Many of you were around for last year's Dropquest, where we sent y'all on a magical journey through Dropbox and the interwebs. Wordokus were solved, music puzzles were deciphered, origami cranes were folded, and dragons were slain.
All in all, nearly half a million Dropquesters were rewarded for their craftiness, skill, and effort. That was well over a year ago, and since then we've been holding our cards and toiling away to craft a Dropquest successor worthy of the first.
That being said, we've got something to say about the Dropquest landing next weekend:
It's back.
It's harder.
It's epic-er.
If you’re experiencing Dropquest for the first time, or if you're a veteran needing a recap, here's the scoop:
What is Dropquest? Dropquest is a multi-step scavenger hunt that has you solve a series of puzzles (inspired by the likes of MIT's Mystery Hunt or Notpron [though not nearly as time/effort-consuming]). Everyone who completes Dropquest will get at least 1 GB of extra free space, even if you participated last year. Also, everyone starts at the same time, but the questers who finish the soonest get additional amazing prizes.
1st place (1) Dropbox employee hoodie, LIMITED EDITION Dropbox Hack Week t-shirt, Dropbox drawing signed by the entire Dropbox team, invitation to help write the next Dropquest, 100 GB for life
2nd place (10) Dropbox employee hoodie, Dropbox t-shirt, 20 GB for life
3rd place (15) Dropbox t-shirt, 5 GB for life
4th place (50) 2 GB for life
5th place (100) 1 GB for life
Any rules? This year, we won't tolerate use of our support, forums, or blog for Dropquest hints or answers -- our wonderful mods and support team would really appreciate it. In fact, you'll probably get disqualified if we catch you doing this.
When is it? Dropquest starts Saturday, May 12, at 10AM PST (17:00 GMT). Don't be late.
(this link won't work until Dropquest is ready)
Other questions: Wait, did you say harder? Yes indeed! We've got a whole trove of puzzles that will require a discerning eye and tons of creativity to solve, and many of this year's puzzles will require you to go several layers deep ( *cue Inception horns*). Feel free to grab a friend ( last year's winners Veronica and Evonne would definitely encourage you to do so!), but just be aware that one key doesn't fit every door this year...
Woah, it's WAY too hard! After Dropquest has been out for a while, we'll periodically release hints for each step to help you guys out. Use these at your own risk.
How long will Dropquest take? To be honest, we don't know! There are a bunch of factors that dynamically shift while Dropquest is running, so it's pretty hard to tell. Last year Dropquest was finished in a little under 2 hours, but the Black-ops team doubts that it'll be solved in under 5 hours this year -- feel free to prove us wrong ;).
Will I need any special tools? Most if not all of this year's puzzles can be solved using your internet browser and pencil + paper. While not necessary, we highly suggest downloading and installing the Dropbox desktop application. Several puzzles take place within your Dropbox, and installing will make your life much easier. There won't be any need for a printer this time (sorry origami enthusiasts!)
What if I win free space? Aside from that being awesome, you should know that your current account type (e.g., Basic, Pro 50, Pro 100) won’t change. Your free space is just for you, so you can’t give it to anyone else or sell it. As always, using Dropbox is subject to our Terms of Service and other terms. Check them out at http://www.dropbox.com/terms.
What's the story behind Dropquest? Dropquest is written and produced by a two-man cell of the Black-ops Team, and is the result of Dropbox's very sacred Hack Week, where employees get a full week to work on any project they'd like no matter how technical or random. There are plans to produce a new Quest for every subsequent Hack Week.
To learn more about why this is truly an incredible place to work, visit our jobs page.
