KoyaQuest

Support

priest carry meal to mausoleum of Kobo-daishi at Mt. Koya's Oku-no-in

KoyaQuest

Support

KoyaQuest

Support

KoyaQuest

Support

KoyaQuest Support

Current Version: 2.2.3 (Released September 29, 2023)

Toggle Version History

Version History (from latest to earliest):

Version Release Date Notes
2.2.3 September 29, 2023
  • added suggested itineraries
  • added searchable list of all 52 shukubō
  • added pricing information
2.2.2 September 2, 2023
  • prevented app from reading cached data
  • added more landmarks
2.2.1 August 30, 2023
  • added Events feature
  • added search feature to Landmark List view
2.0.2 June 17, 2023
  • added more landmarks
2.0.1 November 29, 2022
  • updated for iOS 16.1
1.2.6 November 29, 2022
  • corrected GPS for certain landmarks
  • corrected description of Sammai-in
1.2.5 October 3, 2022
  • added more landmarks
  • modified GPS for Koyakun challenge
1.2.4 July 20, 2022
  • minor bug fixes
1.2.3 July 2, 2022
  • improved navigational guidance
  • enhanced haptics
  • typo correction
  • added in-App review option
1.2.2 May 22, 2022
  • corrected certain GPS coordinates
  • corrected bug preventing one score from being added to total
  • added hints for finding target
1.2.1 April 13, 2022
  • added distance and direction indicator
1.2.0 April 5, 2022
  • corrected preferred names for Japanese locations (per request from Kongōbuji)
1.1.1 January 15, 2022
  • corrected incorrect kanji for Kongōbuji
  • improved ghost video display
1.1.0 January 1, 2022
  • corrected language description to English only
1.0.0 December 17, 2021
  • initial release

KoyaQuest Step-by-Step Guidance

In this section you can learn how to get the most out of your KoyaQuest app.


Detail View

After tapping the main image on the Main Menu screen (or via the List View), you will see the Detail View for the selected landmark.

Features from top-left to bottom-right:

  • Image with Star Ratings
  • Link to Map View
  • Audio Play Button
    • Tap to hear the audio description of the selected landmark.
  • Text Description
    • Scroll through to read a detailed description of the selected landmark.
    • The contents of the written and audio descriptions are virtually identical (with only a few minor differences).
  • Ratings
    • If you are in near proximity, you will be presented with an option to give your own rating for the selected landmark. These will be used to provide an average rating based on input from all users.
    • Your existing rating for this landmark will appear otherwise.
view of detail screen of the KoyaQuest app
Static image of Detail View

Points and Scoring

There are two ways to earn points:
  • By successfully completing a Challenge
    • There are 12 of these; each is location specific and activated when the user enters within a certain radius of the target zone.
    • Visit the Challenge Page for more info.
  • By correctly answering a Bonus Question
    • There are bonus questions associated with 6 of the 12 challenges.
    • Select the newly "unlocked" bonus question from the list.
    • These are multiple choice questions, and the idea is to keep tapping until you get the correct answer.
    • Points awarded decrease with the number of choices required to get the correct answer.
view of bonus invitation of the KoyaQuest app
Static image of Bonus Invitation
view of bonus questions list from the KoyaQuest app
Static image of Bonus Question List

Claiming Points

Be sure to claim your points after you complete each challenge!

Score Summary

Tapping on the link on the Main Menu will display the Score Summary.

Features:

  • Completed challenges are indicated by a green checkmark.
  • Points earned for each particular challenge are also indicated.

Rankings

Players who complete all 12 challenges will be awarded a rank based on their total score (challenge plus bonus points).

The ranks are as follows:

  • Wisdom King
  • Master
  • Adept
  • Journeyman
  • Novice

Leaderboard

A leaderboard ranking the highest scores can be viewed both in the app and here.

view of claim points button of the KoyaQuest app
Claim Points
view of score summary of the KoyaQuest app
Static image of Score Summary

Share to Social Media

Players who have completed the game and use the app as a guide have the option to share their score on their favorite social media.

Click on the orange badge in the top-left corner of the screen (the one showing your earned "rank") to dislplay the sharing screen.

Submit a Rating and Review to the App Store

Players who have completed the game will be offered a chance to rate and review the app on Apple's App Store.

This can also be done directly by visiting the App Store yourself. Search "KoyaQuest."

Your feedback is appreciated!

view of app as guide screen of the KoyaQuest app
App as a Guide
view of share to social media screen of the KoyaQuest app
Share Score to Social Media

Tips and Strategy

While we don't want to give away too much, here are a few hints to help those who are determined to complete the 12 challenges with as high a score as possible.

(Of course, like many games, a certain degree of luck is involved, so there are limits to what you can expect from these suggestions.)

Moving About Mt. Kōya

Cover as much territory as possible.

The game rewards those who try to see as much of Mt. Kōya as they can.

Be sure to visit not only the Danjō Garan and Oku-no-in, but also places like Nyonindō and Kongō Sammai-in.

Stay Alert

Don't Miss the Challenges

The best way to avoid missing a challenge is to keep your iPhone in hand so that you will notice when you enter a target zone. (The device will vibrate.)

The app was designed with the assumption that users will be traveling on foot. If you are moving from place to place by car or bicycle, you might pass through a target zone before the location system can alert you that a challenge is nearby.

Of course, if you think you missed a challenge, you can always retrace your steps.

Local Knowledge

Absorb as much information as you can.

Some of the challenges and many of the bonus questions will test your recall of things seen either at Mt. Kōya or within the descriptions included in the app.

Savvy players will not be shy about asking for help from fellow visitors to Mt. Kōya.

If you need to know the identity of a man called "Kai-no-tora" and you don't know who that is, ask a stranger. (You might make a new friend.)

Troubleshooting

Every effort has been made to ensure that things will run smoothly, but sometimes the unexpected happens.

This section offers some tips in case the following glitches occur:

Click on the to reveal the solution.

Known Issues

Directional indicator used in "Find the Ghost" challenge is prone to minor inaccuracy.

GPS accuracy decreases within 5 meters of target coordinates. In the current version, the indicator will disappear when user is close enough to see the target destination.

Thank you for your understanding.

Make sure that you are in GamePlay mode. (Toggle the button in the upper-right corner of the main menu screen.)

Your device may be having a difficult time determining your location. Try closing and re-starting the app.

Try moving away from and re-entering the area (target zone).

If that doesn't work, try closing and re-starting the app.

This app recognizes various versions of the famous painting of K큰kai, but there is always the possibility that a different one exists that cannot (as yet) be detected.

Keep searching, but if you are really stuck, visit this CHEAT SHEET on a different device, and try using the image there.

If you cannot open the app after downloading from the AppStore, try updating your iOS to the latest version.

Every effort has been made to ensure that the coordinates are accurate for each location, but, unfortunately, GPS functionality can sometimes be a bit quirky, especially in an area like Oku-no-in. Generally, the accuracy tends to decrease when the user is within 5 meters of a target.

© 2024, k. collins