Scavenger hunts are a popular party game for adult groups of all types -- from the corporate to the casual, bachelorette parties to large-scale citywide games. The scavenger hunt game can function as a good ice breaker for people who are just getting to know each other, or it can be a great way for already close friends to have lots of fun.

The key to a scavenger hunt is having a good plan and having a good scavenger hunt list, so I've put together a list of free adult scavenger hunt lists and some party planning books you can pick up if you want a more formal game or just need more ideas.

The best way to use these lists is to grab a bunch of different scavenger hunt lists and then borrow items from them to make up your own unique list. Also, you can use them as a springboard for your own ideas. For instance, the University of Chicago Scavenger Hunt list includes items that will be unique to the city of Chicago, but surely you can think of some things unique and interesting about your own city to add to your list.

There are essentially two types of scavenger hunts -- the traditional hunt involves collecting physical items that you would bring back to the judges. Frequently, you will have to decipher hints to figure out exactly what the item is and where it is.

Sometimes instead of finding an item, you might have to perform a task (with witnesses to attest to its being done). There's a new type of scavenger hunt that's growing in popularity however, and it lots of ways it makes scavenger hunts more entertaining -- this is the Photo Scavenger Hunt.

Thanks to instant cameras like the Polaroid, and now digital cameras, you can play a scavenger hunt game that involves you going out to collect pictures of the objects in the game -- or any tasks you are compelled to do. This can make many games more fun and challenging than ever before.