Secrets of · Scavenger hunt
Secrets of Essen Self-Guided Scavenger Hunt & Walking Tour
1.5–2 hours · 1–4 players per team · free Loquiz app€19.95 per team
The Syndicate · Outdoor escape game
Self-Guided The Essen Syndicate City Escape Game
- 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
Track Magnus and the stolen formulas on foot through Essen, from Burgplatz past the Essener Dom and Kennedyplatz, at your own pace.
Magnus has the stolen formulas and a head start, and Essen is where the trail goes cold — unless you pick it up.
Think of it as a secret agent game played on real streets. The Syndicate runs on your own phone through the Loquiz app, with Essen as the board: stand somewhere that matters and the location gives up a riddle, a cipher or a photograph to take. Your group divides into characters, each with a job in the mission, so the case gets solved by all of you rather than by one person.
Burgplatz, Essener Dom and Kennedyplatz are on the route, and nothing stops between them: everything you have to find is in front of you rather than in the app.
Kreuzeskirche and Limbecker Platz are on the list too. Everyone works out soon enough that the useful detail is never the obvious one.
An Outdoor Escape Room Alternative in Essen
It does what an outdoor escape room does, without the room: the puzzles are just as tight, but they are fixed to real streets. That changes the experience in two ways worth having. You are outside for the whole two hours rather than in a basement, walking 3 to 4 km, and there is no host on the other side of a camera deciding how much help you deserve. The next street is always the way out of a puzzle.
A Team Building Escape Game You Can Organise in Essen Today
Organising it is a date, a link and nothing else. No room to reserve, no facilitator to pay, no start time everyone has to make — the case and the route through Essen already exist, and the whole thing takes about two hours across 3 to 4 km. Because one ticket at €19.95 covers two to five people on one phone, twenty colleagues is four tickets and four teams on the same case. That last part is what turns it from an outing into a competition.
A Heist Game for Groups of Almost Any Shape in Essen
Teams. One ticket takes five people, so a department splits neatly into groups working the same case across Essen. No host to hire, no venue, no departure time. Put three or four teams on it simultaneously and the debrief writes itself — which is the difference between a company outing and a day out.
Friends. The characters are what make it work with friends: everyone has a part in the mission and therefore something to argue about. A stolen set of formulas, a city to comb through, and no guide anywhere in sight.
Families. Eight and up is the usual guide, and 3 to 4 km bothers nobody. Children tend to be first to the detail everyone else strolled past; the ciphers are where the whole family ends up leaning over the same screen.
Couples and pairs. Two people can run the whole thing on one phone for €19.95. No group to join, no guide, no fixed departure — you set the pace and stop wherever you want.
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 Essen, 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?
The formulas are gone, Magnus took them, and every hour he keeps them is an hour closer to them being gone for good. Everyone in the group has a character with their own part to play — the reason this reads as a story rather than a puzzle list.
Is this an escape room?
It is not. Nothing is locked, nobody is hosting, and there is no room to be let out of — it is an outdoor escape game on real streets. The thinking will feel familiar to anyone who does escape rooms; the walls are simply gone.
How long does it take?
It runs about two hours, covering 3 to 4 km on foot. There is no time limit and no fixed start — 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?
€19.95 buys one ticket, one phone and two to five people around it. Bigger groups split across two tickets, and two teams working the identical case against each other is how most of them prefer it.
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?
From roughly eight upwards, yes. The distance is no obstacle, the photo tasks are where younger players get ahead, and the detail that unlocks a stop is frequently spotted by the smallest person there.
Do we need to book a date?
You set a date at booking; when you actually begin is your own affair. There is nowhere to assemble, nobody guiding and no group to catch up with.
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 — nothing is counting down while you wait.
What size group does it work with?
Two to five people share one phone on a single ticket, so two is the smallest group. If you would rather have a murder to solve or a scavenger hunt than a heist, the other city games in Essen cover that.
More City Games: city games across Germany · The Mainz Syndicate
- BurgplatzBurgplatz 8, 45127 Essen, Germany
- Essener DomBurgplatz 2, 45127 Essen, Germany
- Kettwiger StraßeKettwiger Straße, Essen, Germany
- KennedyplatzKennedyplatz 1, 45127 Essen, Germany
- RottstraßeRottstraße, Essen, Germany
- Viehofer StraßeViehofer Straße, Essen, Germany
- KreuzeskircheKreuzeskirchstraße 20, 45127 Essen, Germany
- Limbecker PlatzLimbecker Platz 1, 45127 Essen, Germany
Show all 11 stops
- Grillo-TheaterTheaterplatz 2, 45127 Essen, Germany
- LindenalleeLindenallee, Essen, Germany
- Alte Synagoge EssenEdmund-Körner-Platz 1, Essen, Germany
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.
Leaderboard
| # | Team | Points | Time |
|---|
No team has played in this period yet.
More games in Essen
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
More places nearby
The Syndicate · Outdoor escape game
Self-Guided The Mannheim Syndicate City Escape Game
1.5–2 hours · 2–5 players per team · free Loquiz app€19.95 per team
The Syndicate · Outdoor escape game
Self-Guided The Münster Syndicate City Escape Game
1.5–2 hours · 2–5 players per team · free Loquiz app€19.95 per team
The Syndicate · Outdoor escape game
Self-Guided The Osnabrück Syndicate City Escape Game
1.5–2 hours · 2–5 players per team · free Loquiz app€19.95 per team