Topic: The Amazing Race: Design Challenge VIII - Final Round Design Show on Page 50!

[Kamineko]

Kamineko's Comments


Design #9: redwings8831 [Ouidah & Abomey, Benin]

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Teams are starting in Luxembourg, where they have to fly to Benin. Arriving in Cotonou, they go directly to Ouidah, to the Temple of Pythons. I would love it if the clue is in the middle of the pythons, but I have to assume that the pythons are safe to be approached as well. Then they have to go to the sacred forest to check in for the next day's departure. The starting time is not bad since they just arrived from the airport, so there won’t be some distance between teams.

The next morning, they have to go to the Point of No Return, which is an iconic location with the history behind it. Once there, they find a Fast Forward, which involves Voodoo. I really like the Fast Forward task since it has that wow factor in it. Even though it's just buying things, when the things they have to buy are some bizarre things, it will look great on TV. For the others, they have to go to a floating village where they find a Detour.

For the first Detour, the fishing task is not that bad since it takes place in a fish farm, where it’s guaranteed that teams will get many fishes. For the log stilts task, this task has good relevance with the location they’re in. Also, will they ride the canoe they just built to the market? Either way, I think both tasks are balanced, so that’s good.

Then, they have to go to the Royal Palaces of Abomey for a Roadblock. I like the Roadblock task since it requires a lot of attention to details. Also if they do something wrong, they may have to start again from the beginning. Finally, they have to go to the Pit Stop located underground, which is a really interesting location for the Pit Stop.

For my final comments, I am impressed with your leg this time. You highlight the locations and the culture of this country really well. Your tasks are good and solid, I don’t really have any issue to that. I think this is one of your best designs until now, so keep up the good work!

Design #10: Lemontail [Praslin, Seychelles]

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I see that you’re picking Seychelles. I really like the leg back in TAR16, so I wonder what else this country can bring.

Starting in Namibia, teams have to fly to Praslin in Seychelles. Once there, they have to go to the nature reserve where they find a Fast Forward. For the Fast Forward task, I think it’s okay. I just want to see the example of the finished art/model, if any. Because I can’t really imagine what it will look like. Also, what do you mean by “shortest time”? I understand if more than one team attempts the Fast Forward, but if there’s only one team, I think they will win the Fast Forward when they’re done decorating it right? This task sounds too simple to be a Fast Forward, but nice idea of highlighting the heritage site in the Fast Forward task.

For the others, they have to go to a beach to find a Detour. For the Arms task, I wonder if the coconuts are in some marked spots or they have to find them in totally random spots. The eating part is okay if it’s spicy (I would’ve liked it if they had to eat more though, lol), but when they have to deliver plates it sounds unnecessary to me. For the Feet task, I really like it. When they have to keep dancing while carrying those heavy coconuts, I think some teams may struggle if they don’t have enough strength to do that.

Then they have to find a museum where a Double U-Turn is waiting. I think because both Detour tasks are pretty challenging, it’s fine to add the U-Turn there, especially if it can give the losing team(s) from the Fast Forward a chance to catch up. They also find a Roadblock here. I like the Roadblock task, and I think if they add other birds chirping sounds to make it harder, it will be better. Overall, this task is a solid one. Finally, they have to go to the Pit Stop, which is located on the Anse Lazio Beach, a picturesque location for me.

For my final comments, I think you have improved from your previous design. This time, you highlight the locations pretty well. I think that the Roadblock is the main highlight of your leg. I hope that you will keep improving in your future legs.

Design #11: MikeDodgers [Lagos & Osogbo, Nigeria]

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I see that you’re designing in Nigeria. Hopefully you can show that you can do better this time. 

Starting in your previous design’s Pit Stop, teams have to fly to Lagos, Nigeria. Arriving in Lagos, they have to go to the Lagos Business School and find a Roadblock. Your Roadblock definitely is a unique one. I don’t know if this task is portraying the country in a negative way, but if not, I actually like this task. Detecting scammers can be difficult to some, but for others, they may fly through this task.

Then teams have to go to a restaurant where they find a Fast Forward. To be honest, I don’t like the placement of the Fast Forward here. A Fast Forward basically is a task where teams can pass ALL tasks and go directly to the Pit Stop. But when you put the Fast Forward after the Roadblock, it’s no longer a Fast Forward since the first team to finish the Roadblock will have the biggest chance of taking and winning the Fast Forward. But anyway, your task is nice when they have to eat cow feet. How long is the preparation anyway?

For the others, they have to go to a garden where one team member has to carry their teammate on a marked path to the altar. I’m not sure how this task will be well received by the locals there if an all-male team is seen doing this task, since I think that Nigeria is not supporting gay marriage or same-sex relationships until now. I think you should have researched more about this before you put it as a task.

After that, they have to make their way to the village of Osogbo to find the sacred grove. Ugh, please avoid using yellow as the text color. It hurts my eye, seriously. For your Detour tasks, I actually like both tasks. I don’t have any issue but I need more explanations for the procession on what they have to do. Finally, they have to go to the Pit Stop, which is weird. Where is the lamp located specifically, anyway? I don’t think that the lamp is a landmark, so it can be placed anywhere.

For my final comments, I like your Roadblock and Detour tasks, but I don’t like your Fast Forward placement. I also don’t like your Active Route Info since I don’t think it’s well researched regarding the country’s legal state. Your Pit Stop location is also weird in my opinion. I would prefer you at least state where the lamp is placed.

Design #12: Nuku [Le Morne, Mauritius]

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I see that you pick Mauritius. It’s been a while since we saw a leg here, so I hope you can do a good job.

Teams are starting from Kathmandu, Nepal. I really like the Pit Stop location, anyway. They have to fly to Mauritius. I guess there’s no need to say a “warning” about an incoming Fast Forward, but it’s also nice so teams can speed up to reach the Fast Forward location first. Their first clue directs them to the Champs de Mars horse-racing club, nice touch of the cryptic clue as well.

Arriving at the Champs de Mars, teams find a Fast Forward. I really like this Fast Forward task. It has its own uniqueness, combined with the beautiful underwater view. Also, teams have to still do something to win the Fast Forward award, so that’s nice. Especially when teams cannot communicate underwater (I believe), locating those letters can be challenging as well. Basically, this task is perfect as a Fast Forward task.

For the others, they have to go to a mansion(?) where they will find a Roadblock. I’m not finding this task really hard to complete if I were doing it, but for those with bad taste, they may struggle. The location of the Roadblock is really beautiful as well, anyway. 

