Secrets of Oudewater Self-Guided Scavenger Hunt & Walking Tour





- 1.5–2 hours
- A different story in every city, with its own characters: every city is a new game.
- 1–4 players per team
- On your own phone, no app
- Language of the game: English +2
- Start any time within 12 months
- Free cancellation until you start
Discover Oudewater on a self-guided walking tour with riddles and photo tasks along the Visbrug, the Stadhuis and the Heksenwaag.
On the route
19 places, in this order
- Hermann de Man
- Handen aan het bed monument
- City Hall Oudewater (Stadhuis)
- Visburg (Visbrug)
- Bronckhorst gevel
- 123ZING At De Mariaschool
- Heksenwaag
- Old Catholic Church Oudewater
- Varkensbrug
- Touwmuseum
- Heulbrug
- Sluis Oudewater
- Grote St. Michaelkerk
- Stadstoren
- Cosijnbrug
- Ursulakapel
- St. Franciscus kerk
- Waternimfen
- Stadskantoor

Step into the story
Tonight a dealer called Tare wants the nest for a midnight sale. Find the cups first.
In 1575 I was a student in Marburg. Rudolph Snellius, a professor from this town, had taken me there.
- 1.5–2 hours
- 1–4 players per team
It beginsJacob Harmenszoon, born in Oudewater in 1560, a cutler's son. My father died before I could know him.
It goes wrongOn 7 August Spanish troops took Oudewater. My mother and my family were killed. I came home to no one.
Your moveMy first cup lies on this square, by a plaque with my name on it. Tare was here before breakfast.
Secrets of Oudewater is what happens when a walking route stops telling you things and starts asking. Your own phone, your own pace, the streets themselves as the board.
The game reads your position, so each location arrives with its own riddle, puzzle or photograph to take. None of it can be answered from a screen, what you need is in front of you in Oudewater, in whatever happens to be standing there. You finish knowing a set of things most residents never picked up.
The route takes in Hermann de Man, Handen aan het bed monument and City Hall Oudewater (Stadhuis), and the walking between them is where most of the finding happens, what you need is out there in front of you, never on the screen.
Other stops include Visburg (Visbrug) and Bronckhorst gevel, enough of them that the group ends up arguing about answers rather than asking what to do next.
A Self-Guided Tour of Oudewater That Asks the Questions
Everything a self-guided tour of Oudewater gives you, minus the narration. The route is real and so is the history behind it, but you get at it by solving rather than listening, and nobody is standing at the front of a group. You walk, you look, you work it out. Intermediate difficulty, so most things fall and the rest makes for a decent argument. Riddles, code-breaking, and photographs you would not have taken.
Had great fun playing secrets of Haarlem!
Want to Plan a Fun Scavenger Hunt in Oudewater?
Right here. Organising it means booking a date, open the play link from your email and then starting when it suits you. Nothing to print, nothing to plant beforehand, no clues to invent: the route through Oudewater and everything on it is already built, about two hours across 3 to 4 km. One ticket covers up to four people on one phone for €19.95. The evening you were going to spend writing riddles is now free.
Who It Suits: Adults, Teams and Families in Oudewater
Teams. Nothing to facilitate, nowhere to book, no start time to enforce. One ticket per four colleagues, every group loose in Oudewater on the same route, and a comparison at the end. Several teams at once is what makes it a team scavenger hunt rather than a walk.
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 walk it without trouble and are usually the fastest at the photo tasks. The riddles are the part you solve together, which is what makes it work for a group with a wide spread of ages.
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 Oudewater that would surprise a local.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the Secrets exploration game work?
Book a date and a link arrives by email. The play link does the rest. You start it at the first location in Oudewater, and from there your position drives everything, each stop brings a riddle, a puzzle or a photograph to take, and answering it opens the next stop.
Is this a walking tour or a game?
Both, deliberately. On distance and route it is a walking tour of Oudewater; on content it is a puzzle. The history arrives through the riddles rather than through a guide, and there is nobody to follow.
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 play link 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?
One ticket covers a group of 1 to 4 people playing on one device, at €19.95 in total. Groups larger than four buy a second ticket, which also lets them play against each other.
Is it hard?
The difficulty is intermediate. The riddles 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?
Yes. The distance is ordinary walking for them and they are normally first through the photo tasks. Intermediate riddles mean the family works them out together, which is how it is designed.
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 Oudewater?
Yes, and not as a side effect. The riddles are made from the history and the characters of Oudewater and from details most people never notice, so the learning is the solving. Where it starts and what it costs are on the Oudewater page.
More City Games: city games across the Netherlands · Secrets of Zwolle
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
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Leaderboard: Oudewater
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