I really like challenges that are doable but hard. Like throwing something from a distance. The bottle flips or the heads in a row. They give so much entertainment during the struggle.
The challenges I liked the most from series 13 were 1. Ode to Joy on the empty bottles & 2. Re-creating a scene from a previous series at the same Swiss location.
I really like the riddle/puzzle challenges (Tristan’s riddle or Amy puzzle’s box/trivia corner!!)
It’s fun to play along and see if I could win those, and it’s cool to see other people involved
other than the obvious (eat this card) the ones that are most satisfying to me is when you have to use your ingenuity and it really feels like you’ve earned the reward ie waffle pong, shop like a local
+1 for Location-based memorization (Okaihau Express, etc)
+1 for Eat This Card
+1 for Rat Mode/next move being decided by something arbitrary
And I'm always a big fan of the stressful ones where you've got to predict & just hope for the best (buying fruit at that one stall, pocket pocket museum)
My favorites are the ones that turn out hilarious for idiosyncratic reasons (hard to predict/plan in advance), but as a category I like the ones that tilt the competition back into travel show territory: The ones that make you showcase or investigate something unique about the place you're visiting.
I love any artistic type challenge!! Recreating art pieces, tiny museum, etc. also goofy ones like the lemon (and seeing it in various subsequent shots) always makes me laugh
Many of the New Zealand challenges. More than most other seasons, they captured the essence of the country. Having creative location specific challenges allowed them to be as good as it gets.
In no particular order: Eat this card, predict market flow at ??? central market, make pickle 🥒, PEZ center (I just really like PEZ), cry, get drunk x10
Eat this card was simple and good, and I also liked the ocean to another one from Au$tralia
I also like the region food challenge from schengen 1
I mostly like simple but fun to execute tasks
Sort of a broad answer, but I tend to like the more open-ended and unpredictable ones best. Ones where you guys are allowed take some liberty with how you complete the challenge.
The eat this card and burn this card ones were cool. Like a slap in the face. Time starts now. Go.
Honorable mention to shrimp on the barbie. Because I adore dumb jokes.
I liked the art challenges (gummy worms) and the music challenges (okaihau express, ode to joy)
Tbh I think the best challenges are the ones that showcase the location’s landmarks or traditions. It helps immerse in the travel aspect of the show. Running a mile around a park can be done anywhere 🤷🏽♂️
The ones that engage with the place you're in: visit a local attraction, drink a local alcohol, eat a place's signature food, all tend to be my favorites
Anything that incorporates the specific local culture of wherever you are is interesting. The Ode to Joy challenge was perfect. Also tasks that require good problem solving skills/ingenuity, like building a spaghetti tower or solving riddles/puzzles (if edited so that the audience can play along).
I like any drawing or art based ones. The snow man creating competition was iconic, as was the gummy worm haired portrait. I also loved the busking one LOL.
Adam's jubilant reaction to completing the busking challenge is one of my favorite moments. Rarely does one get to see such genuine, unrestrained joy and celebration from another human, especially one who knows they're being filmed/watched.
i’ve been loving the country challenges because they perfectly hit the marks of vague enough to do most places and somehow specific to a culture (s/o amy!!!) - waffle pong was a delight. also love the museums challenges - particularly enjoyed the science museum + the amy quiz!
OH!!! and the puzzle box!!!! MORE puzzle box!!!! the challenges that balance skill and luck just are really a treat and juxtapose so well next to other icons like eat this card. so good.
Also love challenges and game play styles that take you guys outside the major transit hubs to smaller more obscure towns like in hide and seek. Adds a bit more of a sense of adventure to it.
The best from s6 (my fav season)
- Hello Kitty:
/go super saiyan (or other makeshift costume)
- go to a place with 100,000 views on YT
- film a bird for five minutes
Anything musical or art based. Make mayonnaise, eat at the worst restaurant, criticize the most beautiful place, throw a shrimp on the barbie (for the pun more than anything), cream trip, anything with or on water, hello Kitty, quick pickle.
become apart of literature (I don’t remember the exact challenge but you guys acted like something in a book in battle or america I think), anything sport related, and another Amy quiz or questionnaire
Get someone on your team drunk, anything that has to do with polls or interacting with the community, compliment a teammate, drawing a portrait of something or somebody, reciting lyrics or something like a song or poem
"Predict Market flow" from Australia and "unpopular museum" from the current season gets my heartrate like nothing else. Those sort of challanges where at some point you just have to say "the die has been cast" and pray.
i like any challenge where you guys go out and do something that's relevant to the region- NZ is my favorite season exactly because you were doing cool tourist stuff and showing off the country along the way!!