Then, they have to go to Le Morne, which is the UNESCO World Heritage Site that you pick. Teams find their next clue on the Slave Route Monument, a nice touch on the background of the place as well. Once there, they get a Detour. For the dance task, it’s not that new and pretty common task seen in TAR. But, I really like the sailing task. I can imagine some teams struggle in performing this task. Not forgetting that this location is really nice as well. Finally, they have to go to the Pit Stop, on a geopark.

For my final comments, I am really impressed with what you’ve delivered. I really love all the locations you picked, all have its own uniqueness and it will be beautiful on television. Your Fast Forward is the highlight of this leg and you delivered it really well. Basically, this is a really solid leg from you, and I hope you can keep up the good work in the upcoming round.

[gamerfan09]

To sum up me talking with a friend while reading this round:



More detailed comments to come when I have time.

[Kamineko]

The poll is up!

[nrh2110]

Idk, I definitely get what you guys are saying about language tasks but I think the hieroglyphs task is a bit different. For one thing, it's more of a code task, whereas most language tasks have to do with pronunciation or something along those lines. I also think that hieroglyphs are SO important to the history of Egypt as a whole. I haven't had the chance to read anybody else's legs yet due to how this last week has been for me, but many African languages are either a) the original language or a dialect/descendent language of the Europeans who colonized them, b) Arabic, or c) one of many tribal languages spoken in their respective country whereas writing hieroglyphs is something that represents Ancient Egypt as a whole. When people think of Egypt, hieroglyphs are one of the first things that comes to people's minds, whereas somewhere like Tanzania, very few people will immediately think of Swahili. It also doesn't use any of the same skills needed for a regular language task, such as pronunciation or memory, it's just requires time, patience, and attention to detail to make sure you don't get any of the symbols wrong.

I understand what gamer is saying, as someone who has designed three races and literally just did a language task on my most recent wave (lol), language tasks can really be the easy cop out when you can't think of ideas, and maybe that is the case for some people here, maybe it's the case for none, I can't say. I just think that just because everyone did it doesn't make it completely unoriginal/bland/whatever. Let's say there's a cooking show like Iron Chef where everyone has to make some dishes based on a secret ingredient and one of dishes that everyone makes is the same dish. Sure it may be unoriginal, but who actually made use of that secret ingredient in the best way in the dish, and who made it as sort of an afterthought? That's what I'm saying here. Some people may have just put a language task because they couldn't think of anything and it was more of an afterthought, whereas some of us put in a language task (and I use that term loosely with mine bc hieroglyphs aren't a language, nobody in Ancient Egypt talked in hieroglyphs) because it's so important to the theme of the leg, like how the theme of my leg was Ancient Thebes, and it really helped showcase that theme.

Just my thoughts.

[nrh2110]

Also another thought to add onto that, something to consider with all these language tasks is who did the language task in an original way? Back in TAR NRH 2, the language I did (and turned into a delayed mess) was in Odessa, Ukraine. One of Odessa's festivals is Humorina, which is a festival of humor that takes place annually around April Fools Day, and the language task was an intersection in which the intersected team had to play telephone by learning a Ukrainian joke, walking to the theater, and reciting the joke to the other team member, who had to then go recite the joke to a judge. Should this be scored the same way as a basic, learn how to properly pronounce something and then you'll get your clue kind of task? If you were judging TARUS legs, should the TAR31 Laos classroom language task be treated the same as the TAR24 Welsh poem + aqueduct task?

What I'm really getting at is that context matters, and just because some us put a lot of thought into a language-related task shouldn't mean we should get punished just because everyone else threw language tasks in because they couldn't think of anything better.

[Bookworm]

^ I would like to add to this, as well. I can only speak for myself, but, as NRH attested, language is pretty crucial to the development of a nation. Further, while my FF related to the different languages of Ethiopia, teams didn't have to learn or speak anything. The task tested team's auditory memory and directly corresponded to Ethiopia's sheer linguistic diversity and the challenge of operating in a market wherein many vendors speak different languages.

I agree with NRH that context matters and a task shouldn't be punished simply because it is based on a language. There are many different ways to use language beyond recitation.

[ZBC Company]

I got a figure out a good name for the detour and bad at rhyming

[MikeDodgers]

Thank you very much for the comments, Kami. I wanted to stray away from yet another language task as that is a sure sign that you're out of ideas. The RB was also meant to be educational as it gives a consumer literacy lesson. I feel like the world isn't all that great at noticing the tell-tale signs of a scammer and I wanted to help rectify that somehow. The lamp was to be placed in the middle of the Grove, sorry for not clearing that up. When I came up with the ARI, I wanted to go for a task that would be just be funny and make for good TV. Having already had a setup task in my previous leg, I wanted to stray away from doing another one.

[Declive]

Thanks judges for the comments.
I'm assuming i'm eliminated this time but if i'm not, i'll try to improve every single aspect mentioned.

[NELs]

I'm assuming i'm eliminated this time but if i'm not, i'll try to improve every single aspect mentioned.

Same with me.

[Pi]

Declive - Cape Verde

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• Teams start in Portugal and fly to Cape Verde, which hasn’t been visited yet. I like this choice of location!

• The first route marker and the cryptic clue are both fine. I like how they can separate teams before the FF.

• I assume your Fast Forward is the World Heritage Site task? It’s a classic make-and-eat task. Are the ingredients pre-measured? I’m a bit turned off by mass eating tasks after early seasons of TAR, but at least this isn’t four pounds of Argentine meat. My worry with this task is that either multiple teams will go for it and it’ll be a competition of who can gorge themselves with soup the fastest, or only one team goes for it and they can enjoy a meal before getting the FF. I like how, based on the timing, a team won’t fall too far behind if they don’t win the FF. Overall, I’m a fan of the culinary aspect but it doesn’t feel perfect for a Fast Forward task for me.

• The fishing task reminds me a bit of the TAR6 fishing Detour in Senegal, as well as a few other tasks. That's not a knock, because these types of tasks are generally pretty fun and involve a taste of a day in the life of a local. I don't mind this ARI as a bridge between the FF and the rest of the leg.

• The market is the locale for a Detour, Play & Sing versus Sew & Bring. Play & Sing has a nice cultural aspect, and it’s interesting to see how each team member has a different role. The task might be steep for racers without musical talent, so I think most teams will pick the other option. It’s hard to judge how long this task will take the teams solely based on the description.

• Sew & Bring is more hands-on, and I like the delivery portion of the task. The market could be chaotic with multiple teams running across at the same time. Like the other task, it’s hard to say how long it would take.

• The Roadblock is an alphabet-learning task, reminiscent of TAR31 Laos. This task will surely be challenging for racers, but it can be difficult for the viewers to relate to watching from home. Do teams have separate classrooms? If not, they could know how to acceptably speak the correct phrase by listening to another racer. After that, teams go to the Pit Stop, a pretty lighthouse.

