City Conquest

20 factions

Each team picks a faction: a group with its own story, strengths and characters.

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  Dom Tower Builders

  “Higher than anyone”

  The Dom Tower (1321-1382) is the tallest church tower in the Netherlands, 112 metres. Its builders hauled every stone up by hand.

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  Bishop's Court

  “We rule the Sticht”

  For centuries the bishops of Utrecht were also princes, ruling a land called the Sticht from the city of churches.

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  Traiectum Garrison

  “Holding the river crossing”

  Around the year 50 the Romans built the fort Traiectum where Domplein is now, guarding a crossing of the Rhine. Utrecht began here.

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  Wharf Cellar Merchants

  “From the cellar to the street”

  Utrecht's Oudegracht is unique: low wharves with cellars under the street, where goods went straight from boat to storage.

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  University Scholars

  “Sun of justice, shine on us”

  Utrecht University was founded in 1636; its Latin motto asks the sun of justice to shine. Students have filled the city ever since.

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• Pope Adrian's Household

  “From the canal to Rome”

  Adriaan Florisz, born in Utrecht in 1459, became Pope Adrian VI, the only Dutch pope. His house, Paushuize, still stands.

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  Picture Book Illustrators

  “Simple lines, bold colours”

  Utrecht is the city of picture books: its illustrators drew simple shapes in bold colours that children all over the world know.

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  De Stijl Designers

  “Red, blue, yellow and a straight line”

  The Rietveld Schröder House (1924) in Utrecht made De Stijl real: straight lines, primary colours and walls that slide.

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  Music Box Makers

  “Wind it up!”

  Museum Speelklok is full of musical clocks, street organs and self-playing instruments, all made by patient Utrecht makers.

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  Treaty Diplomats

  “Let's sign on it”

  Utrecht gave its name to two treaties: the Union of Utrecht (1579), the start of the Netherlands, and the Peace of Utrecht (1713).

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  Cycle City Riders

  “Pedal first, park later”

  Utrecht has the largest bicycle parking in the world, under the station: 12,500 places. Here the bike is king.

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  Oudegracht Boatmen

  “Under the bridges, ahead of the crowd”

  Boats have carried goods and visitors along the Oudegracht since the 1100s, under low bridges and past the wharves.

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  Dom Bell Ringers

  “One pull, the whole city hears”

  The Dom Tower carries fourteen great bells; the biggest, Salvator, weighs more than eight tonnes and is still rung by hand.

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  Tivoli Musicians

  “Turn it up”

  TivoliVredenburg stacks five concert halls on top of each other: classical, pop and jazz under one roof.

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  Saint Martin's Lanterns

  “Share the cloak”

  Saint Martin is Utrecht's patron saint, who cut his cloak in two to share it. On 11 November the city fills with lanterns.

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• Castle Folk of Oudaen

  “Our house is a castle”

  Medieval Utrecht families built city castles along the Oudegracht; Oudaen, from the 1200s, is one of the few left.

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  Railway Workers

  “All lines lead here”

  Utrecht Centraal is the busiest station of the Netherlands; the railways have their home in this city since the 1800s.

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  Catharijne Convent Keepers

  “Treasures behind the gate”

  The convent of St Catherine is now Museum Catharijneconvent, keeping a thousand years of church art and silver.

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  Vredenburg Stormers

  “Down with the walls”

  In 1577 the citizens of Utrecht took the hated Vredenburg castle and pulled it down; today the music centre stands there.

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  Hortus Botanists

  “Grow, learn, repeat”

  Utrecht's university has kept a botanical garden since 1639, first in the old town, now with gardens full of rare plants.

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Two ways to play

Without a game master

You play on your own. The organiser opens the game master page, chooses the default language and the playing time, and starts the game. From then on everything runs by itself on every phone: the zones, the chests, the merchant and the final count.

Often chosen by companies

With a game master

Someone leads the game from the game master page: follows every team live with its points and zones, sends messages to all teams, adds 15 minutes or stops the game, gives a team a power-up or puts a chest right next to it, and looks at the photos and videos. The game master never sees the answers.

€199.00 including 5 teams, €19.95 per extra team

The organiser sets up the game on the game master page (the default language and the playing time) and starts it for all teams.

Every player can pick and switch the language on their own phone.