License Plate Spotter

Find numbers hiding in license plates. In Order. 000 to 999. Inspired by a game taught to the developer by his high school cross country coach, this is a scavenger hunt that will take you years to complete. The challenge is simple: search for license plates containing sequential digits. Find one with 000, log it. Then start looking for 001. Then 002. All the way to 999. You must find them in order. How It Works: While you're out running, walking, cycling, or moving through the world, keep your eyes open for license plates. When you spot one containing the number you're searching for, open the app and log your find. The app records the timestamp and GPS location—and that's it. We only track your finds, nothing else. Once you've found a number, you move on to the next one in sequence. You can't skip ahead. The Advantage: Future Finds See a license plate you'll need later? Store its location in the app. If that car is still there when you need that number, you'll know exactly where to look. It's your secret advantage. Why This Works: License plates are always moving. You never know when you'll spot the number you're searching for. This keeps the game challenging, fresh, and genuinely engaging—whether you're on your hundredth run or just starting out. The Personal Story: The developer played this game after high school but stopped twice before finishing, because he would forget which number he was searching for. In 2013, he created a prototype app to track progress. Having that simple log changed everything—it was so much easier to remember which number was next, and storing future finds with GPS location data made all the difference. It took over seven years to find all 1000 plates. The Point: Whether you run ultramarathons, take daily walks, or explore your city, this game gives you a reason to stay engaged with the world around you. The search is the point. The movement is the reward. How far will you get?