• There were a few minor things with image sizing and a few watermarks that could have been cleaned up. However, your notes were pretty good, with complete maps.


Overall, this leg was pretty middle-of-the-road. Nothing bad, but nothing really sensational either. The tasks didn’t feel one of a kind, but they mostly did have a spin on them to tailor them to Cape Verde, the new location you chose. I think you have a good shot at making it to the next round, so keep improving!

Bookworm - Ethiopia

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• After a Dubai Pit Start, teams make their way to Laibela, Ethiopia. JSYK, I’m completely fine with you picking a WHS that has been visited by TAR before- like you said, the last visit was a long time ago.

• I like this Fast Forward task! It combines music, language, and searching. It can seem luck-based, but having the 4 language speakers gives teams a way to be much better at finding the right linguistic region. It’s hard to know how distinguishable the languages are, but I’m sure teams can pick up on the differences after listening to them for a while. How do teams find the correct CD to place on the map? I also like how the FF ends at a specific time- it raises the stakes and invokes urgency even if only one team is participating. The main negative is that it would be hard for viewers to play along at home, but other than that, I find this to be a well-structured task. Good job!

• The puzzle Roadblock has a chance to be hectic, with teams running back and forth from the churches. The navigation may end up being tougher than the puzzles themselves. The task wouldn’t be mind-bending for the racers, but would be fun to see on TV, so overall I think the task is fine.

• The next clue jumps directly into the Detour. Home-Brewed requires lots of attention to detail, and I like how teams can watch the performance to be able to replicate the steps. Do teams have to start over completely if they don’t get it right the first time? I think it will take a couple tries for teams to get it right, which is fine. I think Tongue-Tied is a good balance for the other side of the Detour. It’s a musical task, but success depends on the improvisational ability of the teams. Do the songs all have to be different for each patron? It’s kind of like a selling task, but also with music/language components. I think the Detour is fairly balanced in both time and skill sets required.

• The ARI is a matching culinary task, but it’s made more interesting with the placement of the sign at the restaurant. Will all teams realize they have to go back to get the answers? If they don’t understand that the answers were right under their noses, it could result in a bunch of guessing, which could be a weird way to go into the Pit Stop. I personally would have probably cut this task with everything else going on in the leg, but I like how you put the twist on it with the intention of having the possibility of Pit Stop drama.


To recap, reading this leg makes me excited about the possibility of seeing Ethiopia (and Lalibela specifically) as part of the racecourse again. I can tell you dug deep into culture and traditions to make your tasks, especially the Detour and ARI. From a TV standpoint, it would be difficult to condense this leg down to an hour-long episode, but that’s not really by any fault of your own- all the tasks this leg deliver and they force racers to be adaptable and quick thinkers. Solid work, and we’ll see you in the next round.

Nuku - Mauritius

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• The leg opens in Kathmandu where teams learn they’re flying to Mauritius. I want to see this country on the race again! Only one visit by US TAR, but hopefully more in the future.

• The Fast Forward is an underwater exploration task that should be fun to watch for viewers. However, it might be a bit clunky if multiple teams are attempting at the same time, and the implementation of the letters might not have an effect on the linearity of the task. I’m not opposed to this task (as long as it’s done safely), but I’m not super excited for it either. I think it’s an appropriate task for a Fast Forward, anyhow.

• Teams then go to the Chateau, a grandiose building, where they get a Roadblock. I like how this task requires many of the senses (taste, touch, sight, etc.) to perform. I would have liked more explanation on the orchard and the searching part of the task. I wish some of the chutney and/or ingredients were unique to Mauritius, although I understand the connection to India’s cuisine. Nevertheless, I do think this is a task that will shake up placements.

• I like the World Heritage Site you picked, but I would have liked to see your task at that location be either the RB, Detour, or FF.

• On to the Detour. I can’t say much about the concept of Dance to the Beat in terms of being different from any other dancing task in TAR, but I do like the shoutout to the local style of clothing and dance moves. Thanks for including the video of the dance. Sail Through the Sea is physical, but brains are also important to finishing efficiently. I think seeing the vivid boats and the interactions with locals would be especially good for TV. After that, the Pit Stop is at a geologically interesting park.


Overall, I liked how the tasks related to the culture of Mauritius without being too overbearing. The leg did just enough to make it feel different than a lot of other beach legs. This leg was better than the TAR 10 Mauritius leg, and would make for a great episode. While a few things needed to be cleaned up in the design (for example, no leg money), I have confidence in you to put together more lively legs!

MikeDodgers - Nigeria

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• Teams begin in Spain and then fly to Nigeria. As an unvisited African country, I want to see what this nation has to offer!

• The Roadblock, at the Business School, is peculiar. Having teams undergo scam awareness training is a never-before-seen idea on the race, so it’s a nice PSA. How is the task set up for when someone gets a line incorrect? Do they have to completely start over, or guess again? Nigeria has such a rich culture, so this task about the scammers feels a tad ill-suited. It’s not what Nigeria should be known for and it’s not what viewers should see featured on a first episode in Nigeria, in my view. I guess the task and interactions could provide some amusing moments, and awareness on this subject is fine, but as a concept it’s somewhat unappetizing.

• The Fast Forward task is worthy, as it’s a classic “local delicacy” teams will have to stomach. I don’t really like having the Fast Forward after the Roadblock. How long does it take to make a serving of the food? How large is the serving size or how long do you estimate they will take to eat it? Details, details.

• The wedding ARI task is satisfactory. How long is the marked path? Knowing this would go a long way in helping us to figure out how long the task would take.

• After driving to Osogbo (how far away is this village from Lagos?), teams find a Detour. Cleansing of Souls shows off a cultural tradition of Nigeria, which I like. Although it doesn’t seem like they have to do much other than dress up, march, and light the candles, I approve of the inclusion of this task. Poetry Prowess is a nice offset to Cleansing of Souls, but it doesn’t feel unique to Nigeria other than the fact that the tribal chief is the cluegiver. It also feels more like a Roadblock- since the poem has to be “about their own teammate”, that sounds like one person is the sole person writing it? I don’t think much of this task will be great TV, other than the final recital of the poem. How long does the poetry have to be? This task seems harder than the other Detour.

• I would have liked to see a clearer picture or explanation of the Pit Stop location. I like how it’s tied to the local festival.


Overall, this is probably your best leg yet. The tasks felt more cultural and the leg was pretty realistic from a feasibility standpoint. I like how you went deeper into local culture for the task ideas, although you did have a task (the RB) that didn’t quite feel suitable to me. As far as presentation goes: you’re improving, but the lack of maps detracts from the design, as I don’t know where the locations are. Also, try to provide an abundance of details for your tasks. Try to get better at some of these facets of designing in your future rounds!

