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The search is finally over! Mind Candy, creators of Perplex City, the puzzle-based worldwide treasure hunt, announced today that the long sought-after Receda Cube has been found. For the last two years, more than 50,000 registered Perplex City players in 92 countries have collected cards, solved puzzles, come together in online and physical gatherings, and scoured the planet for clues to the elusive Cube’s location.

Andy Darley, an amateur archaeologist, rocketed to the head of the pack as he succeeded in unearthing the Cube which was buried in Wakerley Great Wood, England (approximately 110 miles north of London) to claim the $200,000 reward.

The journey to the Cube involved piecing together clues that were present in almost every form of media available, including web sites, books, voicemail, text messages and, of course, the puzzle cards themselves. In order to receive the reward, Mr. Darley was not only required to locate the Cube, but to bring it in-person to the Mind Candy offices in London, England. Andy Darley arrived at the Mind Candy office, cube in hand, at 12:40PM local time, February 8. Upon delivery of the Cube, Mr. Darley was awarded a $200,000 check for his efforts in helping the bewildered populace of Perplex City to reclaim their wayward heirloom.

During the course of the first season, various live events were played all over the world. One such event took place this past August in San Francisco, California. In the largest alternate reality gaming live event in history, hundreds of players took to the hilly streets solving puzzles and gathering clues that were scattered throughout the city. A hi-tech first-of-its-kind RFID game was played as well.

Perplex City creator’s, MindCandy, are prepping for the world’s largest alternate reality game (ARG) live event ever - The San Francisco Connection. Set to take place in San Francisco, CA on August 12, 2006, the event will have thousands scouring the city streets, taking part in a high-tech treasure hunt.

Up to 1000 players and spectators will take part on-site, along with thousands more online. The main puzzle will involve real-time RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tracking – something never done before, making it the most impressive and high-tech puzzle ever. Using special chips embedded within objects, RFID allows for a variety of games by tracking the chips within a specific area. The day’s activities will be ‘in-game’ - in other words, participants will influence a vitally important part of the Perplex City story.

There will be hundreds of puzzles for players to solve as they take to the streets. For instance, following a trail of puzzles might direct players to the Transamerica building, where they would need to find how many entrances it has in order to move on; other examples of puzzles will range from images and riddles to finding stale technology (where can one find a floppy drive these days?).

The event will begin and end at the Palace of Fine Arts Theatre in San Francisco, and will run from 10:30am to approximately 4pm. It is open to everyone (if under 16, please bring a parent or guardian). Those planning to attend are asked to sign up beforehand at www.perplexcity.com (under ‘live events’), as there are a limited number of player spaces available. Players are encouraged to bring a car, bike, or another mode of transit if available (although it isn’t necessary) and a good map of San Francisco.

About Perplex City
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