About Desert Quest
Desert Quest is a fast 60-second tapping game. Scarabs, urns, statues and amulets appear across the dunes for a moment and then sink back into the sand. Tap as many as you can, and keep your fingers away from the sandstorms.
How to play Desert Quest
- Press Explore! to start the 60-second timer shown in the ring at the top.
- Relics pop up at random spots on the sand. Tap or click one to collect it before it disappears — most stay for only one to two seconds.
- Sandstorms (🌪️) appear too. Tapping one costs you 45 points. Just leave them alone and they blow away.
- The bar at the bottom counts relics you unearthed, storms you touched and relics you missed.
- When time runs out you get a rank based on your score, and your best result is saved.
Scoring
| Action | Points |
|---|---|
| 🪬 Hamsa amulet | +18 |
| 🗿 Stone statue | +16 |
| 🏺 Ancient urn | +14 |
| ⭐ Desert star | +12 |
| 🪲 Scarab | +10 |
| 🔶 Amber gem | +10 |
| 💛 Golden heart | +8 |
| 🌵 Cactus flower | +8 |
| 🌪️ Sandstorm | −45 |
End-of-round ranks
| Score | Rank |
|---|---|
| 200+ | Pharaoh of the Sands |
| 140–199 | Master Archaeologist |
| 80–139 | Desert Wanderer |
| 30–79 | Lost Traveller |
| 0–29 | Buried by the Storm |
Tips for a higher score
- One sandstorm wipes out the value of three or four relics, so accuracy matters more than raw speed.
- About one item in eight is a storm. Glance at the icon before you tap, especially near the end when you are rushing.
- Your score never drops below zero, so an early mistake is not the end of the run.
- Storms stay on screen a little longer than relics. If something has been sitting there for a while, it is probably a storm.
Frequently asked questions
Is Desert Quest free?
Yes. There are no ads, purchases or prizes, just the game.
Can I play on a phone?
Yes. The game was designed for touch screens and also works with a mouse.
What does the Missed counter mean?
It counts relics that disappeared before you tapped them. Missed relics do not cost points.
How do I reach Pharaoh rank?
Score 200 or more in one 60-second run, which usually means collecting around 17 or more relics without touching a storm.