor]
hardanyphysical clueoutdoors or indoors clue
Drink A Gallon Of Water

Hunters must empty (by drinking) a container of water to get to the clue at the bottom.

[any difficulty, 1+ people, non physical, indoor or outdoor]
anyanynot physical clueoutdoors or indoors clue
Encased In Ice

The next clue is encased in ice - the treasure hunter has to break the ice to retrieve the clue.

[easy difficulty, 1 people, physical, outdoor only]
easy1physical clueoutside only clue
Encryption

The location of the next clue is encrypted with letter replacement.

[any difficulty, 1+ people, non physical, indoor or outdoor]
anyanynot physical clueoutdoors or indoors clue
Flag Signals

Hunters are given a clue spelt out with maritime flag signals.

[medium difficulty, 1+ people, non physical, indoor or outdoor]
mediumanynot physical clueoutdoors or indoors clue
Foreign Language

The location of the next clue is written in a foreign language.

[medium difficulty, 1+ people, non physical, indoor or outdoor]
mediumanynot physical clueoutdoors or indoors clue
Google Treasure Map

Use Google Maps to mark the location of the next clue.

[easy difficulty, 1+ people, non physical, outdoor only]
easyanynot physical clueoutside only clue
Indoor Obstacle Course

Treasure hunters must complete an obstacle course to win the next clue.

[easy difficulty, 1+ people, physical, indoor or outdoor]
easyanyphysical clueoutdoors or indoors clue
Invisible Black Light Writing

Use a special pen to write a clue that can only be read with a "black light".

[easy difficulty, 1 people, non physical, indoor or outdoor]
easy1not physical clueoutdoors or indoors clue
Invisible Lemon Juice Ink Writing

A clue is written in lemon juice, which can only be read by gently warming the paper it is written on.

[easy difficulty, 1 people, non physical, indoor or outdoor]
easy1not physical clueoutdoors or indoors clue
Jigsaw Puzzle

The next clue is written down and cut up to form a jigsaw puzzle.

[easy difficulty, 1+ people, non physical, indoor or outdoor]
easyanynot physical clueoutdoors or indoors clue
Letter Grid

A grid of letters only reveals the clue if read in the correct order.

[easy difficulty, 1 people, non physical, indoor or outdoor]
easy1not physical clueoutdoors or indoors clue
Letters In A Maze

The letters on the correct path through the maze spell out the location of the next clue.

[easy difficulty, 1 people, non physical, indoor or outdoor]
easy1not physical clueoutdoors or indoors clue
Letters With Transparent Overlay

A grid of random letters hides a clue, which is revealed by correctly positioning a transparent sheet over the top.

[any difficulty, 1 people, non physical, indoor or outdoor]
any1not physical clueoutdoors or indoors clue
Locked Card

Using two padlocks, pieces of cardboard are locked together, and must be unlocked to solve the clue.

[easy difficulty, 1+ people, non physical, indoor or outdoor]
easyanynot physical clueoutdoors or indoors clue
Logo Recognition

Treasure hunters must identify different company logos.

[any difficulty, 1+ people, non physical, indoor or outdoor]
anyanynot physical clueoutdoors or indoors clue
Magic Eye

An autostereogram (also knowns as a Magic Eye image) is a pattern of seemingly random dots and splashes inside which is hidden the clue answer.

[hard difficulty, 1+ people, non physical, indoor or outdoor]
hardanynot physical clueoutdoors or indoors clue
Miming Letters

Messages are mimed one letter at a time from one person to another.

[medium difficulty, 2+ people, physical, indoor or outdoor]
medium2+physical clueoutdoors or indoors clue
Mirrored Lettering

The location of the next clue converted into mirrored text.

Convert the location of the next clue into mirrored text so that it can only be read by reflecting the text in a mirror.

The easiest way to create the clue is to write it in front of a mirror, looking into the mirror whilst writing.