[Declive]

Thanks Pi! I was trying to bring that chaotic market thing to the Detour. I think this Detour shows a great Cape Verdean contrast

[MikeDodgers]

Thank you for the comments, Pi. Both team members have to write for Poetry Prowess. I meant for it to be like a brain-bending task because they have to ad-lib and think about 'What do I say about my teammate?' The max is 12 lines, by the way. For the ARI, the marked path is around 100 meters. And for the RB, teams get their own set of 3 scammer types to match, 5 lines to a scammer, so they will have to guess again if incorrect.

[Nuku]

Thanks for the comments pi but i personally don't agree with u about some of ur comments. i think that the fast forward is like a fantastic task and the reality is not many teams will attempt it anyways, and i think like the discussion about language tasks this round, that a dance task is a staple in the amazing race like DC should be realistic and like dancing tasks are important and verrrry different no matter where you go!!!! Also i did have my detour at the world heritage site because the heritage site is the entire landscape therefor the resort is there.

[Pi]

Also i did have my detour at the world heritage site because the heritage site is the entire landscape therefor the resort is there.

Thanks for pointing it out, I see that now.

[Pi]

Lemontail - Seychelles

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• This leg commences in Namibia, where teams then have to fly to Seychelles. It’s another one of those African countries that has only hosted one leg, so I can’t wait to see another leg for this country!

• The Fast Forward at the Nature Reserve requires the teams to decorate coco de mer. What type of decorations are there? I’d like to see a decorated model to get an idea of what the steps are like. It’s pretty short for a Fast Forward at <20 minutes and no extra transportation, but all teams should get there around the same time, so the task could still have some competition. I like how this task relates to flora important not only to the Seychellois, but also to this specific World Heritage Site.

• The beach Detour is Arms or Feet. Arms entails both searching and culinary skills. What is the procedure for making the curry? I like how teams have to taste a small plate of their creation. Feet is tougher than the usual dance task, because they have to make and carry the skewer of coconuts. I like how that adds an additional step towards the completion of this task. Anyway, I can imagine lots of teams switching back and forth from the Detours since they’re close by, and the U-Turn is also appropriately placed. Good job on the Detour!

• The Roadblock focuses on auditory skills, as racers will have to hone in on the sound of the specific bird. I wonder if there will be other sounds (whether it be natural or artificial) that will throw teams off. I like how there are three different clue parts- it helps make the task less straightforward. One negative is that teams could help each other out a lot on this task, something I don’t necessarily like for a task right before the Pit Stop. Still, the task could easily be done on one’s own, avoiding the other teams.

• Teams then head to the Pit Stop, a relaxing beach.


To sum things up, I liked this leg as a whole. The tasks distinctly related to the culture and traditions of the Seychelles, and the leg felt like it brought a different angle than the TAR 16 leg. The Fast Forward might be quick to complete, but the difficulty of the other tasks is fine and the U-Turn was well-placed. This design could potentially make for an Emmy nomination-worthy episode of the Race if it were to happen. I think you stepped it up this round and I hope you continue doing that in the future!

Betheactress - Chad

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• Chad! We haven’t seen Chad in DC since bcp19’s memorable design. I think your leg will fare better than theirs though. I love the decision to visit not only an unvisited country in the middle of Africa, but a remote area in said country.

• Two separate charter flights are fine, but the only thing I don’t like about that is that likely only three first-flight teams will be the ones contesting the Fast Forward. Aside from that, the FF task is a unique concept - teams will have to have an eye for detail and must find a match for a print. Teams will have to guess what the correct camel footprint looks like based on a top-down view of the hoof (unless they lift up the camel’s leg or the camel walks around); that’s what will make the task an appropriately tough one for a Fast Forward! However, if there’s no penalty for guessing wrong or a set amount of time between guesses, it might end up being rapid-fire. Still, I like the task in general and it’s a fitting task for this rural area in Chad.

• I like the “follow the ant trail” clue, but what happens if they go the wrong way? Is it circular or are they just walking off into the distance? Anyway, we get the Roadblock at the Guleta. The RB is a nod to the nomadic lifestyle in this area, and it involves camels, which are almost always fun to watch teams ride on TAR. The canyon would provide some beautiful shots of teams riding through, but the better part of the task is the set-up requirement. It has potential for frustrations and meltdown, yet rewards racers who were cognizant enough to make mental notes of the camp when they were deconstructing it. It’s the perfect twist to put on this task and considering it’s only 11 items to keep track of, it’s not too overdone. I hope the stations at the end of the line are separate so racers can’t peek at another racer’s setup. Great task!

• Detour up next: Faster Than a Camel versus Slower Than the Sands. Faster Than a Camel could go by quick if teams can control the donkeys, but we know those animals are unpredictable. For that reason, the task has good potential for drama. It feels a little weird to require teams to remove water from the tank and put it back if they fail; I’d rather teams have to start over with a new tank. (I digress.) Slower than the Sand is more straightforward, but probably a less exciting task. Maybe teams should be required to place dates underneath the structure to get their next clue? In any case, the Detour does seem pretty balanced.

• That Pit Stop location could make for a crazy footrace and search for Phil. The entire labyrinth looks pretty big; hopefully there’s some race markers placed to help point the racers in the right direction. At least the stones will provide some shade for the Pit Stop in the Chadian heat


I enjoyed the leg’s incorporation of the local topography - the guleta, the labyrinth - and the local nomadic culture. The tasks did cover a variety of race skills, so this would be a good test for racers. You picked a challenging country and region to design in, but it was executed nicely. If it were feasible for TAR to get to this area to do a leg- well, I hope the producers are stalking the thread, because this would be a great way to show off the area. Great work, and see you in round four.

Redwings - Benin

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• Beginning in Luxembourg, teams set off for Benin. TBH, I’ve always wanted to see Benin, so I want to find out what you’ve supplied here.

• Grabbing the clue at the Temple of Pythons should provide a quick fear factor element before teams settle in for the night. The next morning, teams taxi to the Arch, where we have a poignant remembrance task to start things up in the morning before teams are offered a Fast Forward. I like this FF task because the creepy-crawly element makes it scary, plus there’s a monetary risk of the extra taxis going to and from the market and the Cathedral. Between searching for the items and imbibing the Sodabi, the team that wins this will have definitely earned it, so I like it as a Fast Forward. Plus, I think it’s pretty doable for a team to catch up if they don’t win it.

