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The Syndicate · Outdoor escape game

Self-Guided The Gouda Syndicate City Escape Game

4.4 on Google (23 reviews)

Self-Guided The Gouda Syndicate City Escape GameSelf-Guided The Gouda Syndicate City Escape Game – Gouda (2)Self-Guided The Gouda Syndicate City Escape Game – Gouda (3)Self-Guided The Gouda Syndicate City Escape Game – Gouda (4)Self-Guided The Gouda Syndicate City Escape Game – Gouda (5)
  • 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 down Magnus and the stolen formulas in Gouda on foot, from the Markt past the Goudse Waag to the Sint-Janskerk.

Gouda is the last known location of Magnus and the formulas he walked off with. From here the trail is yours to follow.

Think of it as a secret agent game played on real streets. The Syndicate runs on your own phone through the Loquiz app, with Gouda 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.

You will pass Sint-Janskerk, Vroesenhuis and Jeruzalemkapel. The case does not pause for the walking, and nothing you need is handed to you on screen — you have to be standing there and looking.

Agnietenkapel and Gouwekerk are also on the route, and nobody needs telling twice to look at a doorway properly.

An Escape Room Alternative in Gouda, Played Outdoors

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 Gouda, 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 Gouda?

Organising it is 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 Gouda 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.

An Undercover Mission for Teams, Friends and Families in Gouda

Teams. One ticket takes five people, so a department splits neatly into groups working the same case across Gouda. 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. Everyone in the group takes a character with a job to do in the mission, which is the part that stops one person doing all the thinking. A heist plot, a city to search and no host watching the clock.

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 of you, one phone, €19.95 for the case. There is no group, no departure time and no guide, so a long stop halfway through costs you exactly nothing.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does the Syndicate city escape game work?

You get a link by email and download the Loquiz app. At the starting point in Gouda you open the game on your phone. It knows where you are, and each location holds a riddle, a code or a photo task. Solve one and the next location unlocks, until you have enough to catch 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, and that is the point. There is no room, no host and no locked door — it is an outdoor escape game played on the actual streets. If you like escape rooms, this is the same kind of thinking with the walls taken away.

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 starting time is yours, and taking longer costs nothing.

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?

Eight and over is the usual guide. Nothing about the 3 to 4 km is demanding for them, they tend to win the photo tasks outright, and they notice things on walls that adults have walked past twice.

Do we need to choose a time?

You get a link by email, but you can start whenever you like. There is no meeting point, no guide and no group to join.

What happens if it rains?

You play when it suits you and stop when it suits you, so a shower just means a coffee. No timer is running, and the case is exactly where you left it when you step back out.

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 Gouda.

More City Games: city games across the Netherlands · The Rotterdam Syndicate

  1. WijdstraatWijdstraat, Gouda, Netherlands
  2. Sint-JanskerkAchter de Kerk 1, 2801 JW Gouda, Netherlands
  3. VroesenhuisWillem Vroesenplein 19, 2801 PR Gouda, Netherlands
  4. JeruzalemkapelJeruzalemstraat 11, Gouda, Netherlands
  5. ZeugstraatZeugstraat, Gouda, Netherlands
  6. AgnietenkapelNieuwe Markt, Gouda, Netherlands
  7. GouwekerkHoge Gouwe, Gouda, Netherlands
  8. De Goudse WaagMarkt 35, 2801 JK Gouda, Netherlands
Show all 12 stops
  1. VismarktAchter de Vismarkt, Gouda, Netherlands
  2. Stadhuis GoudaMarkt 1, 2801 JG Gouda, Netherlands
  3. NieuwehavenNieuwehaven, Gouda, Netherlands
  4. TurfmarktTurfmarkt, Gouda, Netherlands

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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