santa monica pier

secret story tours

For their 110th anniversary, the Pier wanted to do something unique and memorable to celebrate their history.

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They hired us to create an official historical tour as a puzzle quest.  So we created a custom app that showcases the history of the pier in a safe and socially distanced way.

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Rather than lecturing players about history, it comes alive in their hands, inviting them to discover the mysteries lying just beneath the surface. A tiered hint system means the tour is fun and accessible for both novice players and experienced puzzlers. 

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Finally, it provides unique opportunities to hold history in your hands, and then take an exclusive photo to share with the world.   

"We know that everyone, especially families, are looking for safe and fun activities, and we are lucky to have puzzle masters like the Wild Optimists and an open-air space to make it happen!"

Negin Singh, Santa Monica Pier

ELECTRIC FOREST MUSIC FESTIVAL

PUZZLE QUESTS

A four day music festival that draws over 45,000 attendees to listen to music, experience immersive art installations and… play puzzles.

 

We designed two puzzle quests and an immersive event.  The quests spanned the forest, art installations, and village area.

 

These quests were fun, durable and were played by thousands of people over four days.  Many attendees cited our games as their favorite part of the festival.

“Loved working with Juliana & Ariel. They created a magical experience for our Anti-Gala. It got attendees making new friends and playing together in a matter of seconds. Can’t wait to find more things to build together." 

Brent Bushnell, Two Bit Circus

TWO BIT CIRCUS

GALA GAME

Two Bit Circus hosted a 500+ person gala to raise money for their amusement park.

 

The challenge we were presented with was how to make dinner fun and get the energy up before the auction so people would be more willing to spend.

 

Our answer: A puzzle quest that was ”discovered” after the salad plate was removed and revealed that the centerpiece was actually a machine you needed to build (by solving puzzles.) Once solved, it spit out gold coins that could be used to purchase a prize.

 

This event included video games, circus performers and a cocktail making robot, but on a poll of the biggest donors after the event our game was cited as the most fun of the evening.