BBC Destination X

BBC Destination X

400,000+ registered players. 2.6M+ trivia questions answered. BBC’s most successful companion game of its kind, still active months after the broadcast ended.

TL;DR

TL;DR

  • Built a spoiler-safe, cross-device play-along platform for the BBC’s new adventure series, Destination X.

  • Enabled viewers to play live or on-demand while keeping the experience tightly aligned with the broadcast.

  • Delivered an intrinsically motivating gameplay loop with badges, sharable moments, and mini-games tailored to the format.

  • Re-engaged a large share of long-inactive BBC account holders and sustained daily play months after the broadcast.

  • Achieved multi-million game engagement with above-benchmark session duration, making this BBC's most successful companion game of its kind.

ABOUT CLIENT

ABOUT CLIENT

The BBC is the UK’s leading broadcaster, bringing world-class entertainment, news, and storytelling to tens of millions of viewers across TV, radio, and digital. Known for shaping global hits such as The Traitors, the BBC continues to push the boundaries of modern entertainment by blending broadcast, digital innovation, and audience participation.

The BBC is the UK’s leading broadcaster, bringing world-class entertainment, news, and storytelling to tens of millions of viewers across TV, radio, and digital. Known for shaping global hits such as The Traitors, the BBC continues to push the boundaries of modern entertainment by blending broadcast, digital innovation, and audience participation.

SERVICES

SERVICES

  • Digital product strategy

  • Experience (UX/UI) design

  • Web & mobile development

  • Scalable platform architecture

  • Data & analytics

  • Accessibility

  • Continuous optimisation

YEAR

YEAR

2025

2025

400K+

400K+

registered players

registered players

1M+

1M+

map guesses placed

map guesses placed

2.6M+

2.6M+

trivia questions answered

trivia questions answered

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We were thrilled to launch this companion game for Destination X alongside the TV series, and give audiences a unique opportunity to join in with the intricate gameplay and mind-twisting challenges of this captivating journey across Europe.

"

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Jamie Dodds

Jamie Dodds

Commissioning Executive

Commissioning Executive

THE CHALLENGE

THE CHALLENGE

No connection beyond broadcast

No connection beyond broadcast

Destination X was already a massive on‑screen hit, but off‑screen most viewers still watched passively. People were instinctively guessing locations, analysing routes and trading theories — yet none of that energy lived in a structured experience. The challenge was to turn that behaviour into a simple, rewarding companion that works live and on‑demand, stays spoiler‑safe, feels native for both casual viewers and superfans, and remains fully accessible, even with a map‑based core mechanic.

Destination X was already a massive on‑screen hit, but off‑screen most viewers still watched passively. People were instinctively guessing locations, analysing routes and trading theories — yet none of that energy lived in a structured experience. The challenge was to turn that behaviour into a simple, rewarding companion that works live and on‑demand, stays spoiler‑safe, feels native for both casual viewers and superfans, and remains fully accessible, even with a map‑based core mechanic.

THE SOLUTION

THE SOLUTION

A dual mode guessing game built for life beyond the air time

A dual mode guessing game built for life beyond the air time

We designed and built a cross-device, on-demand platform where viewers could play along with Destination X at their own pace. They can join live in sync with the broadcast or later on BBC iPlayer, placing pins on a map each episode and comparing their guesses to the actual route. Mini games and 360° location guesses narrow the search area, while a badge system rewards accuracy. Prismic drives dynamic content, BBC accounts gate access, and on-call engineers supported live episodes so mechanics, timing and reliability work together to make people feel like they are solving the journey themselves.

We designed and built a cross-device, on-demand platform where viewers could play along with Destination X at their own pace. They can join live in sync with the broadcast or later on BBC iPlayer, placing pins on a map each episode and comparing their guesses to the actual route. Mini games and 360° location guesses narrow the search area, while a badge system rewards accuracy. Prismic drives dynamic content, BBC accounts gate access, and on-call engineers supported live episodes so mechanics, timing and reliability work together to make people feel like they are solving the journey themselves.

SUCCESS DRIVERS

SUCCESS DRIVERS

1

On-demand turns a moment into a long game

On-demand turns a moment into a long game

2

Add delight, not unfair advantage

Add delight, not unfair advantage

3

Design for real habits, not TV assumptions

Design for real habits, not TV assumptions

SUCCESS DRIVER 1

SUCCESS DRIVER 1

On-demand turns a moment into a long game

On-demand turns a moment into a long game

Most play-alongs die when the episode ends. Destination X was built spoiler-safe and episode-agnostic, so people could join on their own schedule, live or months later. The same investment now works as a year-long touchpoint instead of a one-off campaign.

Most play-alongs die when the episode ends. Destination X was built spoiler-safe and episode-agnostic, so people could join on their own schedule, live or months later. The same investment now works as a year-long touchpoint instead of a one-off campaign.

SUCCESS DRIVER 2

SUCCESS DRIVER 2

Add delight, not unfair advantage

Add delight, not unfair advantage

Mini-games and extra challenges were deliberately designed to enrich the experience without giving players overwhelming advantages. This kept the experience fair, optional, and enjoyable; players could follow their own rhythm without falling behind or feeling pressured. In mixed-skill audiences, mechanics that enhance emotional connection work better than mechanics that create competitive separation.

Mini-games and extra challenges were deliberately designed to enrich the experience without giving players overwhelming advantages. This kept the experience fair, optional, and enjoyable; players could follow their own rhythm without falling behind or feeling pressured. In mixed-skill audiences, mechanics that enhance emotional connection work better than mechanics that create competitive separation.

SUCCESS DRIVER 3

SUCCESS DRIVER 3

Design for real habits, not TV assumptions

Design for real habits, not TV assumptions

Many expected laptop play; real behaviour was mobile-first, even for map-heavy tasks. Badges became social currency, and reveal-on-tap removed spoiler anxiety, so once someone played twice, they usually kept going. When you follow everyday habits instead of idealised viewing, retention grows naturally.

Many expected laptop play; real behaviour was mobile-first, even for map-heavy tasks. Badges became social currency, and reveal-on-tap removed spoiler anxiety, so once someone played twice, they usually kept going. When you follow everyday habits instead of idealised viewing, retention grows naturally.

Get in touch

When the digital product you're building is core to your business, the margin for error is different. So is the kind of partner you need.

If that's where you are, let's talk.

Reach out

Get in touch

When the digital product you're building is core to your business, the margin for error is different. So is the kind of partner you need.

If that's where you are, let's talk.

Reach out

Get in touch

When the digital product you're building is core to your business, the margin for error is different. So is the kind of partner you need.

If that's where you are, let's talk.

Reach out