The app basically consists of two screens; the main screen where all available Sobileks are shown and a screen where you can edit them. A Sobilek is simply a treasure hunt with a number of questions to which media or a GPS location can be added. This hunt can be shared with others from the main screen, and played after importing it into this app.
The main screen shows an overview of all Sobileks created on this device or imported from another location (for example, a Sobilek that has been shared with you via WhatsApp). Sobileks can be edited or played from this main screen.
The buttons on this screen do the following:
Play the Sobilek. In other words: play the treasure hunt.
Enter the edit mode of this Sobilek. This option is only available if this Sobilek has been created on the current device, or if the "Allow editing only on this device" option has been disabled for this Sobilek (explained below).
Remove the Sobilek from this device
Share this Sobilek with others
Create a new Sobilek
Import a previously shared Sobilek by selecting a file
A Sobilek can be shared with friends using the share button on the home screen (last button on the far right). The Sobilek will be compressed into a .zip file and shared via the chosen app. From here there are two options to import the Sobilek on another device. First, the "Import" function can be used where a file can be selected from this device. It is usually easier to open the Sobilek app (e.g. from Whatsapp) and select the Sobilek app in the popup that appears (see left). The Sobilek is then automatically imported and is directly available from the home screen.
In the Sobilek editor you can create questions, add photos and videos and select locations on Google Maps. The editor has three different views; a detail view (as shown on the left), a list view and a settings view. The views can be changed using button 1 as shown in the picture on the left. From the detail view you can click on this button to siwtch to the list overview and from there using the same button to the settings view and back to this detail view. Button 2 always brings you back to the main screen.
The header bar at the top indicates the question you are currently editing (first number, see 3 in the picture on the left). The second part of this number states how many questions there are.
The text associated with this question can be entered in text field 4. This is optional, but if filled in it will be visible in play mode.
The "Code to unlock next question" field allows you to set a code that will be used in playback mode. Setting a code will blocks access to the next question until the correct code has been entered. For example, this code could be the correct answer to the question as entered in field 4.
The really interesting part of this app is in the top section of this detail view. Media can be added here in by capturing an image, a video or setting a GPS location. Button 1 provides access to the device's camera. A photo can be captured with this and it will be directly linked to this question. With button 2 any image can be associated with this question by uploading it from this device. Button 3 also opens the camera of this device, but in video capture mode. Button 4 determines the current GPS location and then shows it in Google Maps.
If a GPS location is added, the current location will initially be shown on Google Maps (see left picture). However, the location marker can be moved by holding it for a while and then dragging it to the desired location.
The location marker shows the accuracy with which the measurement was taken beneath the GPS coordinates. If the coordinate was determined by reading the current location, this shows the accuracy of that measurement. As soon as the marker is moved, the accuracy will indicate 0 meters, because in that case it is no longer applicable.
At the bottom the marker shows how the GPS location will be used in playback mode. There are two options for this, which can be adjusted using the edit button on the left:
Show location on map - In playback mode, show this location on a Google Maps map
Show distance to this location - In playback mode, show only the distance from the player to this location (in meters)
With the navigation bar you can navigate between the questions and questions can be added or removed:
Go to the first question
Go to the previous question
Go to the next question
Go to the last question
Add a new question (which becomes the last question)
Delete the current question
In the list view, all questions are shown in a list. This gives an overview of all questions, but more importantly; the order of the questions can be changed from this overview. A question can simply be picked up (hold it down until its selected) and released at the desired position. The question numbers are automatically updated.
The name of the Sobilek can be changed in the settings view. Here you can also set whether this Sobilek can only be edited on this device (the codes will be visible while editing), or on all devices. This option is enabled by default, because it is usually not the intention that players can edit the Sobilek and thus view the codes.
In playback mode you can swipe back and forth through the questions. The cross in the upper right corner stops the play mode and returns to the main screen. For questions containing a photo, the photo is shown with the question below.
Zooming in on the photo is supported by clicking on the photo and zooming in or out using two fingers.
When a video or GPS location is used for a question, the question will appear on the screen, but the video or location will not open immediately. By pressing the play button at the top you start either Google Maps, a video player or the distance indicator (if the question has the option 'distance to this location' selected).
If a code has been added to this question (using the field "Code to unlock next question"), a lock will appear at the top left of the screen. By clicking on the lock you can enter this code. The player cannot proceed to the next question until this code has been entered correctly.
Sobilek is an app to create your own treasure hunt, mainly using photos, videos and GPS locations. The most basic variant of such a treasure hunt is a series of photos of objects along a certain route that the participants have to find. On each photo location, a question must be answered. The question is easy to answer if the exact location of where the photo was captured was found.
The app originated from that idea. There are several apps that allow you to do similar things, but none of the free apps satisfied my needs. Basically, this app fulfills that need; a simple way to capture photos, adding questions to it as text and share them as a whole with friends, for example by using WhatsApp. From there new features have been added such as video caputure, navigation by GPS location and the possibility to lock the next question with a code.
Sobilek stands for So-Bi-Lek, short for Sök Bild Lek. Sök bild is Swedish for "search image" and "leak" means play in Norwegian. The idea of using Norwegian and Swedish and using the word "leak" in the name originates from a group of friends who call themselves "Lekkveld", which means "Game Night" in Norwegian. It is in fact that group of friends for which I used these type of treasure hunts a lot. The name "Lekkveld" originates back from Hyves, where a unique name had to be found for the group of friends who wanted to meet every 3 weeks on Friday evening to play games.
No. Although the app is built in react native and react native apps can be ported to both Android and Apple, I have never bothered to actually do this for Apple. I don't have any Apple devices myself and cannot test them. Uploading an App to the Applestore is not an easy route, because Apple applies many restrictions on apps.
Yes, and without ads. Creating the app is a pure hobby; the combination of the interest in puzzles and quests and the interest in app development using react native. So the goal has always been to build a nice app, not to make money with it. However, this app uses the Google Maps API, which is not for free when used frequently. If this app becomes so popular that I have to pay for it myself, then I twill need to reconsider the "business model".
No. But if anyone is ever interested in contributing or making changes to this app, please contact me. This can also be a port to Apple or the translation of the app into a language other than Dutch or English.
You may have accidentally locked a Sobilek because it was created on another device that you no longer have access to and the option "Allow editing only on this device" is enabled. In that case; don't panic! However, a little technical knowledge is required. A Sobilek is in fact a zip file containing a sobilek.json file and the corresponding images and videos. You can simply change the "allowEditingOnlyOnThisDevice" option from true to false in this sobilek.json file. So: share the Sobilek, save it locally, and unzip the Sobilek file. Then open the sobilek.json and set allowEditingOnlyOnThisDevice to false. Zip it again and import it into the app.
Send an email to sobilek37@gmail.com