Secrets of · Scavenger hunt
Secrets of Haarlem Self-Guided Scavenger Hunt & Walking Tour
1.5–2 hours · 1–4 players per team · no app€19.95 per team
The Syndicate · Outdoor escape game
Self-Guided The Haarlem 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 through Haarlem, starting on the Grote Markt beside the Grote of Sint-Bavokerk.
The formulas were stolen, the thief has a name, and Haarlem is the only lead anybody managed to get before the case landed with you.
You play it on your own phone, in your own time, and Haarlem does the work of the game board. It is a city escape game run through the Loquiz app, which knows where you are standing and unlocks that location's riddle, code or photo task accordingly. Each person in the group takes a character with a genuine part in the mission — the reason nobody ends up spectating.
The route takes in Grote Markt, Grote of Sint-Bavokerk and Teylers Museum, and the stretches between them count too. What the case asks for is in the street in front of you, not in the app.
Gravestenenbrug and Frans Hals Museum are also on the route, and nobody needs telling twice to look at a doorway properly.
The Outdoor Escape Game Version, on the Streets of Haarlem
This is what an outdoor escape game buys you over the indoor kind: the same ciphers and the same locked-logic thinking, but the sky instead of a ceiling and real doorways instead of set dressing. You are not sealed into a room for two hours, you walk 3 to 4 km through Haarlem, and no host appears to hurry you up or hand over a clue. When a puzzle beats you, you take it with you to the next corner.
Company Outing Ideas for Haarlem That Take a Minute to Book
This one takes about a minute to organise: book a date, send the link, and let the teams start when they are ready. There is nothing to book a room for, nobody to hire and no schedule to hold everyone to — the case, the route and the puzzles are already built around Haarlem, and it runs about two hours over 3 to 4 km on foot. One ticket covers a group of two to five people on a single phone for €19.95, so a department of twenty is four tickets and four teams racing the same case. If you have been asked for company outing ideas and would rather not book another restaurant, this is the version where somebody else did the work.
A Heist Game for Groups of Almost Any Shape in Haarlem
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.
Teams. A team building escape game that needs no facilitator, no room booking and no scheduled start. Buy one ticket per five people, send the teams into Haarlem on the same case, and compare who cracked what. Running several groups at once is what turns it into a competition, and it is the reason this works as a company outing rather than just an afternoon 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.
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 book a date, get a link by email and download the Loquiz app. At the starting point in Haarlem 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?
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?
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?
Around two hours, over 3 to 4 km of walking. Nothing counts down. You choose when to start on the day, 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?
Intermediate. You need to look properly and think sideways; you do not need to know the city, and no puzzle is built to defeat you permanently.
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 time slot?
You get a link when you book, but it does not bind you — begin when you are ready. 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?
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 Haarlem cover that.
More City Games: city games across the Netherlands · The Harderwijk Syndicate
- Grote MarktGrote Markt 20, 2011 RD Haarlem, Netherlands
- Grote of Sint-BavokerkGrote Markt 20, 2011 RD Haarlem, Netherlands
- Teylers MuseumSpaarne 16, 2011 CH Haarlem, Netherlands
- GravestenenbrugGravestenenbrug, Haarlem, Netherlands
- Kleine HoutstraatKleine Houtstraat 40, 2011 DN Haarlem, Netherlands
- Frans Hals MuseumGroot Heiligland 62, 2011 ES Haarlem, Netherlands
- Nieuwe kerkNieuwe Kerksplein 36, 2011 ZT Haarlem, Netherlands
- ProveniershofGrote Houtstraat 142D, 2011 SW Haarlem, Netherlands
Show all 13 stops
- Oude GroenmarktOude Groenmarkt 1, 2011 HL Haarlem, Netherlands
- VleeshalGrote Markt 16, 2011 RD Haarlem, Netherlands
- JacobijnestraatJacobijnestraat 24, 2011 TR Haarlem, Netherlands
- De DoelenDoelenplein, Haarlem, Netherlands
- Stadhuis HaarlemGrote Markt 2, 2011 RD Haarlem, 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
- ★★★★★
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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