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The Syndicate · Outdoor escape game

Self-Guided The Dortmund Syndicate City Escape Game

4.4 on Google (24 reviews)

Players follow a smartphone City Game route past Phoenix See in Dortmund, Germany.Players follow a smartphone City Game route past Dortmunder U in Dortmund, Germany.Players follow a smartphone City Game route past Florianturm in Dortmund, Germany.Players follow a smartphone City Game route past St.-Petri-Kirche (Petrikirche) in Dortmund, Germany.Players follow a smartphone City Game route past Zeche Zollern (Maschinenhalle) in Dortmund, Germany.
  • 1.5–2 hours
  • 2–5 players per team
  • In the free Loquiz app on your phone
  • Start any time within 12 months
  • Free cancellation until you start

Hunt Magnus and the stolen formulas on foot through Dortmund, from the Markt past St. Reinoldi to the Petrikirche, at your own pace.

Somewhere in Dortmund, Magnus is sitting on a set of stolen formulas and counting on nobody being quick enough to find him.

A heist to unpick, a city to do it in, and no guide anywhere near you. The Syndicate is a self-guided city escape game on your own phone, with Dortmund as the board and the Loquiz app keeping track of where you are — each location sets a riddle, a code or a photograph. Your group splits into characters with separate roles in the mission, so everyone is actually playing.

Alter Markt, Marienkirche and Friedenssäule come up along the way, and the case runs straight through the walking. Nobody hands you anything: what is in front of you is the evidence.

You also reach Altes Stadthaus and Max-von-der-Grün-Platz. At some stage the group stops seeing streets and starts seeing evidence.

An Outdoor Escape Room Alternative in Dortmund

Everything an escape room does to your head, done outdoors instead. The logic is the same and so is the code-breaking; what changes is that the puzzles are bolted to real buildings and there is no door to shut. That solves the usual two complaints: two hours in a basement becomes two hours across 3 to 4 km of Dortmund, and nobody is standing by with a hint or a stopwatch. You leave a puzzle behind by walking to the next street.

Looking for a Team Building Activity in Dortmund?

The organising takes a minute, which for a team building activity is the whole point. Book a date, send round the link, and each group starts when it is ready. Nothing to reserve, nobody to brief, no schedule to enforce: the route through Dortmund, the case and the puzzles are built and waiting, about two hours of playing over 3 to 4 km. One ticket is €19.95 for two to five people on one device, so a team of twenty costs four tickets and produces four groups working against each other.

Who It Works For: Colleagues, Friends and Families in Dortmund

Friends. Each of you plays a character with an actual role, so the group does not quietly hand the puzzles to whoever is quickest. A theft to unravel, streets to search and nobody timing you.

Teams. Nothing to facilitate, nothing to reserve, no start time to police. One ticket per five colleagues, every group loose in Dortmund on the identical case, and a comparison at the end of it. Several teams running at once is what makes it competitive, and competitive is what separates this from another afternoon that has to be organised.

Families. It works from about age eight, and 3 to 4 km is a walk children manage without trouble. They are usually the ones who spot the detail on the wall that the adults walked past, and the code-breaking is the part you do together.

Couples and pairs. The whole case fits on one phone between two of you at €19.95. Nobody to tag along with, nothing to catch, no guide — you decide how fast it goes and where it pauses.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does the Syndicate city escape game work?

It runs in the Loquiz app on your own phone. After booking you get a link, you walk to the starting point in Dortmund, and the game picks you up from your position. Each location has one thing to crack, and each thing cracked unlocks the next location, all the way to Magnus.

What is the story?

A set of formulas has been stolen and Magnus is the one carrying them. Your job is to reach him first. Each player takes a character with a specific role in the operation, so it plays as a role-playing game and not as a sequence of riddles.

Is this an escape room?

No. No room, no door, no host watching a monitor. What you get instead is an outdoor escape game on the open street, with the puzzle logic of an escape room and none of the ceiling.

How long does it take?

Plan for two hours and a 3 to 4 km walk. There is no clock and no scheduled departure: the date is fixed when you book, the starting time is yours, and taking longer costs nothing.

How many people can play on one ticket?

Two to five players share a single phone on one €19.95 ticket. More than five and you take a second ticket — which is the better arrangement anyway, since two groups on the same case can race.

Is it hard?

