Almost every city game now runs on a phone. That solves real problems - it can give hints, keep score and lock the order of the route - but it also introduces a set of practical failures that have nothing to do with the puzzles, and every one of them is avoidable.
Here's what the phone should be doing, what it shouldn't, and what to check before you start.
What the phone genuinely adds
Hints on demand. A stuck team on paper has no way out. On a phone they take a hint and keep moving, which is the difference between a good afternoon and a group standing on a corner for fifteen minutes.
Order. Stops unlock in sequence, so nobody accidentally does the fifth puzzle first and breaks the chain.
Scoring. Nobody adds up answers in a café afterwards while the group waits.
Scale. Five teams can run the same route with no organiser at all.
What the phone shouldn't do
It shouldn't be needed by everyone. One phone per team of four to six is the right number. A game that wants an install and an account per person is putting screens between people who came out to talk to each other.
It shouldn't navigate turn by turn. If the phone walks you along a blue line, everyone stares at the screen instead of the street. The best routes tell you where the next stop is and let you find it.
It shouldn't generate the questions. Map data can produce infinite questions about benches and doorways. They work in every city, which is why they feel like nothing in any of them.
It shouldn't run a countdown. A clock on a screen turns a walk into a stress test, and it stops you pausing for coffee.
The practical failures, in order of likelihood
Battery
This is the actual thing that goes wrong. A two-hour route with the screen on and location running will take a meaningful chunk out of a phone. Start above fifty percent, and for a group bring one power bank. It costs nothing and removes the only common failure.
Data and roaming
Some games download the whole route in advance and run offline; some need a connection at every stop. Abroad, that difference is the difference between playing and not. Check it before you travel, not at the start point.
GPS drift in narrow streets
Old centres are exactly where tall buildings confuse location services. A game that insists you're not at the right place when you clearly are should let you confirm manually. If it can't, one narrow alley ends the game.
Screen glare
Bright summer sun makes a phone unreadable. Not a reason to avoid the format, but a reason to turn brightness up and to expect people to hunt for shade at each stop.
Accounts and installs at the start
Fifteen people creating accounts on a pavement is twenty minutes you don't get back. Check whether the game runs in a browser or needs an app store download, and if it does, tell people the day before.
Passing the phone around
The most useful habit costs nothing: whoever holds the phone is driving the game, so pass it between stops. Teams where one person holds it the whole way end up with one player and four followers - and it's almost always the loudest person who ends up holding it.
With children this matters even more. Give the child the phone and they're playing; keep it yourself and they're walking behind you.
What to check before booking
Does it work offline, or does it need signal at each stop? Is it one phone per team or per person? Does it need an app install or does it open in a browser? Is there a time limit? And how much of the walking is navigation versus looking?
Those five answers tell you whether the phone will help or get in the way.
Where to look
You can see which cities have routes and check whether yours is covered. The page on how the game works explains what actually happens on the phone, which is the quickest way to judge whether the format suits your group.
For several teams playing at once, there's a setup for companies and groups.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need one phone per person?
No. One per team of four to six is better, because it keeps the group looking at the city rather than at separate screens.
Does a mobile city game work without internet?
It depends on the game. Some download the route in advance; others need a connection at every stop. Check before travelling abroad.
How much battery does it use?
Enough to matter over two hours, more if location runs constantly. Start above fifty percent or bring a power bank.
Do you need to install an app?
Some games run in a browser and some require an install. If it's an install, do it before you meet, not on the pavement.
What if GPS puts you in the wrong place?
In narrow streets this happens. A well-made game lets you confirm your position manually rather than trapping you.
Can children use the phone?
From about eight, and they should - handing the child the phone is what keeps them involved.
In short
The phone should give hints, keep order and then get out of the way. Charge it, check whether it works offline, keep it to one per team, and pass it around. For the puzzles themselves, we've written about the types of city puzzle and what makes them work.
Want to know whether a route runs offline where you're going? Ask through the contact page.