Utah man uncovers $5,000 treasure in hunt organized by Pleasant Grove video game company (2024)

By Curtis Booker - | Oct 26, 2024

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Utah man uncovers $5,000 treasure in hunt organized by Pleasant Grove video game company (1)

Jason Holt, winner of the Swords of Secret summer treasure hunt, is shown with his winnings Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024.

Courtesy Future House Studios

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Utah man uncovers $5,000 treasure in hunt organized by Pleasant Grove video game company (2)

Game developer Adam Sidwell, left, poses with Jason Holt, middle, winner of the $5,000 Swords of Secret treasure hunt, on Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024.

Courtesy Future House Studios

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Utah man uncovers $5,000 treasure in hunt organized by Pleasant Grove video game company (3)

Jason Holt, winner of the $5,000 Swords of Secret treasure hunt, is shown holding a sword near the Great Saltair on Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024.

Courtesy Future House Studios

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Utah man uncovers $5,000 treasure in hunt organized by Pleasant Grove video game company (4)

Jason Holt, winner of the Swords of Secret summer treasure hunt, is shown with his winnings Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024.

Courtesy Future House Studios

Jason Holt, winner of the Swords of Secret summer treasure hunt, is shown with his winnings Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024.
Game developer Adam Sidwell, left, poses with Jason Holt, middle, winner of the $5,000 Swords of Secret treasure hunt, on Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024.
Jason Holt, winner of the $5,000 Swords of Secret treasure hunt, is shown holding a sword near the Great Saltair on Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024.

Jason Holt, winner of the Swords of Secret summer treasure hunt, is shown with his winnings Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024.

Blending a mobile video game with the great outdoors can certainly be a catalyst for exploring the natural beauty Utah has to offer — and in one West Jordan man’s case, scoring $5,000.

In June, the creators of Swords of Secret, an immersive mobile game in which players go on quests fighting enemies and finding treasures, launched their summer treasure hunt. The virtual platform led players to a real-life treasure hidden somewhere in the state.

After more than four months, the search came to an end Tuesday when Adam Sidwell, CEO of Future House Studios in Pleasant Grove and developer of the game, said the treasure was located on salt flats near the Great Saltair in Magna.

“You never know how long it’s going to take someone to solve the quests. It’s kind of like any video game where you set up all the content (and) they just have to work their way through the levels,” Sidwell said.

Around 1,500 people participated in the summer hunt, primarily Utahns, but Sidwell said there were a few players who live outside of the state.

Jason Holt of West Jordan recounted a series of events, including working with fellow players last weekend to take down an enemy called the World Boss, followed shortly after by hiking the hills above Draper and Lehi during the middle of the night to defeat a virtual dragon.

“What happened next was I got some GPS coordinates in my email that kind of gave me a general location, and so I immediately put my shoes on, hopped on a bike, and I zipped way out there to Saltair,” Holt explained.

But once he arrived at the venue, which sits on the edge of the Great Salt Lake, there were still a few more steps to follow before uncovering the cash.

“Along with the GPS coordinates, there was a bit of a hint — like a poem hint, a little bit of a riddle. And I managed to figure (it) out and pull the treasure out of a bush out there,” said Holt, whose player name is “Dreggystyle”.

Holt said when he arrived, there were others there who also seemed to be searching the area, though he wasn’t sure if they were there for the same reason.

Regardless, he prevailed and reigned victorious in the hunt.

He described feeling an adrenaline rush upon opening the treasure chest filled with crisp dollar bills in various amounts.

“Man, that was the best day I’ve had this year,” Holt proclaimed.

And he already has plans for the winnings. Holt said he ran into trouble with his truck earlier this year that almost ruined a planned vacation he had purchased plane tickets for.

He hopes to use a portion of the money to pay down credit card debt, while keeping the rest.

Holt, who described himself as an avid gamer, hiker and thrill-seeker, said that aside from finding the treasure, he enjoyed the camaraderie among all the players and sense of community with people he met through the Swords of Secret game.

“It’s been so much fun ripping around, going and getting all the catches and fighting the world bosses,” said Holt, who added he would be up for doing the challenge all over again.

“It was pretty awesome to see that in action, a player who had jumped into the game and really loved all the aspects of the game,” Sidwell said.

Prior to the Swords of Secret summer quest, Sidwell said they typically do a couple of hunts during the winter. Late last year and in January of this year, they organized separate hunts offering winners a $1,000 treasure.

Sidwell said there could be another hunt this winter, potentially around Christmas.

There also are plans to make next year’s hunt even more special through a partnership with Nerd HQ, an organization founded by actor Zachary Levi.

“We’re planning a hunt with them coming up in the next couple of months. And so players, get ready. … It’s going to be something new that will be unexpected and delightful and amazing,” Sidwell said.

In the meantime, he encourages past and future players of the mobile game to keep tabs on upcoming hunts and events at swordsofsecret.com.

“We’ve got this awesome place that we live in Utah and, you know, if we can send somebody outside and they see shooting stars over their heads, and they’re on a quest, (it’s) such a cool sense of fulfillment,” Sidwell said.

Utah man uncovers $5,000 treasure in hunt organized by Pleasant Grove video game company (2024)

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