• The Ganvie Detour is Fish Nets or Log Stilts. Both involve boat trips and taking some items to the fish market afterwards. Fish Nets requires going around to multiple locations, whereas Log Stilts requires finishing several benches in the canoe. This Detour does feel balanced, but that’s partly due to the overlap in the tasks’ concepts. Anyway, it’s relevant to the village, so I think it’s a fine Detour.

• The Roadblock demands artistic skills and steady hands. It’s also a high-pressure task, because you can’t really mess up without having to start over. It is also another facet of highlighting Benin’s history, which I like. Solid task!

• Teams then go to another World Heritage Site for the subterranean Pit Stop.


I liked the leg as a whole and I believe this design was an improvement from last round! While you may have jumped around to a lot of different towns and locations, they all brought something different to the table for your tasks and route markers. The tasks were all culturally relevant and diverse, and the leg showed lots of angles of Benin. Can’t wait to see what other designs you create in the future!

NELs - Eritrea

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• Dubai provides the start of the leg, where teams rip the clue telling them to fly to Eritrea. Not only has it never been visited before, I personally don’t know much about the country. Therefore, I am eager to see what you have done there!

• The Fast Forward is a coffee ceremony, which requires several steps to be completed before the clue can be earned. I like this task, but my only issue is that it may be difficult for teams to pass one another if they start at different times. Most of the steps take a fixed amount of time, so there doesn’t seem like there’s much opportunity for placements to change. Then again, maybe a team gets nervous and makes a mistake, forcing them to start over. I like how there’s a part of the task where they interact with locals!

• For the other teams, the Detour is Bike or Play. Bike is a physical task, but doesn’t seem uniquely cultural (although I do like selecting the local landmarks for teams to bike by). I’m not a fan of the time limit personally; if someone is winded after failing the first attempt, it’s difficult to get right back up and do it in a faster time. Play is a musical task featuring an Eritrean artist and song. How long is the song excerpt? What is the difficulty level? Is there an ongoing demonstration? Would a team have a way to figure out how to acceptably do the task if neither member knows how to play the piano already? I think this needs more explanation to let me know the difficulty and balance with the other Detour side.

• The University of Asmara is the site of the Roadblock. Translating the words is challenging for the racers, but could be hard to follow along watching as a viewer. Thanks for providing the chart in your notes section! After that, the leg ends at the Tank Graveyard.


In conclusion, I liked how you picked a new country in Eritrea, but the tasks didn’t blow me away. Some of them felt like they weren’t unique to the area you designed in. That being said, the tasks do have some potential for drama. Keep improving in your presentation- I think you’re doing better and better! My advice for the future: When picking a place to design in, try to strike a balance between a unique location and a rich culture. For example, picking an unvisited area might not be worth it if the culture is boring or difficult to design in. Other than that, keep working hard and I can’t wait to see how your route takes shape in the future!

[Glamazon Racer]

Just my two cents worth regarding the language challenges - I did feel that the vast majority of the language-related tasks in this round were well-executed and had one aspect or another which set them apart from the norm. I had more of an issue with the dance-related challenges, which were executed (for the most part) with less originality, with some exceptions!

I wanted to point that out just as a tip for your future designs - it's OK to go for a type of task that we've seen before or we've seen often but make sure to give your task something to set it apart from the pack.

Hope that helps! Can't wait to see the results! Good luck!

[gamerfan09]

Gamer's Judgments:

It is time everyone. I will now be commenting on your legs. Feel free to quote anything if you disagree.

Let's keep the conversations going 

Before I begin, remember that all my nitpicking is meant to be constructive criticism. I am not dealing out personal attacks, it's strictly done out of care for your design and for the game.

With that said, here we go.

I will be commenting by order in the Design Show.

[gamerfan09]

Gamer's Judgments:

betheactress [Ennedi Plateau, Chad]

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First of all, I will say that the split flights from the get go threw me off lol. I assume this is Leg 8 so there’s at least under 7 teams by this point. I don’t really like the idea of split flights this late in the game, and while I think the sights are pretty, it’s still a 30 minute deficit.

However, what I do like is the timing of your FF. There’s a strategic decision here that could actually work as a soft bunch. There’s not too many set of tracks on the path, it’s a challenging attention to detail task, and I can very easily see an FF battle happening here which could actually make the 2nd flight either catch up or teams to fall further behind. I liked it.

Similarly, I like the ant task, but I’m just unsure about the feasibility. It looks cool, but I’m not sure if ants following a path is supposed to be controllable. Still, this is just a minor Route Info.

Really like your Roadblock. Love the question, it’s a physical almost puzzle-like task, and I like how it’s also a soft Active Route Info. Your Detour is really good as well! I like how the Faster than a Camel is a twist on what is otherwise a normal delivery task, since not only are there animals there’s ALSO a time limit. The other Detour is a bit less exciting, but I like how the task looks and it’s a good combo. It’s pretty much a “slow and steady” vs. “quick and fast” Detour, but it’s not basic adventure tasks. It’s its own thing and I liked that a lot.

We then race to the Pit Stop. Honestly, I really liked your leg! What objections I have with the logistics were quickly erased by the fact that the leg itself is VERY strategic and decision-based, which can really make all the difference in a leg like this. If I really had to nitpick, it would just be your ant Route Info not being very feasible. But that’s it.

You’re really proving yourself as a frontrunner in this game, and hopefully you can keep your momentum!

Declive [Cidade Velha, Cape Verde]

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First off, Declive, I like the idea of your cryptic clue. But the thing is, I’m not too sure about the clue. It’s something that pops out REALLY easily on a Google search. For instance: “1512 marble pillar cape verde” shows it immediately. Subsequently, your Fast Forward is cultural, yes, and I like the idea of an eating task, but your picture makes it look like teams have to eat the ENTIRE pot lol. You didn’t exactly specify how much Cachupa teams have to prepare, so I’m led to assume the worst based on the picture.

We then have an Active Route Info and… it’s a fishing task. I’ve mentioned my bias against fishing tasks, and I will say that as an RI, it’s decent enough to be the first task. I like it being near the Fast Forward to cause stress with teams, but fishing is just not the most exciting thing to watch.

We then go to the market for a Detour. Your first task is solid. The music sounds good, and it’s also a language task that incorporates singing. It’s something that’s not easy, and it’s a fun music task. Unfortunately, your other Detour is my other biggest pet peeve - sewing tasks. Sewing tasks have never been exciting on the Race, and this is unfortunately no different.

We then go to a school for a learning Roadblock. Declive, I get the point of it, but there’s a bit of redundancy with your Detour and this. Considering how much I’m not a fan of the sewing, you could have honestly made the Alphabet be the other side of the Detour. That way, your Detour would have been languages in two different ways (one musical and the other more of pronunciation in conversation) instead of feeling like an instant repeat, especially with teams that did the music.

