The Wild, Citywide Scavenger Hunt That Ate San Francisco

"The throng inside hunted for QR codes on the walls and admired a makeshift art gallery that showcased a collection of paintings, each referencing a famous historical work-Vermeer's Girl With a Pearl Earring, Munch's The Scream-but with the visage of a cartoon stick figure (his name is Percy) standing in for the central subject. A secret film played in theater 4."

"This was the grand finale of Pursuit, a citywide scavenger hunt that took place for several weeks throughout San Francisco. The goal: Find Percy, whose likeness had been plastered across posters, begging-and sometimes threatening-people to call a phone number to find him. Anyone who did so was led to complete 12 elaborate quests hidden across the city. Each task was revealed at a different time and lasted a few days, participants uncovering clues to lead them one step closer to Percy."

Pursuit staged a multiweek citywide scavenger hunt across San Francisco that enlisted more than 12,000 players to chase a cartoon character named Percy through twelve elaborate quests. Clues appeared in public spaces and tasks were revealed episodically, each lasting a few days and guiding participants closer to Percy. The finale attracted over 800 people to Apple Cinemas, featuring interactive installations, QR-code hunts, a secret film, themed art referencing famous paintings with Percy as the subject, merchandise, and a booth offering Percy tattoos. The project is in its second year and receives partial funding from FranciscoSan.org.

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