Treasure Quest - Reverse Geocache Box

NOW INCLUDES ARDUINO SOFTWARE

Treasure Quest is a Pirate Treasure Game. The chest contains electronics with a GPS module that guides you through a series of clues and destinations. After the final clue is solved and the destination reached, the box magically opens up to reveal the treasure inside. You define the waypoints, destination and clues by editing an SD card INI File that plugs into the electronics. Many have used this game to hide an engagement ring to propose to their fiancée.

Treasure Quest
This game consists of solving clues and traveling to destinations guided by a treasure chest that supplies the clues and the destinations through an LCD display. Treasure Quest has a number of improvements over the traditional reverse geocache. The Treasure Quest includes multiple waypoints and textual clues to lead the geocacher to the waypoints and the final destination. The quest chest only opens at the final destination. These enhancements make the game more fun and allow the activity to last longer than a single destination with only distance information. Memorable waypoints can be used with interesting clues that lead to the waypoints and final destination.
Features of the Treasure Quest
• Multiple destinations or waypoints including the last final destination
• The Treasure Quest presents interesting clues that must be solved. Clues are displayed on a large graphic display
• Sound cues
• Sleep feature to preserve the battery
• Micro SD card which contains the quest clues, waypoints, and other text to be displayed. You can create your own quest!
• All electronics is mounted on a plastic carrier so it is easy for users to install it inside their own antique, vintage, or custom box. Only one opening must be made to install the carrier including the display.
• Treasure Quest runs on six AA batteries which are easily replaced. Rechargeable batteries can also be used.

You can build your own Treasure Quest and mount it in your own box. It's easy and it only costs about $100 in materials. The electronic modules are off the shelf and mostly available from DFRobot.com. For example the Arduino Uno is $13 and the display is $20. You should be comfortable with soldering and downloading Arduino code to build your own Treasure Quest.

Read the manual included in the files section for more information on how to build your own Treasure Quest. The documentation also explains how to make the plastic parts look like antique brass and how to create realistic parchment pirate clues.

Example Clues (the vertical bar is the end of line for the LCD display):
text ="Caesar cipher -|Key 1|Kpboo't Gbcsjdt"
solution = JoAnn's Fabric

text ="Fix it, paint it|plumb it,|don't despair,|find help there.|A39 B9"
solution = Home Depot Aisle 39 Bay 9

text ="Quiet home for|books,plants,art|Prop your feet|in this lovely|retreat with an|hour,cup,teacart"
solution = Huntington Library in San Marcos California

text ="Nota Bene!|Octal address|is for computers|You must convert|& trnslate 34775|'Lappa Ripae Bvd"
solution = 14845 Burbank Blvd (Address for Thai Restaurant - final destination)

I've invested a huge amount of time into this project but have decided to release the software so people can build their own Treasure Quest. You may also write your own software.

Update November 2022: The IO Shield used with this project has been discontinued from DFRobot. I suggest that a Arduino Data Logger be used instead which will provide the SD reader. There are also shields that include an SD card and GPS unit.

Update June 2025: I've decided to release the software as open source. The file TreasureBoxQuestV4_0.zip contains the complete Treasure Quest software. You will have to install the called for libraries. I cannot support this software so be sure you are an Arduino programmer before attempting this project.