Sherlock Holmes · Murder mystery
Zaandam 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 hunt
Secrets of Zaandam 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 +31
- Start any time within 12 months
- Free cancellation until you start
Help Tsar Peter the Great recover his stolen blueprints while you explore the shipyards, canals and streets of Zaandam.
An outdoor scavenger hunt through Zaandam, run from your own phone and finished whenever you decide you are finished. Secrets of Zaandam turns the streets themselves into the game.
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 Zaandam, in front of anyone who bothers to look. What sticks afterwards is the part nobody tells you on a tour.
Among the stops: Monument Februaristaking 1941; Tsar Peter the Great Statue; Dam 1 and 1b. What you are hunting for is rarely at the stop itself but somewhere on the way, in something you would have walked straight past.
Other stops include Grote Sluis (Hondemansluis) and Gedempte Gracht — enough of them that the group ends up arguing about answers rather than asking what to do next.
A Self-Guided Walking Tour of Zaandam, With Riddles Instead of a Guide
The shape of a walking tour, the mechanics of a puzzle. You cover a genuine route through Zaandam 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 Zaandam?
This is one, and it takes about a minute to set up: book a ticket, open the link in your phone's browser and start whenever you are ready. There is nothing to print, nothing to hide in advance and no list to write — the route, the riddles and the photo tasks are already built around Zaandam — 3 to 4 km on foot, about two hours — and one ticket covers a group of up to four on a single phone for €19.95. If you were about to spend an evening making one yourself, this is the version where somebody else did the work.
A Scavenger Hunt for Adults, Teams and Families in Zaandam
Adults. A scavenger hunt for adults in the sense that the puzzles actually resist you. Intermediate difficulty, riddles built on detail you have to go and look at, and two hours that hold a group that came out to enjoy itself.
Teams. One ticket covers four people, so a department divides straight into groups running the identical route through Zaandam. 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 Zaandam that would surprise a local.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the Secrets exploration game work?
Book and a link arrives by email. Your phone's browser does the rest. You start it at the first location in Zaandam, 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, and that is the point. It follows a walking route through Zaandam 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?
Just a charged phone and comfortable shoes for 3 to 4 km. You get a link when you book and open the game in your phone's browser at the first stop; nothing to print, nothing to plant beforehand, nothing to pick up anywhere.
How long does it take?
Two hours is typical, over a 3 to 4 km route. There is no clock and no scheduled departure — you fix the day when you book and start whenever you want on it.
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 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 — not even a date. The day and hour you actually begin are 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 Zaandam?
Yes, and not as a side effect. The riddles are made from the history and the characters of Zaandam and from details most people never notice, so the learning is the solving. Anyone who would rather follow a story can take one of the other city games in Zaandam.
More City Games: city games across the Netherlands · Secrets of Arnhem
- Monument Februaristaking 1941Wilhelminastraat, 1506 BB Zaandam
- Tsar Peter the Great StatueKrimp 23, 1506 AA Zaandam
- Dam 1 and 1bDam 1, 1506 BC Zaandam
- Grote Sluis (Hondemansluis)Dam 1D, 1506 BC Zaandam
- Gedempte Gracht1506 Zaandam
- Rozengracht MarketRozengracht, 1506 SE Zaandam
- Gedempte Gracht 77Gedempte Gracht 77, 1506 CC Zaandam
- Inntel Hotel ZaandamProvincialeweg 102, 1506 MD Zaandam
Show all 15 stops
- Zaandam City HallStadhuisplein 100, 1506 MZ Zaandam
- River ZaanWestkade 2, 1506 BA Zaandam
- Anna Paulowna Freemason’s Lodge
- Russian Buurt1506 Zaandam
- Tsar Peter HouseKrimp 23, 1506 AA Zaandam
- Huis der Cardinalen
- William PontbrugWilliam Pontbrug, 1506 PA Zaandam
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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