Secrets of · Scavenger hunt
Secrets of Emmen 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 Emmen Syndicate City Escape Game
- 1.5–2 hours
- 1–5 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 through Emmen, from the Grote of Pancratiuskerk to the Willinkplein, at your own pace.
Magnus has the stolen formulas and a head start, and Emmen is where the trail goes cold — unless you pick it up.
It is a city escape game that uses Emmen itself as the board, played on your own phone and at whatever pace you set. The Loquiz app tracks where you are and hands you what belongs to that spot — a riddle, a code to break, a photograph to go and take. Everyone in the group plays a character with something to contribute, which is the part that keeps the whole group busy instead of one person.
Marktplein, Grote of Pancratiuskerk and Willinkplein 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.
Rensenpark and Synagoge Emmen are also on the route, and nobody needs telling twice to look at a doorway properly.
An Escape Room Alternative in Emmen, Played Outdoors
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 Emmen Today
As team building events go, the setup cost here is close to zero: forward the link, let each team begin when it suits them. Nothing gets booked, nobody gets hired, and nobody has to be anywhere at nine sharp. The route through Emmen and the puzzles on it are already built, it runs about two hours over 3 to 4 km, and one €19.95 ticket takes a group of two to five on one phone. Split twenty people into four teams and they are all chasing the same man.
Who It Works For: Colleagues, Friends and Families in Emmen
Teams. Nothing to facilitate, nothing to reserve, no start time to police. One ticket per five colleagues, every group loose in Emmen 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.
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.
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?
Buy a ticket, and a link arrives by email; the Loquiz app does the rest. You open it at the first location in Emmen and the game takes your position from there. Every stop asks for something — a riddle, a cipher, a photograph — and answering it opens the next one. Keep going and Magnus runs out of room.
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?
Around two hours, over 3 to 4 km of walking. Nothing counts down. You start whenever you like within the next 12 months, and the hour on the day is up to you, and a group that stops for lunch simply finishes later.
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?
It sits at intermediate. Observation and lateral thinking do the work — local knowledge is not required, and nothing on the route is a dead end for a group that keeps at it.
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 pick a time when we buy?
No. You buy the ticket without a date or time — begin when you are ready, any time in the next 12 months. Nobody is waiting anywhere: no meeting point, no guide, no group.
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?
Anything from two to five people on one phone; beyond five you take a second ticket and the two groups race. Anyone who would rather chase a killer or hunt down clues than chase a thief will find that under the other city games in Emmen.
More City Games: city games across the Netherlands · The Dordrecht Syndicate
- MarktpleinMarktplein, Emmen, Netherlands
- Grote of PancratiuskerkKerkpad 57, 7811 DG Emmen, Netherlands
- HoofdstraatHoofdstraat, Emmen, Netherlands
- WillinkpleinWillinkplein 28, 7811 DD Emmen, Netherlands
- WILDLANDS Adventure Zoo EmmenRaadhuisplein 99, 7811 AP Emmen, Netherlands
- RensenparkHoofdstraat 18, 7811 EP Emmen, Netherlands
- Synagoge EmmenJulianastraat 27, 7811 JT Emmen, Netherlands
- Gemeentehuis EmmenRaadhuisplein 99, 7811 AP Emmen, Netherlands
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
- ★★★★★
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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