Powers
Nine powers to overturn the game
In LamaQuest, points are not only used for ranking: each player can use them to gain an advantage or hinder their opponents. Here’s what each power does and how to use it.
The principle
Things to spend money on, choices to make.
- The players pay using their own points. Each power has a cost: using it means accepting a temporary drop in rank in order to improve your position later.
- The organizer selects the powers at play. Each individual activity or feature can be enabled or disabled independently, along with its associated cost and settings.
- A power can be initiated with just two actions. From the “Powers” menu, you select the desired effect and then specify the target if one is required.
- No one goes below zero. A player cannot have more power than they have points, nor can they remove more points from an opponent than the opponent has.
The nine powers
What each authority does
Their effect, what the organizer decides, and the best time to use them.
Freezing
Pepper throwing
Bomb
Teleportation
Robin Hood
Wheel of Chaos
Photo challenge
Tricky question
Hacker
Gel
To defeat all opponents at once.
The effect
All other players are frozen: as long as the effect lasts, the card becomes blurred, they can no longer open any points, nor respond to challenges, or engage in duels. The thrower, however, continues to play alone.
The settings
The duration of the freeze (one minute by default) and its cost.
The perfect moment
When multiple players are vying for the same position, or when one player wants to finish a stage in first place before others can catch up.
Pepper throwing
To obscure the vision of an opponent.
The effect
The screen of the targeted player is covered in fiery peppers. They don’t lose any points, but they can read their questions and map much less effectively.
The settings
The duration of the effect and its cost.
The perfect moment
Just before an opponent reaches a difficult position, or to slow them down in a close race.
Bomb
Booby-trap the next question.
The effect
The targeted player receives a booby-trapped gift: opening it reveals a bomb that follows them until their next answer. If it is correct, it only earns them part of the expected points; if it is wrong, it costs them nothing. Either way, the bomb goes off on their screen right after the verdict and tells them what it cost.
The settings
The portion of the points retained and the associated cost.
The perfect moment
Focusing on the leading player before a question that could yield significant results.
Teleportation
Respond without moving.
The effect
The player receives a task that they keep in their pocket; when they decide to complete it, they touch a question on the card and answer it remotely, without having to physically go there.
The settings
The cost of the load.
The perfect moment
For a very distant, inaccessible, or when time is running out before the end of the game.
Robin Hood
Taking from one person to give to another.
The effect
The player takes a fixed number of points from one player and gives them to another. They are neither the victim nor the recipient; they decide who pays and who receives.
The settings
The number of points transferred and the associated cost.
The perfect moment
To help a player who is far away, or to solidify an unexpected alliance.
Wheel of Chaos
Relying solely on a single strategy.
The effect
The player spins an eight-sided wheel: four winning spaces, three losing spaces, and one neutral space. The outcome is determined when the wheel stops.
The settings
The maximum profit, the maximum loss, the probability of winning, and the cost.
The perfect moment
When you are far away and there is nothing left to lose.
Photo challenge
Earn points through visual impact.
The effect
The player sends one or more photos to the organizer, who then decides in real-time how many points to award or deduct based on the images. All of the photos are added to the game gallery.
The settings
The number of photos and the cost.
The perfect moment
To facilitate the activity: a group photo in front of a landmark, a staged scene, and an unusual object found along the way.
Tricky question
To mislead someone with a false trail.
The effect
A seemingly normal question appears on a competitor’s map. When answered, it reveals a hidden bonus or penalty that replaces the standard scoring system.
The settings
The traps set along the course, their associated bonuses or penalties, and their cost.
The perfect moment
This refers to a player who reacts to everything they see without thinking. This ability requires the organizer to prepare traps.
Hacker
Scramble a rival’s map.
The effect
The target’s screen gets scrambled and their points jump around the map before coming back: while the effect lasts, they cannot trust what they see. They lose no points, and a player who is already hacked cannot be hacked a second time at once.
The settings
How long the effect lasts (one minute by default) and its cost.
The perfect moment
When an opponent is finding their way to a stop, or in the home stretch of a close race.
And the duels?
When two players meet
The duel is not a power; it arises spontaneously when two players are nearby. The player who is challenged accepts or refuses, and then they both respond via their phones as quickly as possible.
- Three to five general knowledge questions, each exercise should take between 10 and 30 seconds to complete.
- 250 pre-written questions, these are categorized by age group and level of experience: never those from the training program.
- There are stakes involved with each question, as determined by the organizer.
- Optionally, each person chooses their own topic before starting.
Tips
Properly assess the powers.
- For the first part, activate three or four powers: the gel, Robin Hood, the roulette, and the photo challenge are all clear.
- Establish a cost that is close to what a question is worth. When power becomes too cheap, it turns into spam; when power becomes too expensive, it never delivers.
- Keep short clips. Just one minute of silence is enough to gain an advantage without upsetting others.
- Explain the powers during the briefing in thirty seconds: players benefit significantly from this.
- For a relaxing cultural visit simply disable all powers; the game remains a classic treasure hunt.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Do players need to install an app?
No. LamaQuest runs entirely in the phone’s browser. Players enter a room code, follow a link or scan a QR code posted on site, and the game starts.
Do players need an account?
No. A nickname and an avatar are enough — players join as guests. Someone who scans a QR code without even picking a name plays anonymously, and can join the competition later without losing their score. Only the host has an account.
Where can you play?
Anywhere there is GPS: a schoolyard, a park, a town centre, a campus, an estate… Every stop has an unlock radius you set yourself, from a few metres to several hundred.
How do questions unlock?
By GPS proximity, by scanning a QR code posted on site, or both. You also choose when each stop shows up on the map: right away, after the previous one, after a number of questions, after a delay, only when players get close (fog of war), or triggered by hand during the game.
Can I reuse my questions?
Yes. Your questions live in a bank that is independent from your quizzes: write them once, attach them to as many courses as you like. A new stop can even reuse a question written for another event.
What languages is the app available in?
French, English and Spanish — for the host’s screens as well as the players’. A single quiz can be translated too: each player then reads the questions in their own language, during the same game.
How much does it cost?
One credit lets one player (one phone) into one game: €8 excl. VAT from 20 to 99 credits, €7.50 from 100, €7 from 500, €6.50 from 1,000. No subscription, and credits never expire. Your account starts with 3 free credits to try it out, and players never pay anything. A large event? Write to us for a quote.
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