How to make a “Vanishing Solution” for your Next Treasure Scavenger Hunt
One of my favorite things to do for an adventure is to put in a couple of what I call “That’s cool!” moments to make the adventure that much more memorable.
So, what is a “That’s cool!” moment?
Great question! A “That’s cool!” moment is a moment, effect, or puzzle that makes the player go, “That’s cool!”. It’s an unexpected experience that allows for total immersion for the player, or something that makes them feel like they are a part of the story. You want them to think ,“Wow, I really feel like a/an scientist/adventurer/spy right now!”
I love using these kinds of touches in my hunts and escape rooms so much that I thought I would do a series on them! Once a month I will post a new gambit or effect that you can use in your own adventures to make your own “That’s Cool!” moments!
This month, I’m going to make you feel like a real scientist… with my Vanishing Solution!
In a recent adventure that I made, the player had to work through a missing scientist’s suitcase to retrieve his groundbreaking discovery before it fell into the wrong hands. In the final puzzle, I had him do a chemistry experiment with quite satisfying results.
How did he achieve this bit of magic? It’s quite elementary…
Actually, it’s a simple chemical reaction called a Titration using Povidone Iodine and a Vitamin C solution! You can get these simple ingredients at the local grocery store!
INGREDIENTS & SUPPLIES:
Povidone Iodine- Warning: This stuff STAINS!
Vitamin C powder or tablets- (about 5 tablets or 1 Tbsp of powder)
1 cup of boiling water- stove top or microwave will work
Glass Containers x2- one for the Iodine & one for the Vitamin C solution
Black tape- electrical or duct tape will work well
Paper- for writing your secret message
Dropper/funnel- (Not pictured) to transfer Iodine to the bottle
Up the Ante: Add extra containers with other solutions to make the puzzle harder!
HOW TO MAKE IT:
Crush the Vitamin C tablets into a powder with the back of a spoon. If you have the powdered Vitamin C, you can skip this step.
Bring 1 cup of water to a boil and pour the Vitamin C powder in, stirring until it’s mostly dissolved (you want to dissolve as much Vitamin C as you can). Let it cool to room temperature, then transfer your solution into one of your two glass bottles.
Fun Fact: You’ve made a supersaturated solution!
3. Write your secret message on a small piece of paper and tape it to the second bottle with the words facing in. Based on your
placement, figure out how much Iodine you need in the bottle to cover the message. My tip would be to put the message near
the bottom of the bottle so that you can completely cover it, or on the underside and instruct the players not to pick up or shake
the container.
4. Using your dropper/funnel, add JUST enough Iodine to cover your message.
IMPORTANT: In order for this reaction to work properly, you will need approximately 2-4 times the amount of Vitamin C solution as the amount of Iodine, so you will want to make sure you leave enough room in the Iodine container to hold 5x the volume of Iodine. Always be sure to do a testrun using your specific containers before using it in an adventure! In this example, it took 3x the amount for the reaction to occur.
And that’s it!
You are ready to have your players do some actual chemistry! All you need to do is instruct your player(s) to pour the contents of “container A” (the Vitamin C solution) into “container B” (the Iodine) so that they can read the message!
TIPS:
The solution is not going to be perfectly clear, so it’s best to use a container with a narrow base.
The iodine will stain most plastics, so it’s best to use glass containers for this effect.
Use a bold-tipped marker to write your message to be sure the player(s) can easily read it through the solution. (See image for example using a black sharpie.)
If the Iodine sticks to the side of the container (like it does in the GIF above) just give the container a little swirl and it will disappear. (Plus it will make the players feel like actual scientists!)
I’ve found that if you dilute the Iodine a little with water, it will prevent the sticking issue.
Let us know in the comments below how would you use this “Cool Moment” in your adventures! If you do use this gambit, be sure to tag us on Instagram @ConstructedAdventures or tell us all about it on the Constructed Adventures subreddit!
Until next time, Happy Adventuring!