Waypoint Hunt Tips: Solve the Riddles and Clear Every Checkpoint

Every good treasure hunt has the same problem: somebody has to set it, and then they're the one person who can't play. Waypoint Hunt fixes that. You tap start, and the app finds a chain of real places around you, either as pins on the map or as riddles to solve, and pays XP at every checkpoint. The rules are simple, and they're all on the Waypoint Hunt game page. This post is about playing it well: where to start, which mode to pick and how to crack a clue without burning your hints. Waypoint Hunt is live in the app on iPhone and Android, so you can start one today.

Start somewhere worth exploring

A hunt is only as good as the places the app can find. Checkpoints are real spots, a landmark, a park, a square, the kind of place you'd happily walk to, and each leg is between 150 and 700 metres. A town centre, a big park or an old neighbourhood gives the app far better places to pick than a quiet cul-de-sac.

If there aren't enough good places nearby, the app tells you to try a park or a town centre, and nothing is used up. That happens most in very rural spots or the middle of a big industrial estate. If it happens to you, don't fight it: walk ten minutes towards somewhere livelier and start from there.

Pins first, then Riddle

There are two modes, and they suit different moods.

Pins puts every checkpoint on the map as a numbered pin, and you can walk them in any order. It's the relaxed one, and the best way to start. It teaches you how arrival works and how far a hunt of each length really feels.

Riddle hides each spot behind a clue, one at a time, in order. The clue never names the place or gives you a direction or a distance, and only the spots you've found show on the map. It's harder and much more fun, but only once you trust that a spot will count when you reach it. That trust is what Pins gives you.

In Pins mode, plan a loop before you set off. Since order doesn't matter, the trick is to look at all the pins before you move and join them into one loop, so you never double back. If you can, plan it so the last checkpoint is the one nearest to where you want to finish.

Pick the right length

Short is 3 spots over about 1.5 km, Medium is 5 spots over about 3 km and Long is 7 spots over about 5 km. Be honest about your time. A hunt runs for 24 hours from when you start it, but it lives on a live walk, so it's best played in one outing. A Medium in Riddle mode takes longer than the distance suggests, because you'll stop to think.

Long is the one to aim for once you're comfortable. Checkpoints pay 30 XP each instead of 20, plus 50 XP for finishing, so a cleared Long hunt is worth 260 XP.

How to crack a riddle

The riddles are written by Rex, the coach inside the app, in your own language, and they describe the place, not the route. So don't start walking the moment you read one. Read it twice and ask two questions in order:

1. What kind of place is this? A clue about water and stone might be a fountain. One about benches and old trees might be a small square or a park. Pin down the type first.
2. Where's the nearest one of those? Now think about your area. Which fountains do you know within a few hundred metres? Remember each leg is 150 to 700 metres, so the answer is close.

That second question is where local knowledge wins. The best clues make you notice a corner you've walked past a hundred times.

If you're somewhere you don't know, look at the map for the kind of place the clue describes rather than wandering. Parks and squares stand out as green patches and open spaces, and the clue is never more than a short walk away. And read each new clue the moment you reach a checkpoint, while you're standing still, instead of on the move. You'll pick the right direction for the next leg before you take a step, which is where the time is saved.

Spend your hints wisely

You get two hints per clue. Each one shows an arrow pointing the right way for 20 seconds. It's a direction, never a distance, so you still have to do the walking and the looking.

Save the first hint until you've genuinely run out of ideas, not just until the first guess fails. And when you do use one, stop walking first. Look up from the phone, line the arrow up with a street or a building, and memorise that direction before it disappears. Twenty seconds goes fast if you're also crossing a road.

Arrive properly

You don't need to tap anything when you arrive. A checkpoint counts by itself once your GPS puts you within about 50 metres, even with the phone locked in your pocket, and a small "Checkpoint!" message pops up with your XP. Between tall buildings the GPS can struggle, and that's what the I'm here button is for: it helps out when you're within about 60 metres.

If a check fails, it just says you're not quite there yet. It never says how far off you are, so you can't use it as a radar. Walk on a little and look around. Checkpoints only count on a live walk, each one pays once, and moves faster than anyone can walk are rejected. If you have to stop early, End hunt keeps everything you've earned so far. And finishing gives you a small chance at a free Premium day, a little better in Riddle mode.

On the free plan, starting a hunt uses one of your six weekly game starts, shared across all the games. Premium has no limit.

Bring a friend along

The hunt itself is yours, but when you start one you choose who can see the walk it runs on. Make it open to friends and someone can walk it with you and argue about the riddles. Two heads really are better on a hard clue, and it's a great first walk with someone new because the game gives you something to talk about straight away.

Waypoint Hunt is built for both iPhone and Android and is coming in the next Walk With Me update. If you download the app now, it'll show up in your games menu as soon as the update lands. The Waypoint Hunt game page has the rules, our Mystery Destination tips cover the other game that sends you to hidden places, and the walking games hub has the rest. Walk With Me is free on iOS and Android.