Getting Started with Questovery: from sign-up to your first live game

In 20 to 30 minutes, you can publish a playable quest and launch your first teams.

This guide takes you through the full flow:

• web sign-up,
• creating your first quest,
• setting up your first playable steps,
• adding photos (quest + step),
• understanding step geolocation logic,
• enabling team self-start,
• sharing the quest QR code,
• scanning and joining on mobile,
• launching teams,
• reading the leaderboard,
• understanding team credit logic.

This tutorial follows the quest QR code flow only for a simple and reliable setup.

Before you start

Prepare these items before your first setup:

• a web organizer account,
• a smartphone with the Questovery mobile app installed,
• a simple 2-to-3-step scenario for your first test,
• a real test slot with at least 1 team.

Step 1 — Create your web account

1. Open the sign-up page (https://questovery.com/signup).
2. Fill in the form.
3. Click Sign up.

Step 2 — Create your first quest

1. Sign in, then open My quests (https://questovery.com/app/quests).
2. Click New quest.
3. Enter a clear name (example: Downtown rally test).
4. Click Create.

You are redirected to the quest settings page.

Step 3 — Add your first playable steps

1. In the quest, open the Steps section.
2. Click + to add a step.
3. Give the step a clear name.
4. Open step editing (pencil icon).
5. In the Question section, choose the riddle type.
6. Configure at least:

• the prompt (question/message),
• the solution if needed,
• options for multiple choice,
• bonus/penalty if you use a scored type.

Recommendation for a first test:

• Step 1: simple and quick (for example Message without riddle or MCQ).
• Step 2: field validation (for example Code or QR code + MCQ).

Remember:

• If you use Scan QR code or QR code + MCQ, download the step QR code with Download QR code (SVG).
• You can reorder steps with drag and drop in the Steps section.

Common pitfall:

• Starting a test without a clear question or without a solution on scored steps.

Step 4 — Set the game mode

1. In the quest, in General info, open Game mode.
2. Choose:

• Competitive if you want ranking by adjusted time,
• Exploration if you want ranking by points first.

3. Confirm your choice before moving on (final leaderboard depends on this mode).

Step 5 — Add a quest photo and a step photo

1. Open the quest Media section.
2. In Select image, upload the main quest visual.
3. Then open a step and go to its Media section.
4. In the Image block, upload the step photo.
5. Check the preview on the quest card and on the step card.

Common pitfall:

• Adding a quest image but forgetting the step image. Players see them at different moments.

Step 6 — Understand step geolocation (and keep it disabled in this guide)

1. Open a step, then open Geolocate steps.
2. Check the Enable geolocation switch.
3. For this first-launch tutorial, keep this switch disabled.
4. Keep this logic in mind:

• when geolocation is enabled, players must be inside the Unlock radius to open the step,
• when it is disabled, the step can unlock without location constraints.

Remember:

• This option is used to enforce physical presence on site.
• At team start, a geolocated first step stays locked until the team is in the zone.

Step 7 — In Departures, enable team self-start

1. Open the Departures section.
2. Enable Allow teams to start by themselves.
3. Confirm waiting teams are visible in this section.

Remember:

• A real start happens when someone clicks Launch team quest (web) or Start quest (mobile).
• With this switch enabled, teams can start without organizer validation.

Common pitfall:

• Enabling the switch and thinking all teams start instantly. Each team must press Start quest.

Step 8 — Share the quest QR code

1. Open the quest.
2. Click Share quest.
3. Display the quest QR code.
4. Share this QR with participants (screen, print, message).

The QR opens the quest invitation screen directly in the mobile app.

Common pitfall:

• Mixing up quest QR codes (join/start flow) and step QR codes (on-field validation).

Step 9 — Scan the QR code on mobile

1. Open the Questovery mobile app.
2. On player home, tap Join.
3. Allow camera access if requested.
4. Scan the quest QR code.
5. If needed, use Paste link.

Step 10 — Let teams join the game

After scanning the quest QR code:

1. The quest invitation screen opens.
2. The player enters:

• Player name,
• Team name.

3. The player taps Join.
4. The team is created for this quest and the game opens.

To create multiple teams, repeat the same quest QR scan from other phones (or with different team names).

Remember:

• If Allow teams to start by themselves is enabled, the team can tap Start quest.
• Otherwise, the team stays waiting until the organizer starts it in Departures.

Common pitfall:

• Assuming Join always starts the game immediately. In organizer-start mode, the team may stay waiting.

Step 11 — End of game and leaderboard

During the game:

• each step goes from locked to unlocked to completed,
• answers and timing affect scoring based on the mode.

When all expected steps are completed, the team is marked as finished. The leaderboard combines waiting, active, and finished teams.

Step 12 — Understand the team credit system

How credits are consumed

Exact rules:

1. Creating a team does not consume credit.
2. Credit is consumed at actual team start: when clicking Launch team quest (web) or Start quest (mobile if allowed).
3. If the quest has no steps, start is rejected.
4. A team that already started cannot be started again.
5. On the Free offer, if no prepaid teams are available, start is rejected.
6. On the Unlimited offer, no prepaid credit is debited at start.
7. On the Questovery Subscription offer, prepaid teams are consumed first, then extra usage goes to metered billing.
8. At start, the first step is auto-unlocked only if it is not geolocated.
9. No riddle and Message without riddle steps auto-complete once unlocked.
10. A team reaches game end when all expected steps are completed.
11. In Competitive mode, ranking is sorted by adjusted duration (bonus/penalty converted into minutes).
12. In Exploration mode, ranking is sorted by points, then by duration as tie-breaker.

Operational consequence:

• You can prepare waiting teams without spending credits.
• Debit happens only when you (or an authorized team) actually start the game.

Remember:

• To control costs, monitor credits at team starts, not at invitations.

Common pitfall:

• Thinking that simply adding teams to a quest already spends credit.

Quick troubleshooting

Team cannot be started

Check:

• that the quest has at least 1 step,
• that the team has not already started,
• that you have prepaid teams available if you are on the Free offer.

Players stay in waiting state

Check:

• the Allow teams to start by themselves switch,
• or start teams manually on organizer side.

Scan does not work

Check:

• mobile camera permission,
• that the quest QR is opened from the quest sharing button,
• Paste link if camera is unavailable.

A step does not unlock

Check:

• whether the step is geolocated (players must be inside radius),
• whether the previous step is completed,
• the riddle type and expected correct answer.