We then go to the Pit Stop.

Declive, I’ll be blunt, but I wasn’t exactly a fan of this leg. You managed to put two of my biggest task pet peeves in one leg, but it’s not just that. The FF was lacking details, and there’s a level of redundancy with your Detour-RB combo. I do think that your leg is passable, but it’s unfortunately just not your best work. Best of luck if you survive.

NELs [Asmara, Eritrea]]

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First off, your Fast Forward. It’s not challenging at all and it only fits the level of an Active Route Info. It’s cultural, yes, but it’s not challenging at all, which is what makes it not good. Your Detour is kind of generic, unfortunately. The biking is…. just biking. Yes, there is navigation. But it’s just biking with an unnecessary time limit. The music task is also strange. What’s the point of having the team members sing an English song when Eritrea has its own language? And the building where the music Detour is is also named ITALIA.

We then go to a university for your Roadblock… which is translating. I’m not a fan of the task. It’s not exciting, it’s not fun to watch, and I just did not like it.

Your Pit Stop as well. I get it, but it doesn’t look aesthetically pleasing at all. Your locations this leg, quite frankly, were all over the place. After the UNESCO site, you just had roads, two buildings, a University, and a Tank Graveyard. There’s no coherence, there’s nothing in here that really screams Eritrea.

NELs, I did not like this leg. I thought that an otherwise amazing look at a new country could happen, but you ended up wasting your location. These tasks feel like they could have been done anywhere in the world, and dealing with the local language by a translate task won’t immediately make it distinctly Eritrea.

If you survive this round, hopefully you do better next round.

MrDS [Nouadhibou, Mauritania]

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ppreciate the bunch, and your Fast Forward is interesting. I think that it’s a gross task, but it’s pretty much something that lets teams get down and dirty immediately and the fact that all teams are there at the same time means we could have FF battles.

We then drive to a Berber camp, and I like your Detour! While I think the art isn’t exactly the most exciting task to *watch*, I think I can agree that it looks pretty and it’s a unique painting task since it’s pretty much fingerpainting. The music one is also really good! I like how it’s pretty much a mix of analysis, interpretation, and also, of course, luck. It’s a “slower but easier” vs. “faster but harder” Detour, and I appreciated and enjoyed that.

Your Roadblock at the market is fun. It’s a shopping task, but I like the pictures you used, they really get the point across that it’s chaotic, it’s a very busy environment, and there’s a language barrier. It’s a challenging and overwhelming task, and I just really liked it.

We then have a cryptic clue for the Pit Stop.

MrDS, this is my favorite leg of the two you’ve done so far. I thought your Detour and Roadblock were fantastic, and you did a good job showing off culture. My only problem is your Fast Forward. I just think that it sticks out relatively poorly, and while it is exactly for the birds at the pack, I just think that there’s a better task that could have been done.

Other than that, loved your leg. Great job!

[gamerfan09]

Gamer's Judgments:

elthemagnifico [Cairo & Giza, Egypt]

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Like your Fast Forward! It’s an acting task, and I think it’s an interesting choice to showcase Egyptian movies. I also like how you made it separate from the RB, which will make teams potentially have “oh no” moments if another goes for the FF.

Speaking of your Roadblock… I like how you tied in the language barrier, but I’m not very sure about your location of choice. Objectively, I like your task. But it’s literally at a mosque. I’m not sure having teams run inside a mosque is respectful or sensitive.

We then have an Egyptian Pyramids Detour. Honestly, I really like the mummy task, and I think it would definitely be very cool for teams to make a mummy. But like most of my complaints with legs this round, I’m not sure just having a “translate the language” task works again, especially since you already had teams deal with the language barrier on your Roadblock.

We then take camels to the Pit Stop.

El, I do think your leg has decent tasks. However, I feel like when teams think Egypt, they expect camels, mummies, sarcophagi, pyramids, and your leg pretty much fell in the expected trajectory of what an Egypt leg is, and frankly, I found that disappointing. It also doesn’t help that riding camels is exactly what the final task of our last TARUS Egypt visit was. It just doesn’t feel very original. Your leg is passable, and it’s not awful, but the Roadblock is unfeasible and the majority of your leg is something to expect, which is not a good thing.

This is probably your weakest leg of the three, but if you survive this round, hopefully you regain your momentum.

nrh2110 [Luxor, Egypt]

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Liked your Fast Forward! The environment in it can lend itself to some pretty sights and I appreciate the culture behind it.

We then get to your Detour, and it’s a papyrus Detour. I think the best part of your Detour was the pun in the names. Otherwise, I felt like this Detour really didn’t do anything for me. It’s just something that I think can be expected, and it just doesn’t work for me as a task combo. It just doesn’t seem exciting to watch.

We then get to your Roadblock, and this task is awesome. I really like the idea of playing trivia while exploring a tomb, and it’s something that lends itself well to TV if it was a proper leg.

We then head to the Pit Stop. NRH, I thought your Detour was not good, but I liked your Fast Forward and Roadblock. So in short, it’s kind of like a sandwich where I really don’t like the middle, but the bread was great.

Just really not a fan of the Detour, but otherwise, solid effort. You definitely put forward the better Egypt leg this round.

Bookworm [Lalibela, Ethiopia]

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This is a location notorious (and iconic!) for eliminating the worst team in TAR history. I have high hopes.

Bookworm, I really like your Fast Forward, but I think it would have worked better as a Roadblock. It’s a task that wouldn’t exactly pop as much as it would with everyone scrambling to finish. It’s an amazing task and I really liked it, but I just think it’s a missed opportunity to not make it a compulsory task.

HOWEVER… I also loved your Roadblock! I like the idea of running back and forth carrying puzzle pieces through the old tunnels, and there is also a level of intensity that can be there from everyone doing it at the same time.

We get to your Detour. And honestly, this is very very inspiring. A beverage themed Detour. I love the coffee Detour. You could have just had teams sit there and have the coffee ceremony as a Route Info, but you didn’t. They have to memorize and do it. You could have also just had the other Detour be a basic selling task. But you didn’t. They have to SING as well and have THAT be a part of making a sale which is already hard enough as is in a location like this. I just am honestly blown away by your Detour. Really loved it.

We then have to deliver bread… which transitions into a tasting task. WHERE THE FLAVORS WERE REVEALED AT THE OTHERWISE PLAIN DELIVERY TASK LMAO. I loved the twist a LOT. There’s so many decisions to be made here and it’s just a great way to end the leg. I’m not even upset that the Pit Stop is just there and stifles competition potentially, since everything to this point has just been so decision-based and great that there’s really no way anyone who finished those tasks worse than everyone else should be able to pass other teams lol.

