The Hunt Is On

Sunshine Coast guide

Outdoor escape rooms on the Sunshine Coast

Field guide // Outdoor escape games

Puzzle hunts played on your phone in real towns: Caloundra, Mooloolaba, Eumundi, Nambour, Montville, Yandina and the hinterland.

The town is the room

An indoor escape room locks you in for an hour with a clock on the wall. An outdoor escape game flips it around: the puzzles are hidden in real streets, headlands and laneways, and you walk the route on your phone. Each stop has a clue you can only crack standing there, a date on a plaque, the shape of a roofline, the view from a lookout, and each answer unlocks the next stop.

Every game from The Hunt Is On has a story to solve, a clock that only runs while you are puzzling, and a leaderboard so you can see how your time stacks up against everyone else who has played that town.

How it is different from an indoor escape room

  • No booking slot. Start when you are ready, at the first stop. Stop for lunch halfway and pick it up after.
  • You see the town. The route takes you past the places worth seeing, and each one is part of the puzzle.
  • Any size of group. Play solo, as a couple, or split a big group into teams and race on the same leaderboard.
  • Nothing to download. It runs in your phone's web browser. Open the link and go.

Where you can play on the Sunshine Coast

Our town games and story trails are coming in 2027: open any case file to get an email the day it opens. Until then, play at home.

Caloundra

  • The Keeper's Last Light: a 1942 wartime mystery around the Caloundra lighthouses. Ten stops, four suspects, ciphers and Morse code.
  • Pip and the Pelican: a family art trail. A pelican has stolen a young artist's sketchbook, and you win back the pages at Caloundra's public artworks.

Mooloolaba

  • The Wharf Job: smugglers, a missing haul and a heist planned between the wharf and the Spit.

Coolum Beach

  • Nan's Postcard Dare: a free family art trail along the boardwalk to Point Perry, with Nan's crossword and this year's postcard.

Eumundi

Nambour

Yandina

  • Wally's Tall Tales: Old Wally tells two stories at every stop, one true and one a fib. Catch him out.

Anywhere

  • Stay on the Line: a free 25-minute thriller you play at home, locking down your own smart home before first light. For players aged 15 and over. Open now.
  • The Keeper's Log: a free 15-minute case you play on the couch. The lighthouse keeper rings you in the night, late 1942.

What it costs

The art and history trails are free, and so are Stay on the Line and The Keeper's Log. The mystery games are $10 each, and Chapter 1 of every mystery is free to try.

Before you head out: charge your phone, wear shoes you can walk in, and bring water, a hat and sunscreen. Read the safety rules: you tick a box to agree to them before every game.

Who it suits

  • Families: the story trails are made for kids, with free hints and no clock.
  • Friends and couples: the mysteries have a clock, a twist and a leaderboard to argue over.
  • Visitors: a self-guided way to see a town, with a story to follow.
  • Work teams and parties: split into teams and race. See groups and parties.

Updated 18 October 2026. Check opening times and conditions before you go.

Questions

How long does an outdoor escape game take?

It depends on the game and how fast you walk. Each game card shows the time and distance once they are confirmed. The Keeper's Log, which you play at home, takes about 10 to 15 minutes.

Do we need to book?

No. Start whenever you like at the first stop. Your progress is saved, so you can stop and pick it up another day.

Can children play?

Yes. The story trails are made for families. Players under 18 play with a parent or guardian, who ticks the safety box for them.

What if it rains?

Come back another day. Stop in storms, extreme heat, high winds or poor light. Your progress is kept on your phone.

How many people can play?

Any number. Each team plays on one phone, and a big group can split into teams and race on the same leaderboard.

More guides

The Caloundra lighthousesTwo heritage towers, a road trip and a wartime headland.Free things to doBeaches, waterfalls, lookouts and free museums, coast to hinterland.Groups and partiesTeam days, Christmas parties, birthdays and school groups.School holidaysHoliday dates, free trails for kids and rainy-day games.Best mystery games at homeParty kits, phone mysteries, boxed case files and puzzle apps: what each is best for.

The case files

Pick your escape