Adventures await.
Your family’s day in NYC becomes a mystery to solve. Follow clues through real landmarks, uncover hidden stories, and share an adventure you’ll never forget.
What mystery will you solve?
Are you up to the Challenge?
Clues are hidden in plain sight. Landmarks become part of the puzzle. Whether you know these streets by heart or are visiting for the first time, every step invites your team to explore, think creatively, and uncover what others overlook.
Reports from the Field
What Explorers Are Saying
"It felt like we were on a secret mission. Every time we solved something I wanted to see the next clue."
"For once, the kids were the ones pushing us to get to the next place. It was the first time in a while that a day out in the city had everyone excited to keep going."
"I liked finding clues in places I had walked past before but didn't notice. It made me realize the whole city is a giant puzzle."
Frequently asked questions
What is Clue & Compass?
Clue & Compass creates family-friendly, story-driven scavenger hunts in New York City. You’ll get a mystery to solve, clues to follow, and real places to explore—designed for kids and grown-ups to enjoy together.
Each hunts takes about 90 minutes and is self-guided through our companion app (no tour guide). You go at your own pace.
Are the stories “real”? Do kids need to believe to have fun?
All of the storylines behind Clue & Compass quests are fictional, but it's fun to be able to feel that you’ve stumbled into a real secret society or hidden inheritance. Participants don’t need to believe the stories are literally real to enjoy the puzzles and adventure, but we've tried our best to make the quests clever enough that both kids and adults feel like they are truly solving a mystery.
Can I buy a Clue & Compass Quest as a gift?
Absolutely. Clue & Compass hunts make excellent gifts—especially for families who want memorable experiences instead of more "stuff." Every hunt comes with a downloadable, personalized certificate that’s perfect for printing or emailing alongside a birthday or holiday card. Just look for emailed instructions for how to customize your certificate(s) after purchase.
Do I need to buy a quest for every participant?
No! Each hunt is designed for a team to play together. In fact, many of the puzzles and activities are intentionally crafted to spark group brainstorming and collaboration — solving mysteries together is part of the fun.
But for the quest to feel authentic, the story needs to flow to a single physical address (or one email address, as applicable). If the same quest is played in parallel by different teams, it takes away some of the magic: the messages won’t feel unique, the puzzles risk being “spoiled” a few minutes or days ahead, and the sense that your team has been chosen to solve the mystery can get lost.
That’s why each quest is directed to one group at a time. Once you’ve completed it, you’re welcome to recommend it to friends — but they’ll want to start fresh with their own copy of the adventure. To keep the mystery alive, we suggest sharing your enthusiasm, not any details. The fun comes from discovering the story, the challenge, and the locations step by step — and that magic only works if each team gets to experience it for themselves.
How many people can play together?
Quests are designed for a team to share one device and solve the mystery side by side. That means the ideal group size is usually limited to the number of people who can comfortably gather around a phone at once — big enough for collaboration, but small enough that everyone stays engaged.
For most families, that sweet spot is 2–6 players. Larger groups may find that some kids (or adults!) drift to the sidelines, while smaller groups will get the full experience of working together at each location.
Does Clue & Compass offer quests outside of NYC?
NYC is home base. Additional cities and travel-destination hunts are planned—join our list to hear when new cities launch.