Sherlock Holmes · Murder mystery
Leiden 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 huntSecrets of Leiden Self-Guided Scavenger Hunt & Walking Tour
- 1.5–2 hours
- 1–4 players per team
- On your own phone, no app
- Language of the game: English +1
- Start any time within 12 months
- Free cancellation until you start
Explore Leiden on a self-guided walking tour with puzzles, photo tasks and stories about the Pieterskerk, the canals and the university.
Step into the story
Find the plates. Beat him to the panel.
Before I left, I hid one small oak panel in Leiden. Nobody has ever seen it. I marked the way with eleven copper plates, the kind I etch on.
- 1.5–2 hours
- 1–4 players per team
It beginsMy name is Rembrandt, son of Harmen the miller. Born on the Weddesteeg, across from my father's mill.
It goes wrongTonight a dealer, the Varnisher, is on its trail. He has a buyer waiting at midnight. If he finds the panel first, it is sold, cleaned up, and locked in a private vault for good.
Your moveMy first plate is just round the corner, on the Rapenburg. The Varnisher was there at dusk: grey cotton gloves, a scalpel case on his belt, a smell of turpentine.
You and a phone against Leiden. Secrets of Leiden is a self-guided scavenger hunt played on the spot itself, with nobody setting the pace but you.
Because it is GPS-based, the game always knows which corner you are on and gives you that corner's riddle, puzzle or photograph. The answers are never on the phone; they are out in Leiden, in front of anyone who bothers to look. What sticks afterwards is the part nobody tells you on a tour.
The route passes Molen De Valk (Windmill), French Pear Top and Engelse Poort, and the walking is the game. The answers are around you rather than on the phone, and none of them look important until you need them.
Hortus Botanicus Leiden and Oude Sterrewacht (Leiden Observatory) are on the route as well, and the group stops walking past things somewhere along the way and starts reading them.
A Self-Guided Walking Tour of Leiden, With Riddles Instead of a Guide
The shape of a walking tour, the mechanics of a puzzle. You cover a genuine route through Leiden and pick up what happened there, except nothing is narrated at you and nobody is waiting for stragglers. Walk, look, work it out. It sits at intermediate, which means a normal group gets through most of it and argues about what is left. Riddles, code-breaking, and a camera roll you did not expect.
Planning a Fun Scavenger Hunt in Leiden?
This is it, and the setup is a minute long: book a date, download the Loquiz app, go when you are ready. There is nothing to print, nothing to hide in advance and no list to write, because the route around Leiden, the riddles and the photo tasks are all in place — two hours or so, 3 to 4 km on foot. One ticket takes up to four people on a single phone for €19.95.
Who It Suits: Adults, Teams and Families in Leiden
Adults. As a scavenger hunt for adults it has real bite — this is not a printable list of things to spot. The difficulty is intermediate, the riddles reward looking at what is in front of you, and the two hours hold up for a group that came to be entertained.
Families. Children manage the walking easily and tend to win the photo tasks outright. Because the riddles get solved together, a group spanning three generations still functions as one team.
Teams. A corporate scavenger hunt that needs no facilitator, no room booking and no scheduled start. Buy one ticket per four people, send the teams into Leiden on the same route, and compare who found what. Running several groups at once is what turns it into a competition.
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 Leiden that would surprise a local.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the Secrets exploration game work?
It runs in the Loquiz app. After booking you get a link, walk to the starting point in Leiden and begin. The game reads your location, gives you that spot's riddle, puzzle or photo task, and unlocks the next one when you have it.
Is this a walking tour or a game?
Both, and that is the point. It follows a walking route through Leiden 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?
A phone with battery and shoes that handle 3 to 4 km. You get a link when you book and open the game in the Loquiz app when you get there — no printing, no hiding things in advance, no kit to collect from anyone.
How long does it take?
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?
Between one and four people share a single phone on one €19.95 ticket. Beyond four, take a second ticket — two groups on the same route can race each other, which is the better way to do it anyway.
Is it hard?
Intermediate. Observation and sideways thinking do the work; you do not need to know the city, and nothing on the route is built to stop you permanently.
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 time slot?
Not a slot, just a date. When you start on that date is entirely up to you, and there is nowhere to assemble and nobody to find.
What happens if it rains?
Rain is a pause, not a problem. Duck inside, let it pass, and carry on from the stop you were at — nothing is counting down.
Will we actually learn something about Leiden?
That is the point of this one. The riddles are built on the history, the characters and the odd details of Leiden, so you finish knowing things most visitors never find out. If you would rather have a story than a tour, look at the other city games in Leiden instead.
More City Games: city games across the Netherlands · Secrets of Arnhem
- Molen De Valk (Windmill)Molenwerf, Leiden, 2312 BZ Leiden
- French Pear TopLeiden, Netherlands, Leiden
- Canal StreetLeiden, Netherlands, Leiden
- Engelse PoortLeiden, Netherlands, Leiden
- Hortus Botanicus LeidenRapenburg, Leiden, 2311 WJ Leiden
- Oude Sterrewacht (Leiden Observatory)Sterrenwachtlaan, Leiden, 2311 GW Leiden
- Bicycle Scan Point (Near Observatory)Leiden, Netherlands, Leiden
- Pilgrim Fathers MemorialVliet, Leiden, 2311 PZ Leiden
Show all 12 stops
- Canal BridgeLeiden, Netherlands, Leiden
- Leiden University (Academiegebouw)Rapenburg, Leiden, 2311 GJ Leiden
- PieterskerkKloksteeg, Leiden, 2311 SL Leiden
- GravensteenPieterskerkhof, Leiden, 2311 SR Leiden
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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