Bookworm, I don’t know how you did it, but you made TWO Africa legs back to back and I somehow loved this more than your past entry. I really have nothing to complain about aside from the fact that I think your leg is a little bit too long. But there’s no task in here I would cut lol. Excellent leg, and I really just have nothing to say. It might even be better than the original Ethiopia visit from TAR6.

ZBC Company [Fez & Meknes, Morocco]

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Your Detour is passable, but honestly not really original. We’ve dealt with Moroccan rugs on TAR before. We’ve dealt with the tannery. It’s not new and it’s nothing very exciting.

It’s a regular dance task for your FF and it’s fine and good. Then we have something like Turkish baths. I don’t think this belongs. You mentioned they did it on TAR21, and that is exactly why it wasn’t a good idea to do it.

Luckily your next Active Route Info starts to redeem your leg. I like the idea of running around and finding instruments while solving cryptic clues in another language. Your Roadblock is also good in concept… but I really think unscrambling that many is too much and unfeasible. It’s just too hard.

We then end the leg. ZBC, I liked your second half of the leg, while I thought the first half was unoriginal and generic. More originality is where a leg can shine, and hopefully if you get to the next round you get to keep that in mind.

[gamerfan09]

Gamer's Judgments:

Nuku and Lemontail, I would like to apologize for my comments this round in advanced. I wrote them while half-asleep and I didn’t want to delay the game any longer. Your comments will be lumped in on one spoiler tag.

redwings8831 [Ouidah & Abomey, Benin]

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I like the Point of No Return memorial, but they already did this on TAR6, albeit in a different country. Your FF is interesting. It’s a market task, but I like how you tied in folklore.

Your Detour… not a fan of fishing tasks and I think dugout canoes have pretty much been used in this purpose on the show by now.

Your Roadblock is solid in theory… but I’m a bit confused why we have first-come first-served elements to this task. Why not just have teams have a universal same difficult mold to recreate?

We then end your leg. Redwings, your leg was cultural for sure, but the tasks didn’t exactly manage to speak to me. Still a passable effort, but I just think this leg is something that works as an NEL if it was an actual leg than a full proper hard EL if that makes any sense.

Good luck if you get to the next round.

MikeDodgers [Lagos & Osogbo, Nigeria]

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Mike I am speechless with your Roadblock. I don’t think Nigerian SCAMMERS is the best way to showcase the country. And not just that, it’s a task in a UNIVERSITY in NIGERIA against NIGERIAN SCAMMERS. I just find the task funny, but it’s not exactly the best choice lol.

Your FF is fine and a good eating task. And I don’t think we’ve had cow legs before lol. Your Route Info is also pretty good…. but like what Kami said, what if there are M/Ms and F/Fs doing the task? Nigeria is very anti LGBT rights, and it’s not even just that, I think your task is fine. It’s just that you could have just let teams bring the bride like what they did on TAR14.

Your Detour is great! I like the cleansing ritual, and the poetry is funny…. it’s pretty much just a way for teams to roast their teammates? I like the Detour in theory, I just think that the poetry needed more detail. Is there a standard teams should use in doing their poems? Is there a margin of error? I need to know. Otherwise, I liked your Detour.

We then go to the Pit Stop. Mike, I always have big objections with your legs, and this is no different. I think that using Nigerian scammers felt weird, and was definitely a choice. Additionally, I think a lack of details hurt the rest of your leg.

But the thing is… there are elements here that work. I like your FF. I like your ARI in theory. And I love your Detour in theory. There’s a lot of good elements here for a solid leg, you just need to get the questionable parts out.

Still, this is your better efforts in DC. If you get to the next round, hopefully it’s continuing to go on up.

Lemontail [Praslin, Seychelles]/Nuku [Le Morne, Mauritius]

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Lemontail - Oh wow, also using Valle de Mai <3 I legit dumped that location in when designing my Seychelles leg a few years back lol. Your FF is cultural and ties in well with the UNESCO, your Detour is 50/50. I think both tasks have a little bit too much padding. The dance Detour requiring teams to hold coconuts are very inspiring though. And both tasks are doable enough for the U-Turn to not be a big deal. Your bird RB is awesome. Love the attention to detail + quiet needed for the task. Your leg is solid overall. Decent tasks, pretty sights, and a good presentation. I just wish your Detour had a little bit more tweaking.

Nuku - Your RB is good, the FF is fine. I think the memorial in the middle of the leg is respectful and a good choice, but definitely didnt deserve to be in the middle of tasks. Should have been at the start. Your Detour is cute, and I like the color scheme of the boats, but the boats are definitely not as exciting as the dance. Overall, good effort. You had pretty sights, decent tasks, and a pretty Pit Stop which already makes this better than TAR10 Mauritius.

[gamerfan09]

And that's it thank you 

Apologies to being so delayed with my comments and holding up the game but we should all be good now. Expect results show from Pi soon (tm).

[ZBC Company]

And that's it thank you 

Apologies to being so delayed with my comments and holding up the game but we should all be good now. Expect results show from Pi soon (tm).

noo more comments, what you think about my leg

[elthemagnifico]

Thanks kami and gamer for the comments <33

While I don't have any note regarding to Kami's I might have some issue with your comments gamer

I dont think RB was unfeasible, but I did put note on the RB that teams doesn't really have to go inside the mosque, since the keepers are outside the mosque (especially around the entrance of the mosque), and since the first mosque, teams couldn't literally enter the mosque, so I made sure that teams would be looking for the keeper outside the mosque, maybe I should explain it a little bit clearer, but I think I put the note that the keeper would be around the entrance of the mosque. The third location is not even a mosque tho, so it's not literally a mosque.

My intention for this leg was to combine two most influential culture during its time, and it would be islamic and ancient egypt's. The ancient egypt's  would be really fit in the pyramid complex because, yeah that is where ancient egypts routines practiced there for more than thousand years. The tasks themselves are new to TAR, especially mummy task, and decipher here is not often presence in TAR, so I made sure that the tasks were little bit original , and while the camel riding was done before in TAR 5, riding the camel to the pitstop was a rare occasion, so I think it's worth the adventure to ride the camel to the pitstop

idk if this defends would worth for the scores since atm , you might have already put your final scores there, but I think it's worth to defend. Regardless, I'll admit that this is a rushed leg, and I make sure I improve for the the next round

[Pi]

Nrh2110 - Egypt

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• Teams start in southern Egypt and travel by train up to Luxor. Egypt has a ton to offer and hasn’t been on our screens for a leg in 16 years, so I like the decision to design here.

