Atlanta · August 2017
For my wife’s birthday I built a text-message adventure that led her across Atlanta for a full day. I didn’t say a word. A miniature horse with limited grammar did all the talking.
Good Morning Paige! It’s me, Lil’ Sebastian. Your husband told me you love surprises, horses, and scavenger hunts. Well, saddle up missy (maybe not on me), because it’s happening!
Today is a spiritual journey though Atlanta. Text back and forth with me to get your clues. I’m a small horse with limited grammar and I hate Ohio State, so don’t go throwing in unnecessary articles. Just shoot straight with me.
When you’re ready for your adventure, text me ‘Yes’ and we’ll get this show on the road! Don’t worry about breakfast and the like, I planned for everything.
She texted a phone number. A horse texted back. Every clue pointed at a real place in Atlanta, and every place hid a specific answer — the title of a book in a window, the number of vents in a room, the name of the bar across the street. Text the right answer and the next clue arrives. Text the wrong one and you get a disappointed neigh.
Eleven stops, one day, no map. The only navigation she had was a horse who refused to use articles.
These are the clues exactly as they were sent, in order, with the answer she had to text back to move on.
Today will be a big day. The going will get rough. If only there was something you could quickly grab to increase your chances of survival. You’ll find it ‘where no moth will ever be found.’
cedar closet
First rule of survival, find food. Get into a good adventuring outfit and go to the place where common barnyard animals get their coffee. Once you arrive, take a look around outside, and text me the title of the ‘book with an orange cover’.
on the road
You’re off to a great start! Let’s celebrate by shopping. Go pray at the Mr. T shrine and buy something nice for yourself. When you’re done tell me the number of A/C vents in the first room.
four
Now it’s time to turn this up a notch. You’re on the street now and you need to start thinking like a Peaky Blinder. Find the store where they would buy their records. Get yourself some new vinyl and text me the name of the store on the right of your destination.
transporter
Now it’s time to make use of your spray paint in Atlanta’s most well-known tunnel. Add your name like a true ATL OG. Take some pictures. When you’re done, finish the saying, ‘Peace Up…’
a town down
More celebration! Go where Atlantans can admire the dead while they eat. Grab a shot (or two). You’ll find a big black and white sign out front, text me the item in the middle.
catfish
You’ll find no War Eagles here (well… at least not many). It’s not shabby-chic. It’s not trendy. If this lil’ piggy was a true ATLien, this is where he’d come to shop and eat. Grab some food and then tell me what the building sign says.
municipal market
It’s time to get ready to hit the town and I know you don’t have the right clothes with you. I guess we’ll need to buy some. I suggest Bridge, Wish, or Boogaloos for your shopping pleasure.
party time
This hotel bar is likely where you’d find the ghost of Rhett Butler drinking before he walked across the street to catch a show. Go there, change in a bathroom, and have some cocktails. Then, tell me the name of the bar across the street.
publik draft house
You’re in the final stretch now! Your next destination is a popular Beltline eatery and it’s this lil’ horse’s opinion that its success can only truly be attributed to its first pastry chef. Text me the name.
lady bird
Well done Paige!!!! Enjoy dinner with your hubby and relish in all the hard work you’ve done today :) Lil’ Sebastian — out.
The engineering is unremarkable — it’s a state machine that reads a text and sends a text. What made it work was committing completely to the voice. The horse has opinions about college football. The horse gives you permission to phone a friend. The horse is very concerned about spelling:
“However, spelling does count. I may not have a huge vocabulary, but it seriously.” Message two, unedited
That sentence doesn’t finish. It shipped that way, she noticed immediately, and it became the funniest thing about the whole day. Every wrong answer got the same reply — “Neeeiiiigggh… Try again” — and by the afternoon she was getting it wrong on purpose.
I think about this project more than anything else I’ve built. It ran for exactly one day, had exactly one user, and did precisely what it was supposed to do.
The clue text on this page is unedited — it’s exactly what she received. Source is on GitHub.