Day-Of Troubleshooting

Keep this page open on your phone during the event. Nearly every issue is below; the full version lives in the Organizer Toolkit.

"The QR won't scan"

1. Wipe the camera lens — seriously, it's this half the time.
2. Check for sun glare on the laminate; shade it with your hand or body.
3. Move back to arm's length; don't crowd the code.
4. Fallback: every sign prints its sign code (e.g. SAMPLE-3) — players can type it into the player page manually.

"The GPS says we're not there"

The player checks location within about 30 m. If GPS drifts (tree cover, buildings), use the manual code entry — the game continues normally. Don't move the sign; phone GPS is the variable, not your placement.

"Two teams tied"

Your answer key includes a tiebreaker question. Read it aloud; first correct shout wins. If it's still tied, declare co-champions — it's a party.

"A sign is missing or damaged"

Check the placement map in your kit for the stop order, then either reprint from your kit files or read that stop's puzzle aloud from the answer key and let teams solve on paper. The game survives one lost sign.

"A team is way behind or lost"

The hint ladder exists for this — remind them hints are free. If a team is truly stuck, walk them to the next stop yourself. Fun beats fairness.

Rain

See the rain plan. When in doubt, postpone — wet phones and wet signs make nobody happy.

Still stuck?

Email zqmcomputing@gmail.com — the Lab monitors it during every event window.