• Good detail including the HoO at the temple, I believe this leg functions better in the daytime. The Fast Forward is good! It requires a couple of steps to be completed before a team can start the procession, so between painting, dressing the camel, and getting the kids on board, we should see a flurry of activity. Because everyone is bunched going into the task, I think a lot of teams will attempt the FF and it’ll be hectic. The parade and celebration should be good for TV. Overall, the task being both competitive and cultural makes for a solid FF.

• The Papyrus Museum Detour is Reed It/Read It. Reed It is more hands-on, whereas Read It is more mental. Good details on both of the task descriptions! I think it’s pretty balanced, so good job there.

• After a forthright cryptic clue, teams travel to the Valley of Kings, the Roadblock locale. I like the mental and navigational components to this task! The clues being outside of the temples might make it easier for racers to trail each other to find the clues, but I can understand why they’re prohibited from going into the temples. I’d like to see a map of the temples’ layout, so we can know how vast this valley is and how far apart the temples are. Other than that, I like the nod to historical Egyptian culture.

• Teams then travel to a monumental-looking Pit Stop to end the leg. Great backdrop for the Pit Stop mat!


To sum it up, I like the Ancient Egypt theme of the leg. The tasks were all culturally relevant and did require varied skills. Your presentation and notes were improved, and I have very few complaints on those overall (except for no maps). I think this was your best leg of the contest, so build on this level of design to further elevate. Good luck in the upcoming rounds!

MrDS - Mauritania

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• Teams begin at an impressive mosque in Nouakchott, Mauritania. This country isn’t too well-known, so it would be positive to see a leg here!

• After a long drive, teams settle in for the night and get their clue the next morning. The Fast Forward is grueling; with 100 iterations of the fish-cleaning process, it’s no guarantee that a team can finish quickly or even get first if they win the FF pass. The senses (especially smell) will be overwhelming for the racers, so I think it’ll be a really taxing task.

• At the Berber Camp, the two sides of the Detour both involve creative expression. Way of Art is a down-and-dirty painting task, which requires attention to detail. I can only imagine both team members trying to paint something at the same time, messing up, and having to start over. Way of Music should take teams a few attempts, but I think they will be able to narrow it down after a couple tries. I think both tasks are appropriately challenging, so good job on that!

• Taking place in the market, this Roadblock is a classic purchasing task with a twist. I think it’s eye-opening to have a different beauty standard being part of the objective of the task. Due to this, it’s a change of pace from most market tasks. I also like how the shopping list is in Arabic and how teams must eat portions of everything they buy. The placement of the task, right before the Pit Stop, is fine.

• Then, it’s a photographic clue to the Pit Stop for the leg. It’ll require another interaction with locals to figure out the destination.


Overall, this wasn’t a bad introduction to Mauritania, a brand-new country. The tasks range from sensory overload to delicate back to chaotic, and I liked that balance. Your presentation was thorough, which I appreciate. As long as the red tape was cleared and feasibility was there, I can envision this being an actual TAR leg. Keep up the excellent work!

ZBC Company - Morocco

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• Teams start in England and fly to Morocco. I like those TAR 17 vibes! I like how teams are on different flights, but I would like to see the actual screenshots of the flights next time, please. Self-driving is a good choice for both the England and the Morocco portions of the leg!

• The Detour, taking place the next morning, is Easy Labor or Hard Labor. The weaving in Easy Labor is a bit similar to TAR 29 Armenia with using the loom, and to TAR 3 and 25 with the Moroccan carpet element. This isn’t a bad task, but it’s also good to explore different sides of Morocco’s culture. Hard Labor features the tanneries, which have also been seen in a couple seasons. I like how teams have to correctly apply the 3 different dyes! This is very labor-intensive, and is even more back-breaking with it being the only outdoors task of the Detour- like you said, the hot sun will be beating down. I think it’s much harder than the other task. The Detour was really cultural, but we didn’t get to see many new sides to Morocco.

• Dancing can be done as a Fast Forward, and I like the judging panel style. Is there a video of the performance? I think it’ll be pretty tough, considering they have to get a score of 30 (10/10 from each judge?).

• The spa task is pretty middle-of-the-road. It’s not the main focus of the leg, so it’s fine.

• I really like the instrument task! Finding the correct instruments based on what the band is equipped with is a fun, cultural task that is neither too easy nor too hard. Good job!

• For the Roadblock, the pot-smashing part would be fun to watch on TV but the unscrambling and reciting part is just too difficult, in my opinion. Shortening this task would help the leg to finish in a faster amount of time. It’s a nice task to feature the Heritage Site, though.

• In regards to presentation: Try to improve your pictures by finding un-watermarked images and if you do use those stock photos, cropping them could help. Try paraphrasing and cutting out less important information rather than just copying and pasting from Wikipedia. You can do it!


Overall, this leg had a lot of good things going for it- culturally relevant tasks, music/art/language/dance being represented, and an interesting Heritage Site and Pit Stop. However, I wasn’t quite a huge fan of how some tasks were akin to previously done TAR tasks. Still, this leg felt feasible and would make for a good episode. You’re doing your best, so keep that up!

Elthemagnifico - Egypt

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• Once teams read the clue in Cyprus, they must make their way to Egypt. Egypt has a great culture and hasn’t been visited in so long, so I like the decision to design here.

• Teams self-drive (yay) to the Cairo tower and use binoculars to spot the next clue. I like how the Route Info and Fast Forward are separate- if teams want to pursue the FF, they may have to spend time looking for the potentially more obscure flag. The Fast Forward is arduous; Arabic will probably be tough for the racers to pick up, and acting is never easy to do on the first try. I also like how there’s still pressure if only one team is attempting the task.

• The Roadblock requires searching through Islamic Cairo, a Heritage Site. I like how they will have to interact with locals, as well as the part about correctly pronouncing the phrase. There may be an issue if the task is too fast-paced for a mosque setting (racers have been prohibited from running inside mosques in the past). Otherwise, I like the task and the way they get their next clue from the scrolls.

• Teams travel over to Giza, the location of the Detour. Wrapping is a nod to ancient Egypt, almost stereotypically so. I think the task will be fun for TV, but isn’t overly demanding of the racers. Writing appears to be a lot more difficult between the descent to the Creation Room and the translation of the 32-word phrase. I like the mental side of this Detour (translating and writing), but it feels like it will take much more time than the other side of the Detour.

• Following that, teams are taken by camels to the Pit Stop, also in the Giza complex.


The locations and tasks in this leg were fitting for Egypt’s largest metropolitan area, and did have lots of connections to Egypt’s past and present culture. However, the tasks didn’t feel like they complimented each other perfectly- there were a lot of language tasks and mental tasks. Still, I liked a lot of the little things about this leg, and I think you’ll get through to the next round. I think this leg was better than your Round 2 submission, and I hope your Round 4 design is even better!