How to play
Pick the cards to suit the day. A few minutes to set up.
The full rules — the same ones printed in the booklet that comes in the box.
This is a game where you choose it all:
- Where — indoors or outdoors
- When — day or night
- Who — every player for themselves, pairs or teams, ages 5–12
- How long — a speedy 20-minute treasure hunt dash, or a longer game by mixing in acting or riddle cards
- Which cards — Find on its own, or mix in Act and Solve for one big mission
- Treats — match a treat to each numbered Find card, or just play for points
Simple, flexible rules — change whatever suits your crew.
What’s in the box
- 12 acrylic holders
- 52 mission cards — 12 Find, 20 Act, 20 Solve
- 2 answer cards, for the Game Master
- 150 reflective dots — 52 needed, the rest spares
- Score pad, pencil, whistle and rules
You supply: torches — at night, at least one per team, because a team hunts together on one beam — and treats for the Find game, if you want them.
First, give the cyclops its eye
Once only, before the first game. Turn the 52 mission cards over to the cyclops side — the one-eyed monster — peel off a white reflective dot, and press it over the white centre of the eye. The two answer cards stay at Base, so they don’t need one.
That dot is what makes the game work. It throws a torch beam straight back the way it came, so the moment a beam sweeps past, the eye flashes white — one bright spark in a dark hedge, half a garden away.
Can’t see the flash?
Hold the torch up near your eyes, not down at your waist. The dots bounce light straight back to where it came from — so the closer the torch is to your eyes, the brighter the flash.
Where and when
Outdoors — back yards, parks, camping grounds, beaches, school grounds. Indoors — right through the house: the lounge, bedrooms, under tables, along shelves. Excellent on a wet day. Or hide some inside and some outside for a bigger adventure.
After dark, put the cyclops side out and let the torches find the eye. In daylight, put the picture side out for the little ones, or the cyclops side out for a tougher hunt.
At Easter the eggs stay safe inside: the kids hunt for the numbered cards, then swap each one for its matching numbered egg. Nothing melts in the sun, the dog doesn’t find them first, and there’s nothing still lost in the grass in June.
Play every player for themselves, in pairs or in teams — any number per team. In teams, pick one player as spokesperson to give the answers. The Game Master decides how long it runs.
Before you start
- Walk the hunt area in daylight first — check for ponds, steps, tools and trampolines.
- Agree the boundaries before the first whistle.
Setting up and hiding
- Hide the cards where the players can’t see you placing them. Write down the spots, or keep a mental map.
- Bring everyone back to Base before the start whistle.
- The holders stand up on their own. Stand them the right way up, eye facing where the players will come from.
- Upright is easier to spot, flatter is harder. Vary the heights — on top of things is fine, as long as they’re easy and safe to reach.
- Windy night? Pick sheltered spots so the holders don’t blow over.
- Half a card showing is perfect — not fully hidden, not obvious. Darker spots are better, and more fun.
- Tight on space? Put fewer holders out. Six well-hidden cards in a small yard beats twelve obvious ones.
Game Master tip
Players carry the whole holder back to Base, card still inside — or the empty holders get left behind. The cards slide out, so you can change the mix between games. At the end, count all 12 holders back in — nothing gets left in the grass.
Every hunt works the same way
- One whistle starts the hunt. Teams stay together.
- Every holder brought back to Base = 2 points, whatever card is in it.
- What happens next is where the three kinds of card differ.
Find cards
A straight treasure hunt. Bring the holders back and trade them for treats. No reading needed — this is the one to start with.
- Every card found and brought back = 2 points.
- Swap the holder for the treat with the matching number.
- The Game Master ticks the found numbers off the score pad.
Act cards
Bring the holders back, then perform for extra points.
- Every card found and brought back = 2 points.
- Whoever found the card performs the action first.
- The other player or team can try to outdo them.
- The winner scores 3–5 points on quality, energy and creativity. The Game Master decides.
Solve cards
Bring the holders back, then work out the riddles.
- Every card found and brought back = 2 points.
- The finder answers the riddle first, for 3 points.
- Wrong? The next player — or the next team’s spokesperson — may try, for 3 points.
- Still wrong? Read out the easy clue, then hand it back to the original finder for 2 points.
- Mixed ages? Little ones can go straight to the easy clue, while the big kids take on the riddle.
Choose your mix
See what your crew is in the mood for — a straight-out treasure hunt for treats, a riddles night, or an acting challenge. You have 12 holders, so pick 12 cards. You decide.
- A treasure hunt — 12 Find. No reading, great for little ones and treats.
- An acting night — 4 Find, 8 Act. Big performances, lots of laughs.
- A riddles night — 4 Find, 8 Solve. Quieter, for the thinkers.
- All in — 4 Find, 4 Act, 4 Solve. A bit of everything — the full mission.
How it adds up
An example from the score pad — three teams, all three kinds of card:
- Night Owls — 24 points: 5 holders (10) + 2 riddles first try (6) + two winning acts (8)
- Torch Titans — 23 points: 4 holders (8) + 1 riddle (3) + three strong performances (12)
- Glow Bugs — 25 points: 6 holders (12) + 3 riddles (9) + one act (4) — won by volume!
Quick fixes
Too hard?
- Stand the holders upright, the right way up, facing where the players will walk from.
- Make the play area smaller.
- In daylight, turn the picture side out.
- Little ones? Add a dot to the cyclops’s outstretched hand. It’s permanent — try one first.
Too easy?
- Put out fewer cards.
- Make the play area bigger — try inside and outside together.
- Lay the holders at a flatter angle, so players have to get closer to see the flash.
- Vary the heights — up on top of things too, as long as they’re easy and safe to reach.
- Stick spare dots on scraps of paper or cardboard as false treasure.
- In daylight, turn the cyclops side out and leave just part of the holder showing.
Spare dots
You fit 52 dots, one on each card you hide. The sheet holds 150, so 98 are spare. Mostly they’re replacements, but there are two good uses for them.
Easier, for younger players. Add a second dot to the cyclops’s hand. Two reflective points are easier for a small child to catch in a beam. Start with one dot per card and only add more if the hunt is proving too hard.
Harder — false treasure. Stick a spare dot on a scrap of cardboard and hide it among the real ones. It flashes exactly the same. The groan is half the fun.
The dots are permanent — strong adhesive, which is exactly why they stay put on the cards. It also means they can lift paint and varnish: only stick spares on paper or cardboard you’re happy to throw away — never on furniture, walls, windows, cars or toys.
Safety
- Adult supervision at all times.
- Walk — never sprint while holding a torch.
- Keep torch beams away from eyes.
- Reflective dots are for ages 3+ only.
- Dots are permanent — spares only on paper or cardboard, never furniture.
- Warn the neighbours if you’re playing near property boundaries.
Get one
The first run is 500 boxes, made now and landing for the summer. Leave your email and you’ll hear from us when they arrive — nothing else in your inbox.
Last updated 4 October 2026