Gameplay
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Payphone Tag is played by capturing public payphones operated by Telstra. The full gameplay is explained in depth in this article. Although the basics are quick and easy to pick up, there are some advanced techniques that taggers can use during play.
Although commonly referred to by the term "payphone", Payphone Tag is free to play, as Telstra made domestic calls from its payphone network free in 2021. In this article we will use payphone to refer to Telstra payphones, unless otherwise noted. Other terms that could be encountered include "public telephone", "phone box", and "phone booth".
Basic play
After registering and saving an agent name and PIN, gameplay is relatively simple: find a Tesltra payphone in the real world and call the Payphone Tag phone number from it. This will assign the phone to your agent account, netting up to 25 points for each payphone. Bonus points can be obtained from lines, triangles, and total area.
Making a phone call
Phone calls must be made from a Telstra public payphone. Players who make a phone call from other phones, such as a mobile phone, a home phone, private payphones, or public payphones operated by other companies will not be asked for a password. Instead, the Operator will tell agents "your call could not be completed as dialled" and the call will be ended.
Making a phone call is easy:
- Lift the handset of the phone.
- Using the numbers on the keypad, dial the number 07 5623 8255 (07 LOAD TALK) to make a phone call to the Payphone Tag phone number.
- Your will hear the voice of the Operator asking for your password. Use the keypad to enter your five-digit agent PIN.
- The Operator will confirm your capture and tell you your rank before ending the call.
Memorising the number
If you are having trouble remembering the number, eight of the ten digits on all phone keypads are associated with three or four letters:
| Digit | Letters | Digit | Letters |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | — | 6 | MNO |
| 2 | ABC | 7 | PQRS |
| 3 | DEF | 8 | TUV |
| 4 | GHI | 9 | WXYZ |
| 5 | JKL | 0 | — |
These letters will usually be included in a smaller font underneath each key. However, sometimes the keypad can be hard to read because of dirt, have the wrong keys resulting from mistakes during maintenance, or use keypads from other countries.
Locating payphones
The game contains a map with the approximate locations of all of Telstra's public telephones in Australia which players can use to help find payphones and to plan gameplay sessions by optimising routes to capture the most payphones in a given amount of time.
Advanced gameplay
There are advanced techniques and knowledge that can help agents capture payphones more effectively.
Dysfunctional payphones
There are various problems a payphone can have that could make capturing difficult or impossible. Some of these issues can be resolved with advanced knowledge of how the payphones work.
No audio or damaged/destroyed handset
Audio is not actually needed to capture the payphone: once a call has been connected, the screen will change to show the text FREE CALL, which confirms that the call is now connected. As soon as this happens, an agent can enter their PIN to complete the capture. Agents can then check the website/app to confirm that the capture was completed: a small alert will come up on the bottom of the screen, and agents can also click or tap on the payphone's map pin to check that ownership has changed.
If the handset itself is missing, players can still start a call by manually depressing the lever where the handset rests and then releasing it. This will signal to the payphone that the handset has been lifted and to allow dialling.
Nonfunctional buttons
Sometimes the buttons on a payphone are damaged in some way preventing agents from dialling the number or entering their PIN.
Damaged screen
Although not necessary at all for using a phone—indeed, many landline phones don't have screens—the screen of a payphone is still useful for gameplay. A damaged screen can compound difficulty in dealing with other issues such as a damaged handset, make it difficult to confirm that an agent has dialled the correct number or entered the correct PIN, and interfere with diagnosing problems.
Indoor payphones
Not all payphones are part of the streetscape. Some are located within buildings such as shopping centres, railway stations, or hospitals. These buildings can be quite big and have multiple levels, making locating the payphone more challenging. However, there are some rules of thumb that can be used to locate them more easily.
Payphones in shopping centres
Payphones in shopping centres can be well-hidden, as the layout of these buildings can be very complicated, and the payphone will typically be located out of the way of foot traffic and sight-lines where they could get in the way of wandering shoppers. Agents should prioritise looking near major supermarkets such as Coles, Woolworths, and Aldi, the centre management office, major banks, or near the entrances of other hallways and alcoves. Some shopping centres will also have a help desk, where agents can ask staff for assistance.
Payphones in railway stations
Railway stations will usually have payphones on the station concourse, on platforms, or both. Check the game map as well, as often the payphone description will include whether the phone is on a platform (and which one) or elsewhere.