How it works

One person hosts. Everyone else runs.

A CairnRoaming game is a time-boxed footrace across an area you choose. Here’s the whole thing, start to finish.

Hosting: two minutes, tops

1. 1. Draw the area.Trace a shape on the map — a park, a campus, a village, a chunk of moorland. Big or small, it’s your arena.
2. 2. Set the clock. Pick a duration — 30, 60, 90 minutes. The game ends when the timer does, wherever everyone is.
3. 3. Generate the points.The app scatters 15–30 scored points across your area, avoiding water, buildings and places you can’t sensibly stand.
4. 4. Share the code. Players join with a short code or QR. Split into teams or play free-for-all. Hit start.

Playing: reach it, hold it, bank it

Every point on the map has a score. Get within its capture radius and hold your ground for a few seconds — that’s the dwell— and it’s yours. High-value points ask for a quick photo as proof you were really there. Captured points vanish for everyone else, so route choice is everything: do you sweep the easy cluster, or gamble on the big one at the top of the hill?

Scoring: harder is worth more

Points are scored by difficulty — distance, terrain and climb all count. The colours tell you what you’re in for:

• Easy. Close and reachable — quick wins to get the board moving.
• Medium. A proper leg-stretch. Worth detouring for.
• Hard. Awkward, far, or uphill. Photo proof required.
• Extreme. The game-winners. Expect to earn them.

Fair play: the server is the referee

Every capture is validated on our servers, not on your phone. GPS plausibility checks, dwell timing and photo proof mean you can’t teleport, spoof or capture from the pub. If the leaderboard says someone won, they walked for it.

Stay sharp out there

It’s a real-world game: watch for traffic, respect private land and keep an eye on your group. Points are placed on reachable ground, but your eyes beat any map — never trade safety for a score.