Secrets of · Scavenger hunt
Secrets of Zaandam Self-Guided Scavenger Hunt & Walking Tour
1.5–2 hours · 1–4 players per team · no app€19.95 per team
Sherlock Holmes · Murder mystery
Zaandam Self-Guided Detective Murder Mystery Game
- 1.5–2 hours
- 1–4 players per team
- In the free Loquiz app on your phone
- Start any time within 12 months
- Free cancellation until you start
A self-guided detective murder mystery through Zaandam, from the Gedempte Gracht to the Czaar Peterhuisje.
Balthasar is dead in Zaandam, and whoever closes the case is going to have to walk it.
A detective game that uses Zaandam as its playing field. The investigation lives on your own phone, the witnesses are digital, and the answers are out there in front of you rather than on the screen. No host, no fixed departure, no waiting for anyone.
The file sends you to Monument Februaristaking 1941, Tsar Peter the Great Statue and Grote Sluis.
The Walk Through Zaandam
Gedempte Gracht and Inntel Hotel Zaandam come into it too. Expect 3 to 4 km on foot, at whatever speed suits the slowest member of the group.
How the Murder Mystery Game Works in Zaandam
Walking is the mechanism. Between locations the witnesses come to you, each with a puzzle, a code or a photo task standing between you and what they know. Most groups need 1.5 to 2 hours for the 3 to 4 km, and a long pause costs nothing at all. It asks the sort of attention Sherlock Holmes made his name on - the detail other people step over.
Friends, Families and Colleagues in Zaandam
With friends. A better answer to "what shall we do today" than another cafe. It works as a pair and it works as a four, and it gives you something to disagree about over dinner.
With your team. Two teams on one case turns it competitive, which is the whole point. No booking a room, no briefing, no waiting for stragglers: a team outing in Zaandam that starts when the last person shows up.
With kids. Eight years old is about the floor. The distance is not the problem it sounds like, the photo tasks are where children beat adults outright, and the codes end up being solved by the whole family at once.
Questions People Ask First
How does the murder mystery game work?
It runs in the Loquiz app on your own phone. Open it at the starting point in Zaandam, and from there the case comes to you: someone to question at each location, something to solve before they talk, and a name to hand in at the end.
How long does it take?
Between one and a half and two hours for most groups, across 3 to 4 km. Slower is free: nothing is timed and nothing expires while you are having lunch.
How many people can play on one ticket?
One €19.95 ticket covers four players on a single phone. Past four, take a second ticket: two teams chasing the same killer beats six people squinting at one screen.
Do we need to book a time?
You need to pick a date, not a time slot. Start at nine or at four; nothing in Zaandam waits for you, and there is no host anywhere.
Is it suitable for children?
Eight and up handle it well. Nothing along the way is beyond them, and more often than you would expect it is the youngest player who notices the detail that decides the case.
What happens if it rains?
You decide when to play and you can pause whenever you want. Step inside, wait the shower out and pick the case up again - no clock is running and nothing closes.
Is this a detective game or a walking tour of Zaandam?
It is a detective game first. But you see Zaandam properly while you play it, and people tend to remember a street they searched better than one they were shown.
What else is there to do in Zaandam?
There are other city games in Zaandam built on the same idea and a different story, and the Netherlands has plenty more where this came from.
More City Games: Secrets of the Zaanse Schans · city games across the Netherlands
- Monument Februaristaking 1941
- Tsar Peter the Great Statue
- Grote Sluis (Hondemansluis)
- Gedempte Gracht
- Rozengracht Market
- Inntel Hotel Zaandam
- Zaandam City Hall
- Bullekerk
Show all 10 stops
- Russian Buurt
- Tsar Peter House
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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