Pirates: The Skull Map
Five map pieces, one treasure and a captain's hat up for grabs, for families and teams of all ages.
About
Captain Silverbeard is retiring after fifty years at sea, and he has torn his treasure map into five pieces hidden across the seas. The crew that puts the map back together, finds the treasure and wins the final sea battle becomes the new captain.
The voyage runs on GoQuest, TeamTika’s team game app, with each crew on a phone or tablet. The five pieces lie in the Anchor Tavern, aboard the Black Gull, on Skull Island, in the Treasure Cave and in the Sea Battle. Twenty-five tasks mix sailor talk, navigation and treasure maths with pirate costumes, sea shanties, sail hauling and a giant X on the sand.
A live leaderboard keeps every crew in the hunt. In the last piece, teams face One-Eye’s gang, decide what to do when a white flag goes up and write the rules for their own ship.
It works for company family days and mixed age groups just as well as for adult teams.
Learning outcomes
Sharing out the treasure, reading the compass and pacing out the X all turn on simple numbers that the whole crew can check together before answering once.
The white flag question asks crews what a good captain does when a rival gives up, a playful way into fairness and how we treat competitors.
Singing, dancing and hauling ropes in time mean every crew member has a role, whatever their age or confidence.
Writing the ship's rules at the end turns the fun into a simple team charter people remember.
Program flow
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1. The Anchor Tavern
Crews accept Silverbeard's challenge, dress up as pirates, count his coins and sing a sea shanty.
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2. The Black Gull
Crews learn sailor talk, log the voyage, haul the sails on the count and read the signal flags.
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3. Skull Island
Crews pace out the X, find north by the stars, form a giant X and dance a pirate jig.
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4. The Treasure Cave
Crews crack the chest lock, name the gems and coins and share the treasure fairly.
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5. The Sea Battle
Crews fire the cannons, answer the white flag, shout the new captain's call and write their ship's rules.
What is included
Included
- Facilitation by experienced game hosts
- The Pirates: The Skull Map game on the GoQuest app
- Live leaderboard for the big screen
- Judging of photo, video and audio tasks
- Winner announcement and closing recap
Not included
- Venue rental
- Catering and refreshments
- Audio-visual equipment (projector, screen, sound)
- Phones or tablets for each team
- Transportation to and from the venue
Frequently asked questions
How many people can take part?
We run up to 30 teams per event, each playing on its own phone or tablet. Players join in the phone browser with a game code, so there is nothing to install. Tell us your headcount and we will suggest team sizes.
How long does the program take?
About two hours of play, plus a short briefing at the start and the leaderboard reveal at the end.
Can children play?
Yes. The Skull Map was written for families and all ages, so it suits family days and mixed groups as well as adult teams.
Can this be run indoors or outdoors?
Both. The tasks only need the app and things found nearby, so it works in a meeting room, a hotel ballroom, a resort or a garden.
Is the game available in Vietnamese?
Yes. Pirates: The Skull Map has full English and Vietnamese versions, and we set the language for each event.
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Request a quote for Pirates: The Skull Map
Tell us your group size, date and goals. We will reply with a tailored proposal.