Witch Hunt, also known as Witch Hunt, the Story Challenge and The Survivor Witch Project, is a recurring challenge of Survivor.
Rules
The host begins the challenge by telling the castaways a story about local folklore. When the story is ended, the castaways run to stations where they would be asked a question about the story they just heard. Answering the question correctly would allow the contestant to collect an item, while giving an incorrect answer would force the castaway to complete a task (typically discarding a pointless item) before they are able to return to the station and answer the question correctly. The first person to get back to the starting point with all their items would win.
History
In Survivor: Borneo, after the story about Bornean folklore, the castaways must run to the woods (where the masks with questions on them were scattered) with a video camera to record their answers. Kelly won her third challenge in a row.
In Survivor: The Australian Outback, each player is shackled together at the wrists, ankles, and waist. After hearing a story about aboriginal settlers, they must run to 8 stations. A correct answer will give them a key to unlock one of their shackles, which they must bring back to the center of the course. Keith had the lead, but dropped one of his locks on his way back to the center. Unable to find it, it allowed Colby to get back with all of his locks and shackles. It gave Colby his third straight immunity win.
In Africa, after Jeff tells them an African story, the seven players race with staffs in hand to collect five colored leather straps by breaking ostrich eggs placed below the right answer to one of seven questions relating to the story. First person to get five strips tied to their staff and return to the center of the circle would win. The race is close, with Frank and Lex being neck-and-neck most of the way. When Lex wraps his fifth strap to his staff, one of his other four straps slips off on his way to the starting circle. Lex quickly retraces his steps, finds his missing strap, brings it back to the starting circle and rewraps it around his staff. As a result, Lex wins individual immunity for the second straight time.
In Marquesas, the Survivors would listen to Jeff narrate an ancient Marquesan tale. Then, they would answer a series of questions about the story located within a private kiosk in which multiple-choice answers were made available. Correct answers would correspond to a basket that would reveal a mini idol. Survivors who guessed the correct answer would then attach the idol to a necklace with which they had been provided. The first person to answer five questions correctly and race across the finish line with five idols would win. Although Kathy and Neleh each dropped one tiki on their way to the finish line, Kathy found the tiki she dropped and came out on top, winning individual immunity.
In Survivor: Vanuatu, after Jeff finishes the story about Roy Mata, the castaways must race to different stations to answer questions regarding the story. Each time a castaway answers correctly, they would receive a white pig tusk, which they must must attach to a necklace. The first player to attach all five of their tusks wins immunity. Eliza won.
In Survivor: Guatemala, the tribe members first heard a story about a Mayan goddess, Ixchel. They then had to race to seven stations, each with a question about the story they heard. Each station had two options - one box contained a flag, one a stick. If they pulled a stick, they had to throw it into an urn and run back to the station to collect their flag. First to seven flags won immunity. Rafe won Immunity again in a close finish against Gary.
In Survivor: Cook Islands, before the challenge starts, host Jeff Probst will tell a story about the voyage of James Cook. Each tribe must remember a historical story about Captain James Cook. Tied together as a group, the tribe must make their way over and under logs and through a field of poles, gathering seven answer flags. Once they cross a two-line rope bridge over a pit of water, they must use the seven answer flags collected to solve five questions about the story. If a tribe misses a part of the storyline, they may consult from their copy of the story; but they must go back through the course to reread it. The first team to finish wins reward; but the three top finishers wins immunity. At Aitutaki, feeling like his tribe could do better, Ozzy forced his tribe to throw the next Immunity Challenge to get rid of Billy, who had not been putting in much effort at camp. At the challenge, Puka Puka and Rarotonga tied for first place, so they each received two large tarps as reward and immunity. Manihiki finished third and was also safe from Tribal Council.
In Survivor: Cambodia, the challenge was held for reward to a local resort. After hearing a story about the origin of the Angkor Wat and Bayon temples, contestants raced to collect five gold talismans. It came down to a close race between Stephen and Spencer. Stephen ended up winning and shared reward with Tasha and Jeremy.
Winners
Gallery
Trivia
- With the exception of Eliza Orlins and Stephen Fishbach, every person that won the challenge as an individual, won or tied with the most individual Immunity Challenges.
- Cook Islands was the only season where the challenge was used as a pre-merge challenge.