Sherlock Holmes · Murder mystery
Volendam 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 Volendam 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
See Volendam on a self-guided walking tour with puzzles and photo tasks along the harbour boulevard, the Markermeer and the old lanes.
Step into the story
Find the sketches. Beat him to the canvas.
My last canvas was never signed, and never found. I hid it in Volendam behind eleven little sketches on cigar-box lids, each with red sails on it.
- 1.5–2 hours
- 1–4 players per team
It beginsFrits Thaulow. Painter. Born in Christiania, Norway, in 1847.
It goes wrongTonight a forger, the Copyist, is on the trail. A buyer waits on the last boat at midnight. If the Copyist gets there first, my last painting leaves Volendam with his name on it.
Your moveMy first sketch is with a fisherman in bronze, a little way north along the dike. The Copyist passed an hour ago: grey felt hat, paint under his nails, a long flat parcel under his arm.
Secrets of Volendam 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 follows your position around Volendam and each stop brings its own riddle, puzzle or photo task. You cannot look any of it up: what is standing in front of you is the source. By the last stop you have picked up more about the place than a guided tour would have told you.
Among the stops: St. Vincentiuskerk, Volendams Museum and Markermeer. What you are hunting for is rarely at the stop itself but somewhere on the way, in something you would have walked straight past.
Kras Stadium and Memorial monument Café 't Helmeted are also on the route, and nobody needs telling twice to examine a doorway.
A Self-Guided Walking Tour of Volendam, With Riddles Instead of a Guide
Think of it as a self-guided walking tour that asks you questions. You get the same thing a walking tour gives you — a route through Volendam and the stories behind what you are looking at — but nobody is talking at you and nobody is waiting for the group to catch up. You walk, you look, and you work things out. The difficulty is intermediate, which in practice means most groups solve most things and argue productively about the rest. Expect riddles, code-breaking and a fair number of photographs you would not otherwise have taken.
Want to Plan a Fun Scavenger Hunt in Volendam?
Right here. Organising it means booking a date, downloading the Loquiz app and then starting when it suits you. Nothing to print, nothing to plant beforehand, no clues to invent: the route through Volendam 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.
An Outdoor Scavenger Hunt That Works for Any Group in Volendam
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.
Teams. One ticket covers four people, so a department divides straight into groups running the identical route through Volendam. No host to hire, no venue to reserve, no departure time. Put three or four teams on it together and the competition takes care of itself.
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 Volendam that would surprise a local.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the Secrets exploration game work?
Book a date and a link arrives by email. The Loquiz app does the rest. You start it at the first location in Volendam, 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 Volendam; 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 charged phone and shoes you can walk 3 to 4 km in. You get a link when you book and open the game in the Loquiz app at the starting point — there is nothing to print, nothing to hide in advance and no equipment to collect.
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?
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?
No — only a date. The hour you actually begin is yours, and there is nobody waiting: no meeting point, no guide, no group.
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 Volendam?
It is the whole design. Every riddle sits on something real — the history of Volendam, the people in it, the details nobody points out — so you come away with more than a visitor normally does. The Volendam page has the practical details.
More City Games: city games across the Netherlands · Secrets of Oudewater
- St. Vincentiuskerk
- Volendams Museum
- Markermeer
- Kras Stadium
- Memorial monument Café 't HelmetedBrugstraat 2-8, 1131 ZW Volendam, Netherlands, 1131 ZW Volendam
- Marina Volendam
- Boulevard VolendamHaven, 1131 ET Volendam, Netherlands, 1131 ET Volendam
- Virgin Mary (Mariabeeld)
Show all 15 stops
- The Fish Auction (Visafslag)
- Woltjes BakkerijHaven 98, 1131 EV Volendam, Netherlands, 1131 EV Volendam
- The Marken Express
- Beach Pieterman
- The Cheese Factory
- Het Doolhof
- Hotel Spaander (Art Hotel Spaander)Haven 15-19, 1131 EP Volendam, Netherlands, 1131 EP Volendam
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
- ★★★★★
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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