Perplex City: The World’s Biggest Treasure Hunt Arrives in Australia

It’s the game that’s been driving the Brits crazy and is now available here. Says the UK Observer newspaper of Perplex City, “Tens of thousands of people across the world are taking part in what could be the biggest treasure hunt in history.”

(PRWEB) January 30, 2006 -- Perplex City is part-puzzle, part-game, and part-story which will eventually lead one person to the mysterious ‘Receda Cube’ that has been stolen and buried somewhere on Earth. The first person to solve the web of intrigue and locate the hidden treasure will win a AUS $250,000 (£100,000) reward.

Players start by purchasing silver packages containing six cryptic puzzles cards. Each card features a puzzle which can provide the player with their first clues towards finding the cube. Players enter their solutions online at www.perplexcity.com and receive perplex points to help them advance up the global leaderboard

Tens of thousands of people across the world are taking part in what could be the biggest treasure hunt in history.

Perplex City is the sort of puzzle where sheer brain power isn't as valuable as creative and lateral thinking. In other words, a quick-witted child is as likely to piece the story together as a retired Maths professor.

The cards, created by leading designers and illustrators, feature beautifully crafted riddles, origami challenges, pop culture trivia, logical mindbenders, 3D mazes and Egyptian hieroglyphs. On the back of some of the 256 cards is a map which, when pieced together like a jigsaw, reveals central Perplex City and may help shed light on the mystery.

Leading on from the cards is a further series of interlinked puzzles which spill into the real world – websites, coded newspaper ads, TV clips, cryptic anonymous phone calls, stray emails, mystifying text messages and urban treasure hunts in random cities around the world.

The blend of real-life treasure hunting, interactive storytelling, and online community has proven irresistible to many. The search for the Receda Cube starts here:

www.perplexcity.com

Notes to Editors

The Perplex City game has been developed by Mind Candy (www.mindcandydesign.com) in conjunction with the Perplex City Academy. Mind Candy, based in London, is Europe’s leading developer of Alternate Reality Games. The company was launched in 2003 by Michael Smith who co-founded online retailer Firebox.com in 1998.

Perplex City is the first ARG to launch that isn't a promotion for a film, video game or brand. ARGs are cross-media games that deliberately blur the line between the in-game and out-of-game experiences. While games may primarily be centered around online resources, often events that happen inside the game reality will reach out into the players' lives in order to bring them together.

Over a dozen sites from Perplex City have sprung up already to help shed light on this strange alternative universe. Some of the main ones include:

The Sentinel – the main newspaper in Perplex City: http://www.perplexcitysentinel.com/

Characters from Perplex City have started blogging developments: http://www.scarlettkite.com/

Tens of thousands of players from earth have already answered the call for help and begun the search for the Cube: http://blog.unfiction.com/perplexcity

The Search begins at: http://www.perplexcity.com/

Perplex City cards are now available nation-wide at all EB games outlets as well as many specialist stores. There will soon be an online vendor - please check www.perplexcity.com for more information.

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