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The Syndicate · Outdoor escape game

Self-Guided The Edinburgh Syndicate City Escape Game

4.4 on Google (24 reviews)

Self-Guided The Edinburgh Syndicate City Escape GameSelf-Guided The Edinburgh Syndicate City Escape Game – Edinburgh (2)Self-Guided The Edinburgh Syndicate City Escape Game – Edinburgh (3)Self-Guided The Edinburgh Syndicate City Escape Game – Edinburgh (4)Self-Guided The Edinburgh Syndicate City Escape Game – Edinburgh (5)
  • 1.5–2 hours
  • 2–5 players per team
  • In the free Loquiz app on your phone
  • Start any time within 12 months
  • Free cancellation until you start

Hunt Magnus and the stolen formulas through Edinburgh, from St Giles' Cathedral up to the castle and down to the Grassmarket.

The formulas were stolen, the thief has a name, and Edinburgh is the only lead anybody managed to get before the case landed with you.

Think of it as a secret agent game played on real streets. The Syndicate runs on your own phone through the Loquiz app, with Edinburgh as the board: stand somewhere that matters and the location gives up a riddle, a cipher or a photograph to take. Your group divides into characters, each with a job in the mission, so the case gets solved by all of you rather than by one person.

The route takes in Tron Kirk Market, St Giles’ Cathedral and Museum on the Mound, and the stretches between them count too. What the case asks for is in the street in front of you, not in the app.

Edinburgh Castle and Grassmarket are on the list too. Everyone works out soon enough that the useful detail is never the obvious one.

An Escape Room Alternative in Edinburgh, Played Outdoors

This is what an outdoor escape game buys you over the indoor kind: the same ciphers and the same locked-logic thinking, but the sky instead of a ceiling and real doorways instead of set dressing. You are not sealed into a room for two hours, you walk 3 to 4 km through Edinburgh, and no host appears to hurry you up or hand over a clue. When a puzzle beats you, you take it with you to the next corner.

A Team Building Escape Game You Can Organise in Edinburgh Today

As team building events go, the setup cost here is close to zero: pick a date, forward the link, let each team begin when it suits them. Nothing gets booked, nobody gets hired, and nobody has to be anywhere at nine sharp. The route through Edinburgh and the puzzles on it are already built, it runs about two hours over 3 to 4 km, and one €19.95 ticket takes a group of two to five on one phone. Split twenty people into four teams and they are all chasing the same man.

A Heist Game for Groups of Almost Any Shape in Edinburgh

Teams. One ticket takes five people, so a department splits neatly into groups working the same case across Edinburgh. No host to hire, no venue, no departure time. Put three or four teams on it simultaneously and the debrief writes itself — which is the difference between a company outing and a day out.

Friends. Each of you plays a character with an actual role, so the group does not quietly hand the puzzles to whoever is quickest. A theft to unravel, streets to search and nobody timing you.

Families. It works from about age eight, and 3 to 4 km is a walk children manage without trouble. They are usually the ones who spot the detail on the wall that the adults walked past, and the code-breaking is the part you do together.

Couples and pairs. Two of you, one phone, €19.95 for the case. There is no group, no departure time and no guide, so a long stop halfway through costs you exactly nothing.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does the Syndicate city escape game work?

You book a date, get a link by email and download the Loquiz app. At the starting point in Edinburgh you open the game on your phone. It knows where you are, and each location holds a riddle, a code or a photo task. Solve one and the next location unlocks, until you have enough to catch Magnus.

What is the story?

The formulas are gone, Magnus took them, and every hour he keeps them is an hour closer to them being gone for good. Everyone in the group has a character with their own part to play — the reason this reads as a story rather than a puzzle list.

Is this an escape room?

It is not. Nothing is locked, nobody is hosting, and there is no room to be let out of — it is an outdoor escape game on real streets. The thinking will feel familiar to anyone who does escape rooms; the walls are simply gone.

How long does it take?

It runs about two hours, covering 3 to 4 km on foot. There is no time limit and no fixed start — you begin whenever suits you within 12 months of purchase, so a slow group simply takes longer.

How many people can play on one ticket?

One ticket covers a group of two to five people playing on one device, at €19.95 in total. Groups larger than five buy a second ticket, which also lets them play against each other.

Is it hard?

Intermediate. You need to look properly and think sideways; you do not need to know the city, and no puzzle is built to defeat you permanently.

Is it suitable for children?

From roughly eight upwards, yes. The distance is no obstacle, the photo tasks are where younger players get ahead, and the detail that unlocks a stop is frequently spotted by the smallest person there.

Do we need to book a specific time?

A date appears on the booking, but it does not bind you — begin when you are ready. Nobody is waiting anywhere: no meeting point, no guide, no group.

What happens if it rains?

You decide when to play and you can pause whenever you like. If a shower comes over, step inside somewhere, wait it out and pick up where you left off — nothing is counting down while you wait.

What size group does it work with?

Two to five people share one phone on a single ticket, so two is the smallest group. If you would rather have a murder to solve or a scavenger hunt than a heist, the other city games in Edinburgh cover that.

More City Games: city games across the United Kingdom · The Glasgow Syndicate

  1. Tron Kirk Market122 High St, Edinburgh EH1 1SG, UK
  2. St Giles’ CathedralWest Parliament Square, EH1 1RN Edinburgh, United Kingdom
  3. Museum on the MoundThe Mound, Edinburgh EH1 1YZ, UK
  4. New CollegeNew College, Mound Pl, Edinburgh EH1 2LX, UK
  5. Camera Obscura & World of Illusions549 Castlehill, Edinburgh EH1 2ND, UK
  6. Edinburgh CastleJohnston Terrace, EH1 2NH Edinburgh, United Kingdom
  7. Grassmarket41 Grassmarket, EH1 2HS Edinburgh, United Kingdom
  8. University of EdinburghBristo Place, EH8 9YL Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Show all 13 stops
  1. Greyfriars Kirkyard1 Candlemaker Row, EH1 2QE Edinburgh, United Kingdom
  2. National Museum of Scotland33 George IV Bridge, EH8 9BL Edinburgh, United Kingdom
  3. Greyfriars Bobby StatueEdinburgh Old Town, Edinburgh EH1 2QQ, UK
  4. National Library of Scotland9 George IV Bridge, EH1 1EY Edinburgh, United Kingdom
  5. Edinburgh City Chambers253 High Street, EH1 1YP Edinburgh, United Kingdom

How it works

  1. BookYour ticket arrives by email.
  2. Go to the startThe start point is in your email. Any day within 12 months.
  3. PlayOpen the link on one phone per team and press start.

What players in other cities say

4.4 on Google (24 reviews)

  • ★★★★★

    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
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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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