Google reportedly holding an internet scavenger hunt that guarantees a shot at I/O tickets

With Google I/O 2014, Google switched to a lottery-based system for selling tickets. This means that anyone can register for a spot in the draw, but only a select number of people will get the opportunity to shell out $900 for a ticket. This, of course, means that no one is guaranteed entry into the event. It wouldn’t be Google if they didn’t throw some fun into the process. Only this time, the fun guarantees an entry into I/O (via Android Police).

Google has placed a handful of goog.gl links throughout its Developer sites, including within images, texts, and even the source code of pages. Unfortunately, each link is only valid for one spot, and Google doesn’t remove them when they’ve been claimed. So more than likely, any link you find has already been claimed.

Finding and clicking on one of the links will take you to an oddly designed page that will either tell you that the link you clicked is valid, or that it has already been claimed. And just as you’d expect with Google, the page is crazy and takes you on a wild, text adventure with Icarus.

Google is supposedly adding links and updating dead ones all the time, so it certainly would not hurt to scour the Google Developer website for your shot at an entry into Google I/O. Although, it’s important to note that even if you find an unclaimed link, you still have to pay the $900 for the ticket. The link just guarantees you a spot, bypassing the lottery all together.