Yep, hard agree, my top two are NZ and Arctic Escape precisely because of the geographic relevance of the challenges (Toby and Michelle are incredible too, but then so is Tom!)
AE is a great middle ground between "railroading" the challenges and keeping them geographically relevant imo!
adam guessing when a certain amount of time had gone by, okaihau express, make mayo, buy the same thing as your teammate, and the recent challenge of play classical music on not an instrument
You know how as a kid you sometimes worry about encountering lava or quicksand and feel the need to have a plan in place for such an eventuality? My adult version is worrying that someone's going to make me sing the entirety of Okaihau Express without making a single mistake.
Big fan of “team vs team” and anything that involves a level of randomness such as having to interact with the internet or predicting the behaviour of a distribution of people
-Local Pastry Mile!
-Okaihau Express!
-Every single drunk challenge.
-Totoro Ben.
-Adam telling time with his steps. Sam and Tom paying homage on S13.
-Because it's so recent and fresh, Beethoven's Ninth, uffffff what a ride.
Yet another shout out for the Okaihau Express. It's not something you could do anywhere, which is a bummer, but there are lots of weird local songs that can be found/done for the future.
Also while "eat this card" was funny and iconic, having it a second time probably wouldn't have the same magic.
Zero mistakes and only one try (and that many measures) seemed like quite harsh conditions, but I also cheered out loud and felt the sequence was well worth devoting most of an episode to so maybe that level of difficulty is fine?
Not exactly the same, but the god cards (move or the curses that give you tons of money) are always fun because it breaks up the traditional pacing of the game. Any card you pull and go “oh shit” is hype.
I rly like the location themed ones (if the season permits) like in hide and seek switzerland the curses felt real cool and ofc you brought that back with schengen.
OH and big shoutout to ratatoullie which imo led ot one of if not the most hype sequence in jetlag history
From an entertainment standpoint: anything that looks like random or nonsensical movement from the standpoint of the chasers. "Be on a train within the next 10min." "Walk a mile in a random direction." "Next destination can only have 5 letters in it."
It's just real fun to see the reactions 😉
I second this one - the chasers being like "This doesn't make any sense - is there some really good option that we completely missed?" and it's just like a rat picked that direction or something lmao
Things that dictate what transit your next move can be. Like the next train must depart at an even time, etc. Maybe not so much in a way that totally forces your hand, but rather a way to make you take lines/routes that are different than the “optimal” play, without too much advantage/disadvantage
Like for example “you must stay on the next train for at least 5 stops” or “you must get off your next train after 3 stops.” Obviously tweaked to match whatever game mode/transit option you are taking
I will go in reverse and say please don't do anything like the prawn one. It's one thing to do a food challenge with cookies and such, another is with an animal
Eating locally named food, using the card itself as a tool, anything requiring rhythm and/or memorization (Okaihau Express, Amy's dance, classical music)
Only for a non-deck challenge system (eg. s13 envelopes) but a 2-part challenge where you don’t reveal p2 until you’ve done p1:
1. Easy basic arbitrary : “find a 7-11”
2. Technical + difficult and with luck of part 1’s choice.
Reward not shown,Vetos don’t apply until p2
Taskmaster not JLTG-inspired
Btw, my 9-year-old son got so inspired by Adam doing the flip-a-coin challenge (for so long) in Australia that he swallowed a coin and we had to go to ER. So, he liked that one the best. 😁
Love ones related to guessing a fact about the area or relating to the area's culture. Also building tall structures with strange things (cheese balls, rocks, baked goods, etc)
A enjoy a lot of the ones that involve needing to obtain an item. Cutting an orange, rolling cheese, or even in the new season, throwing candy into waffle holes. They just feel quite real because we see you guys having to obtain the gear and plan it out.
Particularly completing them in a way that is maybe not intended but still within the rules. Similar to the “humans are animals” thing but it’s much harder to make that happen when they are the ones writing the challenges, they can think of ways to write out the edge cases
Generally love the vibes of the location-specific New Zealand and Australia challenges. 5 rings at 5 volcanoes is a particularly good one.
For less location specific ones, the 99 theses and Eat This Card are great annoying ones.
I really liked meta challenges or cards like Cutting an orange with the card or sending images or other things to your opponents; and also funny debuffs like having to swap to tote bags or becoming a pumpkin parent.
not sure how applicable this challenge is, but the most iconic one to me is the "destroy 5 rings at 5 volcanoes" challenge, with both teams racing against each other
i would love to see a game similar to new zeland or battle 4 in canada! our transit system would not work for a country wide hide and seek unfortunately :(
i literally read this so wrong i thought u said games..my bad! I would love to see more challenges around trivia, i like the ones that interact with the place you are in. it would be cool to see something like bungee jumping!
i agree! i realize now he was asking for challenges and not locations but my point still stands. I would love to see them do challenges based on the provinces such as tubing in BC,seeing a cow in alberta etc.
