❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Houston Data Quest is a free, gamified way to explore the City of Houston's open data. You play as a civic-data explorer, browse real datasets, hunt for "red flags" (data that looks off), earn XP and badges, and learn how your city actually works — all in your browser.

All datasets are sourced from the City of Houston's official open data portal at data.houstontx.gov, along with related public records. We track each dataset's freshness and quality so you always know how current and reliable it is.

A red flag is a value or pattern in a dataset that our automated detectors think is worth double-checking — like a date in the future, a wildly out-of-range number, or a suspicious gap. A red flag is not proof of an error; it's a prompt to verify against the official source.

XP (experience points) measure your progress as you view datasets, find red flags, and complete lessons. Earn enough XP and you level up. Badges reward specific achievements, and missions are guided multi-step challenges that teach you a civic-data skill.

No. You can play as a guest — your progress is saved automatically using a cookie in your browser. Creating an account is optional and simply lets you keep your progress across devices.

Opportunities are real, data-backed civic problems — like a neighborhood with slow 311 response or a drainage gap. Each one links the data to who can help and a concrete next step, so your exploration can turn into real-world action.

Each dataset is labeled fresh, aging, or stale based on when the city last updated it and when we last imported it. We re-check sources regularly, but always confirm time-sensitive details on the official portal.

Datasets get a quality score (0–100) based on completeness, consistency, freshness, and how many red flags they contain. Departments get a reliability score that reflects the average quality and transparency of the data they publish.

No. Houston Data Quest is an independent educational project built on public open data. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by the City of Houston. For official records, always visit data.houstontx.gov.

Just pick a guide character during onboarding, then start browsing datasets or jump into a mission. Every dataset you open and every red flag you confirm earns you XP — there's no wrong way to explore.