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Sherlock Holmes · Murder mystery

Essen Self-Guided Detective Murder Mystery Game

4.4 on Google (23 reviews)

Essen Self-Guided Detective Murder Mystery GameEssen Self-Guided Detective Murder Mystery Game – Essen (2)Essen Self-Guided Detective Murder Mystery Game – Essen (3)Essen Self-Guided Detective Murder Mystery Game – Essen (4)Essen Self-Guided Detective Murder Mystery Game – Essen (5)
  • 1.5–2 hours
  • 1–4 players per team
  • In the free Loquiz app on your phone
  • Start any time within 12 months
  • Free cancellation until you start

Play a detective murder mystery on foot through central Essen, from the Marktkirche past the cathedral to the Alte Synagoge.

A murder in Essen, one victim called Balthasar, and a suspect list that only gets shorter if you go and look.

Think of it as a detective game the size of a city. The murder mystery runs on your phone while Essen supplies the evidence: witnesses to question, codes to crack, photographs to take, and one name to hand in when you are sure. Nobody guides you and nothing starts at a fixed hour.

You will be standing at Marktkirche, Lichtburg and Weberplatz, among other places.

The Route Through Essen

So do Rathaus Essen and TRUDI Kreativ Kathedrale. The route runs 3 to 4 km and rewards the people who look up rather than the people who walk fast.

Playing the Detective Game in Essen

The story arrives as you move. Every location holds something to work out, and the digital characters you meet each know one piece of what happened to Balthasar. Reckon on 1.5 to 2 hours and 3 to 4 km, but there is no clock: break for lunch and pick it up afterwards. The reasoning runs the way it does in a Sherlock Holmes story: small observations first, the accusation last.

Who Plays This in Essen

With friends. A better answer to "what shall we do today" than another cafe. It works as a pair and it works as a four, and it gives you something to disagree about over dinner.

With your team. Split into fours, buy a ticket each, and send them off on the same murder. Team building without a facilitator, a venue or a start time - and in Essen that means nobody has to be anywhere by nine.

With kids. The puzzles work from about eight years old. Younger ones walk along and help, older ones take over the phone, and the whole thing survives being interrupted by ice cream.

Before You Book

How does the murder mystery game work?

It runs in the Loquiz app on your own phone. Open it at the starting point in Essen, and from there the case comes to you: someone to question at each location, something to solve before they talk, and a name to hand in at the end.

How long does it take?

About two hours of playing and 3 to 4 km of walking. How long the whole outing takes is up to you, because you can stop for as long as you like and carry on after.

How many people can play on one ticket?

Four people per ticket, one phone between them, €19.95. A group of ten takes three tickets and turns into three teams, which is more fun than crowding one screen.

Do we need to book a time?

You pick a date and time, any time within 12 months; nothing in Essen is waiting on you and no guide is standing anywhere.

Is it suitable for children?

From roughly age eight it works well. The puzzles are built to be solved, not to defeat anyone, and younger children happily walk along and help.

What happens if it rains?

Nothing forces you to keep walking. Duck into a cafe, let it pass and carry on when you feel like it - there is no time limit on any part of this.

Is this a detective game or a walking tour of Essen?

It is a detective game first. But you see Essen properly while you play it, and people tend to remember a street they searched better than one they were shown.

What else is there to do in Essen?

The same streets carry other city games in Essen, each with its own story, and anyone travelling on will find the next stop under Germany.

Also in the city: Secrets of Essen · The Essen Syndicate · city games across Germany

  1. MarktkircheMarktkirche, Markt, Essen-Stadtbezirk I, Germany
  2. LichtburgKettwiger Str. 36, 45127 Essen, Germany
  3. WeberplatzWeberplatz, Essen-Stadtbezirk I, Germany
  4. Rathaus EssenRathaus, Am Porschepl. 1, 45127 Essen, Germany
  5. TRUDI Kreativ KathedraleTRUDI Kreativ Kathedrale, Rottstraße, Essen, Germany
  6. Essener DomAn Sankt Quintin 3, Essen, Germany
  7. St. Johann Baptist, EssenSt. Johann Baptist, Essen, Kettwiger Straße, Essen, Germany
  8. Colosseum TheaterAltendorfer Str. 1, 45127 Essen-Stadtbezirk I, Germany
Show all 16 stops
  1. Kennedyplatz-Brunnen, EssenKennedyplatz-Brunnen, Essen, Kennedyplatz, Essen, Germany
  2. KopstadtplatzKopstadtpl., 45127 Essen-Stadtbezirk I, Germany
  3. SalzmarktSalzmarkt, 45127 Essen, Germany
  4. Treppen-Brunnen, EssenTreppen-Brunnen, Essen (2010), Kettwiger Straße, Essen, Germany
  5. Alte Synagoge EssenAlte Synagoge Essen, Edmund-Körner-Platz, Essen-Stadtbezirk I, Germany
  6. BurgplatzBurgplatz, 45127 Essen, Germany
  7. Grillo-TheaterGrillo-Theater, Theaterplatz, Essen-Stadtbezirk I, Germany
  8. KreuzeskircheKreuzeskirchstraße, Essen, Germany

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 (23 reviews)

  • ★★★★★

    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
  • ★★★★★

    This was a fun game! It had a few challenges which was good and surprises. It got me to go around and explore Queenstown, New Zealand. I got to places in Queenstown, New Zealand I hadn’t been to before while on holiday here. Thank you for that and it gave a feel what it would be like to be the actual Sherlock Holmes!

    Dylan J.February 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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