Drunk challenges!
Ones where you compete head to head, like art challenges
Bungee jumping/Zorbing/Adrenalin park!
Song memorization challenges (I know y'all hate those)
I feel like a lot of the New Zealand ones were really great - combining exciting race-against-the-clock stuff with ideas local to each area to make it unique and memorable
For some reason, building the go-cart in MIlan always stands out for me. Reminds me of Junkyard Wars/Scrapheap Challenge, my favourite challenge-based show.
Busking for $1 - Hilarious & spontaneous
Pastry Mile - I felt so bad but the content was worth it
Location-based Eating Challenge - Solid all around, great for people to eat local food!
Break a law from crime spree - Crossovers with other seasons + the challenge itself lmao
Sing the Okaihau Express - Iconic Drunk Math Minute / Mile - Drunk challenges my beloved
Become Hello Kitty - I laughed so hard at everything
Certain towers (Mud, Trap) - Fun mini challenge for this specific game
Cut an orange with a card - Super duper fun and creative
Dance like nobodys watching - Something about dancing in the middle of the arctic was incredible
5 Rhyming Words - I know it was bad for game design, but this led to some iconic hide n seek strategy
Sense the passage of time - Simple premise, incredible execution/results, and you can do it at home
Pickle - A good one to laugh with the entire time, just wish it went longer lol
Veto Question - A fun little game blocker for H&S specifically, I like the way you used it
Build a dream bouquet - Didn’t pan out this season, but making a bouquet is actually a really fun idea for a challenge
I'll have to go back to former seasons to remember the challenges, but so far I've really loved season's 13 challenges for their originality! The France, Netherlands and Austria challenges in particular.
Ok, reading other responses : someone mentioned break a law from crime spree, it's true that the whole "crossover" thing is really fun! Hence why Tag Across Europe 3's conclusion was really cool. So crossover challenges are a great idea!
Ok, let's go, reading the list of challenges from past seasons, ones I like best (concept or execution in game) :
- Get a pedicure : I'd love to see this one come up again, pedicure or manicure.
- Piggyback ride
Lots of Battle4A challenges are fun, some of my favourites :
- Build a raft
- Drink a Piña Colada in the rain
- Find a 4 leaf clover
- High Five at the highest point
- Ineffectively Advertise Jet Lag the game
- Make s'mores
- Transport a pumpkin
Honestly most NZ ones are great because themed after the place they relate to. I'd love to see you guys do a knitting or crochet challenge though, if you don't know how to knit/crochet yet. The struggle might be fun to watch.
I love the activities that show around the local area. Ie the ones in New Zealand were really fun. Or like the one in DC where you had to go up on “The View” to take a picture from far away.
skill challenges usually stress me out, so I really enjoy challenges that are nature and/or regional based! like the national dessert one or "eat a food in its namesake place" from the current season (also the film a bird one in h+s, though I guess that's a curse... but you get the gist)
Au$tralia is on my mind cause I just re-watched it (and listened to the Layover episodes, of course!). Ocean-to-ocean was unique, and both the signal ones (flags & telegraph) were fun because they involved both skill and creativity.
My personal favorites are ones where your navigation skills are put to the test. I know it's unlikely to do now, but the phone curse from S3 could be very interesting to see how it could be evolved
Run for Prime Minister
Claim Immediately but don’t use these words when booking your next _____
Eat at the Worst Restaurant
Sing the Okaihau Express
Kawaii-ify Your Belongings
The location-specific ones! Could introduce to a less linear game by putting up "toll gates" that need to be cleared prior to continuing at major stations. Or carefully craft a ChatGPT prompt to have it generate a location-specific challenge.
I reckon generally when it's location-based or funny to see you guys do it, I enjoy it. If favourite = memorable, I say: okaihau express, lemon stuck to body, coin toss, top job speech, bottle flip, drunk challenges, interaction with locals, snowman (any voting challenge)
Also, really like the curses where the strength depends on how well you do with it. I think Ben got too focused on getting a snake or reptile and should’ve eventually settled for a bird, fish or insect in Japan though.
The random movement ones are fun because it confuses the trackers. Also a big fan of the art one that was a challenge between both teams and Gummy George Washington won. Usually fun to watch the more challenging physical obstacles like kicking the drop ball and throwing the boot.
Comments
Memorizing a song based on a local location is also fun, but maybe not as long as the otaku express.
Also not exactly a challenge, but a curse for a hide and seek is that the next X hints you give are in the form of a poem.
