Product update · Gameplay modes
Introducing Pick Up & Play
A new ReadySet gameplay mode designed for longer, more flexible multiplayer experiences.
- Topic
- Gameplay Modes
- Audience
- Organizers · Agencies · Venues
- Format
- Product Update
- Depth
- Quick Read
- Reading Time
- 6 min read
- Updated
- June 2026
The brief
Not every multiplayer experience starts at the same moment.
Some events are designed to unfold gradually, throughout a day, across a conference, during a festival weekend, or over longer social experiences where participants join at different times.
That's why we built Pick Up & Play, a new gameplay mode that gives organizers more flexibility when designing longer-form ReadySet experiences.
What it is
Gameplay that adapts to how people actually arrive.
Unlike traditional synchronized gameplay, Pick Up & Play lets participants start whenever they join the experience. The session stays live for as long as the organizer needs it, players move through it at their own pace, and progression keeps working in the background.
Asynchronous participation
Players join at different times, no need for a synchronized start.
Persistent session
The experience stays active across hours or days, not minutes.
Self-paced progression
Players or teams move through gameplay on their own clock.
Same gameplay layer
Missions, checkpoints, points, and leaderboards, all still in.
Two gameplay modes, one platform
How it differs from Ready Set Go.
Same platform, same gameplay engine — different shape for different events.
Ready Set Go
Everyone begins together. One shared live moment.
Best for
- Scheduled gameplay
- Simultaneous starts
- Shorter competitive experiences
- Synchronized multiplayer events
Examples
- Team-building races
- Timed scavenger hunts
- Kickoff activities
Pick Up & Play
Participants join whenever they arrive. The session stays live.
Best for
- Longer events
- Rolling participation
- Public activations
- Flexible onboarding
- Drop-in gameplay
Examples
- Conferences
- City exploration
- Festivals
- Tourism experiences
- Campus activations
Why we built it
Some experiences naturally happen over time.
Many organizers loved ReadySet's multiplayer systems but needed formats that worked across longer time windows and more flexible participation schedules.
Pick Up & Play was designed to support those experiences without losing the things that make ReadySet feel alive:
- Progression
- Exploration
- Interaction
- Gameplay structure
Ideal use cases
Where Pick Up & Play shines.
Anywhere people arrive at different times — and the experience still needs to feel connected.
Conferences
Turn passive expo hours into a connected multiplayer floor that lasts all day.
Festivals
Layer gameplay over a multi-day program so attendees engage between sets and sessions.
Open campus experiences
Onboarding weeks, orientation, open days — drop in, progress, return.
City exploration
Branded city tours where each visitor moves at their own pace.
Tourism experiences
Persistent destination trails playable across a weekend or a week.
Public activations
Drop-in moments at venues, plazas, and pop-ups that don't need a fixed start time.
Museum trails
Self-guided gameplay layered over exhibits, working with regular footfall.
Holiday experiences
Seasonal activations that stay live for weeks — visit, play, come back.
What this unlocks
The future of flexible real-world gameplay.
ReadySet is evolving beyond short-form scavenger hunts into a platform for flexible real-world multiplayer experiences.
Pick Up & Play expands what organizers can build, letting gameplay adapt to different event formats, participation styles, and pacing — without losing the social spark that makes multiplayer worth doing in the first place.
Build a flexible multiplayer experience.
See how Pick Up & Play fits your next event — or browse real-world inspiration first.
Build an activation like this
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Our engine.
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