Last week, Supernatural‘s Misha Collins floated the idea of an at-home scavenger hunt, ideal for having fun and connecting with others while under quarantine. Today, not only does he have a more fully fleshed-out proposal…but he’s not the only one, joined by author Leila Sales. Each of the two are hosting separate searches with similar ideas, and both have the idea of taking your mind off of things — and Collins’s has the added benefit of generating some revenue for those hardest-hit by the pandemic. ComicBook.com has put together a short breakdown of what you need to know about each of the two scavenger hunts, so you can decide which one (or ones) you might want to participate in.
Videos by ComicBook.com
Collins’s scavenger hunt is set up with assistance from GISHWES, the Guinness world-record-holding scavenger hunt for which he is a spokesperson. Sales has the idea that people could stand to “unplug” for a little while, especially in a world where schools and other nonprofits have taken to operating online, keeping people — especially kids — in front of the screen for hours at a time.
“One thing I’ve learned in the past few weeks of quarantine is just how much we need each other,” Collins wrote in his email. “We need to connect, to lean on each other, and to help those most in need. With that in mind, a few days ago (aka a lifetime in ‘quarantine time’), I sent out an email proposing a short scavenger hunt to connect us in these uncertain times, inspire creativity, and help make a difference for those who have been hit hardest by the COVID crisis.”
Here’s how he describes it:
On April 25 (the weekend after next), you’ll be able to virtually join thousands of others around the planet and take a break to play an incredibly fun, collaborative, and inspiring game that also supports COVID relief. You can play from home and participate as much or as little as you like — so if you’re a busy essential worker, working-from-home-while-homeschooling parent, a used-to-be-at-college-having-fun-now-back-at-home-feeling-grounded adult, a kid who’s watching too many movies, or just someone in need of a diversion, you can indulge in some zero-pressure fun that actually helps you do some good.
Every registration will provide 10 meals for children missing meals due to COVID-related school closures. It’s a huge issue: low-income families everywhere are having a hard time putting food on the table right now, so we’ll be supporting No Kid Hungry, the Random Acts Support Program, and Save the Children to help feed kids in need. Please invite your friends and family to play, too! You can assemble a virtual team, or you can sign up solo and I’ll put you on a team. I’ll also be highlighting my favorite submissions in a livestream event with special guests and— well, you’ll see.
Sales has created a new choose-your-own-adventure game specifically designed for the lockdown: Ada and the Lost Horizon. It’s a scavenger hunt within the confines of your own home; a real-world Ready Player One experience; and a community-oriented coronavirus quarantine activity that takes you on an imaginary journey to another world — while taking you on a physical journey away from your computer screen. While many IRL experiences like museums, theaters, and schools have moved their content online during this time, Leila saw a chance to create something we could all do together offline.
In Ada and the Lost Horizon, young woman named Ada wakes to find herself alone. She was supposed to be here with her younger brother, Teddy. She was supposed to be watching out for him. But Teddy has disappeared in the night. Ada must find him, but her only clue is a ransom note. What the ransom note says, where it leads her, and if and how she ever manages to see her brother again… that’s completely up to the player. Leila received dozens of entries from players creating their own ransom notes – here’s the winner.
How to play:
- Read each scene when it’s released on Leila’s Instagram and Twitter every other day at 4pm ET. The first scene came out on April 9th.
- Each scene is accompanied by instructions for a task that can be completed in the safety of your own house. You have 24 hours to complete the task and share it to social media using the hashtag #AdaAndTheLostHorizon. One player’s completion of each task will be selected to determine the course of the rest of the story.
- Enjoy other players’ completions, invite your friends to play, and find out where Ada’s journey takes her next!
Read a complete explanation of the game here.
Be sure to check out the hashtag #AdaAndTheLostHorizon on Twitter and Instagram – so far, the winning entries have been created by children, so it’s a great game for the whole family.
Join up with either, or both, and get your mind and heart moving a little faster.
