Starting at noon Friday, teams of Bostonians will fan out across a dozen neighborhoods chasing more than $15,000 in prizes in a free, three-week scavenger hunt built around roughly 100 of the city's landmarks, from the Freedom Trail's greatest hits to lesser-known historical gems. The game, called #FindTheGood Boston, runs through November 13 and wraps with its highest-scoring team nominating a Boston nonprofit to receive a $10,000 grant.
The hunt was launched by Elevate Cities, a nonprofit whose free, points-based game was detailed by The Boston Globe. Teams of up to six players compete through the FindTheGood website, racking up points at challenge sites across Boston. Elevate Cities CEO Kim Coupounas discussed the hunt in an interview with the Globe.
Elevate Cities was founded by Joe Deitch, who grew up in Dorchester and Mattapan and has worked in financial services and philanthropy. Deitch said he was bringing Elevate Cities to his hometown. Boston city officials collaborated on the game, the newspaper reported.
How the Points and Prizes Work
The game is scored on points rather than time, the Globe's reporting notes, so slow-and-steady teams aren't automatically out of contention. The first reward unlocks at 50 points, with additional prizes available every 50 points up through 500. Rewards on offer include complimentary dinners at local restaurants, zoo tickets, and gift cards to vintage shops, per the station's report.
The 20 highest-scoring challenges send players to locate or interact with Boston's newly installed historic markers, part of a citywide effort that added 25 plaques this past summer tied to Boston's 250th anniversary. Another 60 easier challenges sit within a one-block radius of those higher-value clues, spotlighting landmarks like community murals and small businesses. A final set of 20 challenges, including assignments such as spotlighting something good in a participant's own community, can be completed anytime, even from home, the same account notes.
Preparing the Route
Michael Farber, CEO of Breakout, the experience design firm behind the hunt, said he and his New York-based team spent months walking Boston with local historians and stakeholders to prepare the route.
A Concept Tested First in Miami
Elevate Cities piloted its scavenger-hunt concept in Miami in 2025, and the organization says that in its first nine months there it partnered with more than 40 local organizations and engaged tens of thousands of people, according to the Beacon Hill Times. The nonprofit says it contributed more than $150,000 to Miami-area nonprofits through unrestricted grants, fellowships, and sponsorships during that stretch. Elevate Cities' own account of the Miami effort, posted on its website, says the organization invited thousands of residents to participate and generated more than 900 million media impressions celebrating people making the city better.
Separately, the Beacon Hill Times reports Elevate Cities' Boston launch includes a $25,000 commitment to support 50 resident-led block parties and community gatherings this fall. Elevate Cities describes its mission on its FindTheGood page as using clues, challenges, community partnerships, and storytelling to help residents discover the people, places, and organizations making a positive difference where they live.
