AlgoHunt

AlgoHunt transforms competitive programming into a high-octane physical reality.

AlgoHunt was conducted by CodeChef PESU-ECC as part of MAAYA, the official fest of PES University, Electronic City Campus. The event combined competitive programming with a campus-wide treasure hunt, creating a format where solving code was only half the challenge.

What Is AlgoHunt?

What happens when logic meets chaos, speed meets strategy, and code meets the thrill of a treasure hunt?

You get AlgoHunt — MAAYA's most electrifying tech event.

Held on 11th October 2024 at PES University, Electronic City Campus, AlgoHunt brought together 100+ passionate coders and explorers for a competition that demanded both technical ability and teamwork.

The event was structured across two competitive tracks:

• Easy Track — designed for beginners and participants taking their first steps into competitive programming.
• Advanced Track — designed for experienced competitive programmers looking for a more challenging contest.

Coding Meets the Treasure Hunt

AlgoHunt was built around a simple idea: the entire team could not rely on just one kind of skill.

During the event, teams split their efforts between two parallel challenges. Half of the team searched for a key hidden somewhere around the campus, while the remaining members worked on a competitive programming problem.

This combination meant that teams had to continuously balance:

• Problem-solving
• Speed
• Exploration
• Team coordination
• Creative thinking

A strong performance required more than writing correct code. Teams had to communicate quickly, divide responsibilities effectively, and make decisions under pressure.

The Hunt

Across 7 intense rounds, participants moved between programming challenges and physical clues spread throughout the competition.

The rounds brought together:

Cryptic clues + Competitive programming + Campus exploration + Teamwork

Participants decoded riddles, solved programming challenges, searched for clues, and raced against the clock as they attempted to stay ahead of the competition.

Every round introduced another opportunity to gain an advantage — but also another opportunity to fall behind.

Two Tracks, One Challenge

Easy Track

The Easy Track gave beginners an opportunity to experience competitive programming in a more accessible and engaging format.

Rather than being limited to a conventional coding contest, participants were introduced to programming challenges alongside the excitement of the physical hunt.

Advanced Track

The Advanced Track pushed experienced competitive programmers further, combining more demanding programming problems with the same fast-paced treasure-hunt format.

For these teams, technical proficiency had to be matched with speed and coordination.

Beyond Competitive Programming

AlgoHunt was designed to test skills that extend beyond solving a programming problem.

Participants had to constantly adapt to changing situations, communicate with teammates, and decide how to divide their time and effort between the coding challenge and the physical hunt.

The event encouraged participants to:

• Think differently when approaching problems.
• Collaborate creatively under time pressure.
• Adapt quickly as new clues and challenges appeared.
• Balance strategy and execution throughout the competition.

The Experience

With 100+ participants, 7 rounds, two competitive tracks, and a ₹15,000 prize pool, AlgoHunt created an atmosphere that was as competitive as it was energetic.

From cryptic clues to brain-twisting code, every stage demanded a different combination of skills. The campus itself became part of the challenge, turning what would normally be a coding contest into an experience that participants had to physically navigate as a team.

More Than a Competition

AlgoHunt was more than a competition — it was an experience that blended coding brilliance with on-ground strategy.

By bringing competitive programming out of the conventional contest environment and into a physical treasure hunt, AlgoHunt captured the spirit of experimentation, collaboration, and problem-solving that defines CodeChef PESU-ECC.

Code. Hunt. Collaborate. Conquer.

That was AlgoHunt.