The difficulty is intermediate. The puzzles need looking and lateral thinking rather than local knowledge, and nothing is so obscure that a group gets stuck for good.

Is it suitable for children?

It works from about age eight. Children manage the 3 to 4 km without trouble, are usually the quickest at the photo tasks, and are often the first to spot the detail on a wall that everyone else walked past.

Do we need to book a time slot?

You choose a date and time when booking, but you can start whenever you like. There is no meeting point, no guide and no group to join.

What happens if it rains?

Rain is a pause, not a problem. Get under cover, let it pass, and carry on from the stop you were at — everything is saved and nothing is counting down.

What size group does it work with?

One ticket takes a group of two to five around a single phone, and larger groups split over more tickets. If a heist is not the story you want, the other city games in Dortmund include a murder to solve or a scavenger hunt.

More City Games: city games across Germany · The Mannheim Syndicate

  1. Alter MarktMarkt 11
  2. St. ReinoldiFriedhof 4
  3. MarienkircheKleppingstraße 5, 44135 Dortmund, Germany
  4. OstenhellwegOstenhellweg, Dortmund, Germany
  5. FriedenssäuleFriedensplatz
  6. Altes StadthausFriedensplatz 5
  7. Max-von-der-Grün-PlatzMax-von-der-Grün-Platz 6
  8. Schwarze-Brüder-StraßeSchwarze-Brüder-Straße, Dortmund, Germany
Show all 11 stops
  1. PetrikirchePetrikirchhof 7
  2. Museum für Kunst und KulturgeschichteFreistuhl 7
  3. Opernhaus DortmundPlatz der Alten Synagoge 1

How it works

  1. BookYour ticket arrives by email.
  2. Go to the startThe start point is in your email. Any day within 12 months.
  3. PlayOpen the link on one phone per team and press start.

What players in other cities say

4.4 on Google (24 reviews)

  • ★★★★★

    Wir (Mein Mann, unsere 9-jährige Tochter und ich) haben heute ganz spontan das Spiel "Moordmysterie Düsseldorf" gebucht und gespielt. Die Buchung verlief schnell und reibungslos. Es hat super viel Spaß gemacht! Die Story, die Rätsel, das Konzept, die Route, die Gestaltung der App... richtig gut!!! Das Spiel würde ich vor allem Familien mit Kindern empfehlen. Für Erwachsene waren die Rätsel (meiner Meinung nach) zu einfach. Aber trotzdem wegen der schönen Route durch Düsseldorf, der Story, den lustigen Anweisungen zwischendurch eine schöne Aktion, die man zusammen machen kann.

    Lingling Z.October 2026 · via google
  • ★★★★★

    Had great fun playing secrets of Haarlem!

    Martin M.March 2026 · via google
  • ★★★★★

    Game in Amsterdam was fun!

    Enzo L.March 2026 · via google
  • ★★★★★

    Had So much fun playing while exploring the city

    Philip C.March 2026 · via google
  • ★★★★★

    I had a fantastic experience with CityGame! The concept is creative, engaging, and a great way to explore a city in a completely new way. The games are well-designed, combining puzzles, storytelling, and adventure so you’re constantly discovering something interesting around every corner. What I especially love is how CityGame turns a normal walk through the city into an interactive experience. It’s perfect for friends, families, or team outings, and it makes sightseeing much more exciting than the usual tours. Everything was easy to use, the challenges were fun and clever, and it really encouraged us to look closer at the city and its hidden details. Highly recommended if you’re looking for a unique and memorable way to explore!

    Jessica S.March 2026 · via google
  • ★★★★★

    This is an interesting way to conduct a self-guided Amsterdam city tour. It used the GPS on your phone to guide you to stops on a route. There are mini quizzes once you arrive at the stops on the path. The quizzes draw your attention to features in front of you or to a brief history of the place. In many cases, we visited a spot that would not have been obvious as a regular passer by. The tour as a whole was interesting to us as newcomers, but I would have liked more information on many locations we visited - a few links outside of the app for each place would have been helpful. Beyond that, the interface was a bit clunky and sometimes awkward to navigate. We definitely don't regret trying this out and feel like we got our money's worth on the experience.

    JaibhijaiJune 2024 · via google
How we check reviews

These reviews were left by players on Google and other review sites and are copied from there as they are, with their source.

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