Sherlock Holmes · Murder mystery
Essen Self-Guided Detective Murder Mystery Game
1.5–2 hours · 1–4 players per team · free Loquiz app€19.95 per team
Secrets of · Scavenger hunt
Secrets of Essen Self-Guided Scavenger Hunt & Walking Tour
- 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
Explore Essen on a self-guided exploration game that starts on the Burgplatz and guides you through the centre with puzzles and photo tasks.
Secrets of Essen is what happens when a walking route stops telling you things and starts asking. Your own phone, your own pace, the streets themselves as the board.
The game reads your position, so each location arrives with its own riddle, puzzle or photograph to take. None of it can be answered from a screen — what you need is in front of you in Essen, in whatever happens to be standing there. You finish knowing a set of things most residents never picked up.
Kreuzeskirche, Jahrhundertbrunnen and Alte Synagoge come up along the way. The stretches between the stops are where most of the looking gets done, at things that are hidden only by being ordinary.
GOP Varieté and Marktkirche are also on the route, and nobody needs telling twice to examine a doorway.
The Walking Tour of Essen Where Nobody Talks at You
Everything a self-guided tour of Essen gives you, minus the narration. The route is real and so is the history behind it — but you get at it by solving rather than listening, and nobody is standing at the front of a group. You walk, you look, you work it out. Intermediate difficulty, so most things fall and the rest makes for a decent argument. Riddles, code-breaking, and photographs you would not have taken.
Want to Plan a Fun Scavenger Hunt in Essen?
This is one, already built. Setting it up is a date and a link: book, download the Loquiz app, begin when you feel like it. Nothing gets printed, nothing gets hidden beforehand and no list gets written, because the route through Essen, the riddles and the photo tasks all exist — about two hours over 3 to 4 km on foot. One ticket is €19.95 and covers up to four people on one phone. It is the same evening you were going to spend writing clues, spent walking instead.
Who It Suits: Adults, Teams and Families in Essen
Adults. Nothing about this resembles a printable list of things to find. It runs at intermediate difficulty, the riddles want things read properly rather than glanced at, and two hours passes without anyone checking their phone for other reasons.
Teams. One ticket covers four people, so a department divides straight into groups running the identical route through Essen. No host to hire, no venue to reserve, no departure time. Put three or four teams on it together and the competition takes care of itself.
Families. Children walk it without trouble and are usually the fastest at the photo tasks. The riddles are the part you solve together, which is what makes it work for a group with a wide spread of ages.
Couples and friends. A self guided tour with nobody to follow and nothing to keep up with. You choose the pace and the stops, and you come away with facts about Essen that would surprise a local.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the Secrets exploration game work?
You book a date, get a link by email and download the Loquiz app. At the starting point in Essen you open the game on your phone. It is GPS-based: it knows where you are, and each location holds a riddle, a puzzle or a photo task. Solve one and the next location unlocks.
Is this a walking tour or a game?
Both, and that is the point. It follows a walking route through Essen the way a self-guided walking tour does, and you pick up the history as you go — but instead of a commentary in your ear you get riddles to solve. Nobody walks in front of you holding a sign.
What do we need to bring?
Just a charged phone and comfortable shoes for 3 to 4 km. You get a link when you book and open the game in the Loquiz app at the first stop; nothing to print, nothing to plant beforehand, nothing to pick up anywhere.
How long does it take?
About two hours, covering 3 to 4 km on foot. There is no time limit — you pick a date when booking and then begin whenever suits you on that date, so a slow group simply takes longer.
How many people can play on one ticket?
One ticket covers a group of 1 to 4 people playing on one device, at €19.95 in total. Groups larger than four buy a second ticket, which also lets them play against each other.
Is it hard?
The difficulty is intermediate. The riddles 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?
Yes — the 3 to 4 km is no obstacle and the photo tasks are where younger players get ahead. The riddles sit at intermediate, so families tend to solve them as a group, which is the intended way round.
Do we need to book a date?
No. You choose a date when booking, then start at whatever time you like on that date. There is no meeting point, no guide and no group to join.
What happens if it rains?
You decide when to play and you can pause whenever you like. If a shower comes over, step inside somewhere, wait it out and pick up where you left off — you pause whenever you like and there is no clock running.
Will we actually learn something about Essen?
It is the whole design. Every riddle sits on something real — the history of Essen, the people in it, the details nobody points out — so you come away with more than a visitor normally does. If a plot appeals more than a route, the other city games in Essen have one.
More City Games: city games across Germany · Secrets of Hannover
- Kreuzeskirche
- Jahrhundertbrunnen
- Alte Synagoge
- GOP Varieté
- Marktkirche
- Hirschlandplatz
- Kreuzgang des Essener Doms
- Naturdenkmal Platane
Show all 20 stops
- Domschatz Essen
- Glockenspiel
- Denkmal Wilhelm I.
- St. Johann Baptist
- Grillo-Theater
- Wachsames Hähnchen
- Essener Dom
- Church of St. Gertrud
- Kennedyplatz
- Bischofshaus
- IRMA GUBLIA GALERIE
- Vielrespektzentrum
How it works
- BookYour ticket arrives by email.
- Go to the startThe start point is in your email. Any day within 12 months.
- PlayOpen the link on one phone per team and press start.
What players in other cities say
- ★★★★★
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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