Munzee

Munzee
First playedJuly 1, 2011
Texas, United States
Characteristics
Team members
  • Rob Vardeman - President
  • Louise Gibson - Global Munzee Events Director
TypeRecreational activity
EquipmentMobile phone or tablet computer with GPS receiver
Presence
Country or regionWorldwide
Illustration of a Munzee, which players create and hide for other players to find

Munzee is a freemium scavenger hunt game where QR codes have to be found at different places in the real world. The game is similar to geocaching but uses QR code technology, in addition to device GPS location, to prove the find instead of a logbook. Launched in McKinney, Texas in 2011, the game caught on first in Germany, along with California and Michigan. It is now played in more than 188 countries around the world, and there is at least one physical Munzee deployed on every continent, including Antarctica.[1][2]

The QR codes are placed by players at places of interest and are often printed on weatherproof stickers. Previously, the places could also be marked by a NFC tag, however this functionality was removed in 2018.[3] These stickers are called Munzees. Both the finding and the hiding players receive points for deploying and finding Munzees. The QR codes on the Munzees are read by means of a smartphone app for iOS or Android. [1] The coordinates of the Munzees as well as the data of the players are managed via the central web platform.

Virtual Munzees are also available for purchase. These also appear in app lists and on maps, and they are "captured" by locating the app device within 300 feet of the designated location. The device must also be within 300 feet of a QR code Munzee to verify "capture."[4]

  1. ^ a b Spencer, Susan. "New game in town". Telegram. Archived from the original on 19 June 2020. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  2. ^ Dorsey, Erika (2012). "Member Spotlight" (PDF). Heartland Highlights. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-08-19. Retrieved 2017-08-19.
  3. ^ Clark, Mike (5 September 2012). "Munzee adds NFC to geolocation game". NFC World. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  4. ^ "About Munzee". speurvuur.nl. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 2014-01-24.