Building or crafting anything
Eat this card
It’s fun to play along and see if I could win those, and it’s cool to see other people involved
+1 for Eat This Card
+1 for Rat Mode/next move being decided by something arbitrary
And I'm always a big fan of the stressful ones where you've got to predict & just hope for the best (buying fruit at that one stall, pocket pocket museum)
Also the ones where the outcome is based on how the unsuspecting public behaves.
I also like the region food challenge from schengen 1
I mostly like simple but fun to execute tasks
Honorable mention to shrimp on the barbie. Because I adore dumb jokes.
Tbh I think the best challenges are the ones that showcase the location’s landmarks or traditions. It helps immerse in the travel aspect of the show. Running a mile around a park can be done anywhere 🤷🏽♂️
Though please do go with Tom's suggestion and donate to a food bank it you use food in a challenge!
- Hello Kitty:
/go super saiyan (or other makeshift costume)
- go to a place with 100,000 views on YT
- film a bird for five minutes
I also love very visual pass/fail challenges for high pressure moments and any challenge that forces you commit and seems like a punishment.
Also challenges that force you to explore the area (like find the town hall, estimate how old a building is, eat at the worst restaurant, etc.)
The Okaihau Express, duh
Honestly literally anything from New Zealand because that was my favorite season for Challenges!
Your MG team probably hate them for the extra maps so my apologies if they’re done again
AE is a great middle ground between "railroading" the challenges and keeping them geographically relevant imo!
Apart from that, I loved the nature-based challenges in New Zealand and the fill Swiss cheese challenge. Hope this helps!
-Okaihau Express!
-Every single drunk challenge.
-Totoro Ben.
-Adam telling time with his steps. Sam and Tom paying homage on S13.
-Because it's so recent and fresh, Beethoven's Ninth, uffffff what a ride.
Also while "eat this card" was funny and iconic, having it a second time probably wouldn't have the same magic.
Memorization challenges
RAT MODE
OH and big shoutout to ratatoullie which imo led ot one of if not the most hype sequence in jetlag history
It's just real fun to see the reactions 😉
1. Easy basic arbitrary : “find a 7-11”
2. Technical + difficult and with luck of part 1’s choice.
Reward not shown,Vetos don’t apply until p2
Taskmaster not JLTG-inspired
"Gamble at a Casino"
Anything involving visiting a random local museum.
Also, re-do "touch an animal that is not a pet" but if Sam touches a tagger he is clearly out because he tagged himself.
Doubly so if that local item is booze
For less location specific ones, the 99 theses and Eat This Card are great annoying ones.
Curse of the Mediocre Travel Agent and the Pizza Tower were fun too. Stop progress, do something weirdly normal in the area for a bit.
William tell curse
Okaihau express
Go to the worst restaurant (be careful with the girl)
Face Tim tam
I think that’d be my top 5 from memory.
While not classified as a challenge, the William Tell curse from H+S 1 was fun to watch.
Will not spoil the ep on Neb rn but that most recent challenge done in Shengen was a ton of fun. As well as waffle pong from Ep 1
Golf :)
Count birds - while drunk
Run for Top Job - without using the letter e
Ones where you compete head to head, like art challenges
Bungee jumping/Zorbing/Adrenalin park!
Song memorization challenges (I know y'all hate those)
Busking for $1 - Hilarious & spontaneous
Pastry Mile - I felt so bad but the content was worth it
Location-based Eating Challenge - Solid all around, great for people to eat local food!
Break a law from crime spree - Crossovers with other seasons + the challenge itself lmao
Become Hello Kitty - I laughed so hard at everything
Certain towers (Mud, Trap) - Fun mini challenge for this specific game
Cut an orange with a card - Super duper fun and creative
5 Rhyming Words - I know it was bad for game design, but this led to some iconic hide n seek strategy
Sense the passage of time - Simple premise, incredible execution/results, and you can do it at home
Veto Question - A fun little game blocker for H&S specifically, I like the way you used it
Build a dream bouquet - Didn’t pan out this season, but making a bouquet is actually a really fun idea for a challenge
- Get a pedicure : I'd love to see this one come up again, pedicure or manicure.
- Piggyback ride
- Build a raft
- Drink a Piña Colada in the rain
- Find a 4 leaf clover
- High Five at the highest point
- Ineffectively Advertise Jet Lag the game
- Make s'mores
- Transport a pumpkin
Challenges to find animals: film a bird, take a photo of a type of animal, etc.
Crazy Adam feats: count to 30 minutes, walk a kilometre, play Ode to Joy on the bottles!
perfect example is the guessing the nationality from the accents
Has also been fun this season where you don’t know the challenges in advance!
Claim Immediately but don’t use these words when booking your next _____
Eat at the Worst Restaurant
Sing the Okaihau Express
Kawaii-ify Your Belongings
Inspired challenge.