[easy difficulty, 1+ people, non physical, indoor or outdoor]
easyanynot physical clueoutdoors or indoors clue
Missing Mobile Phone

The next clue is on a mobile phone that must be found by calling the phone's number.

[easy difficulty, 1+ people, non physical, indoor or outdoor]
easyanynot physical clueoutdoors or indoors clue
Morse Code

The location of the next clue converted into morse code.

[easy difficulty, 1+ people, non physical, indoor or outdoor]
easyanynot physical clueoutdoors or indoors clue
Music/Sound

A sound or piece of music leads Treasure Hunters to the next clue.

[any difficulty, 1+ people, non physical, indoor or outdoor]
anyanynot physical clueoutdoors or indoors clue
Outdoor Obstacal Course

Treasure hunters must complete an obstacal course to win the next clue.

[easy difficulty, 1+ people, physical, outdoor only]
easyanyphysical clueoutside only clue
Picture Codes

Clues are converted into pictures, where each word is a drawing.

[any difficulty, 1+ people, non physical, indoor or outdoor]
anyanynot physical clueoutdoors or indoors clue
Product Tagline

A product tagline must be recognised to lead to the next clue e.g. "because you're worth it" leads to a L'Oréal product.

[hard difficulty, 1+ people, non physical, indoor or outdoor]
hardanynot physical clueoutdoors or indoors clue
QR Codes

A secret message is coded into an image which can be read by (most) smartphones.

[medium difficulty, 1+ people, non physical, indoor or outdoor]
mediumanynot physical clueoutdoors or indoors clue
Quotes

Treasure hunters are given a quote from a book or DVD, in which the next clue is hidden.

[any difficulty, 1+ people, non physical, indoor or outdoor]
anyanynot physical clueoutdoors or indoors clue
Remote Control Cars

The next clue is found or earnt by knocking over bottles using a remote control car.

[easy difficulty, 1 people, physical, indoor or outdoor]
easy1physical clueoutdoors or indoors clue
Riddles

A riddle leads to the next clue, or must be answered by the treasure hunters to earn their next clue.

[any difficulty, 1+ people, non physical, indoor or outdoor]
anyanynot physical clueoutdoors or indoors clue
Scavenger Hunt

Treasure hunters must collect objects to be given the next clue

[any difficulty, 1+ people, physical, indoor or outdoor]
anyanyphysical clueoutdoors or indoors clue
Spelling Errors

Deliberate spelling mistakes in the clue's text hide the location of the next clue.

[hard difficulty, 1+ people, non physical, indoor or outdoor]
hardanynot physical clueoutdoors or indoors clue
Story Map

Hunters must follow instructions using a map to determine letters of the clue.

[easy difficulty, 1+ people, non physical, indoor or outdoor]
easyanynot physical clueoutdoors or indoors clue
Treasure Map

A treasure map leads the treasure hunters to their next clue.

[any difficulty, 1+ people, non physical, indoor or outdoor]
anyanynot physical clueoutdoors or indoors clue
Water-Timed Quiz

Treasure hunters have to answer questions quickly to prevent details of their next clue being drowned.

[any difficulty, 1+ people, non physical, indoor or outdoor]
anyanynot physical clueoutdoors or indoors clue
Wingdings

The location of the next clue is converted into the symbols using the Wingdings font.

[medium difficulty, 1+ people, non physical, indoor or outdoor]
mediumanynot physical clueoutdoors or indoors clue
Word Association

A clue hints the location of the next clue, for example a clue "4o C" would lead to a fridge.

[hard difficulty, 1+ people, non physical, indoor or outdoor]
hardanynot physical clueoutdoors or indoors clue
Word Search

A clue is hidden in a word search by using the word search's leftover letters.

[easy difficulty, 1+ people, non physical, indoor or outdoor]
easyanynot physical clueoutdoors or indoors clue
Writing In Steam

Write a clue in steam or misted windows.

[easy difficulty, 1+ people, non physical, indoor or outdoor]
easyanynot physical clueoutdoors or indoors clue