Secrets of · Scavenger hunt
Secrets of Manchester Self-Guided Scavenger Hunt & Walking Tour
1.5–2 hours · 1–4 players per team · no appfrom €4.99 per person1 player €8.95 · 4 players €19.95
Group games: teams against each otherCity Conquest
Race Through Manchester
€19.95 per team
Testers wanted
Play for free as testers
·
A city game where teams play against each other: at least 2 teams of 1–4 players, each team on its own phone.
Teams against each other · from €4.99 per person · book instantly · valid 12 months · no guide needed
- 120 min
- 34 zones
- 20 factions
- 2–20 teams
In City Conquest the centre of Manchester becomes a game board for your whole group: at least two teams race to conquer zones, and other teams can win them back. On the way you pass places like Manchester Town Hall, John Bright, and Manchester Central Library. When time is up, the team with the most points wins; with equal points, the team with the most ducats wins.
What does it cost for your group?
Teams (up to 4 each): 3
How to play
1Explore
Walk through the real city. The map shows every zone:
free, 
taken by a team in its colour, or 
locked for a few minutes. The game starts at 
.
2Conquer
Step into a zone and open its task: a puzzle, a riddle, something to count or a code to crack on the spot, now and then a photo. Get it right and the zone takes your colour
, and you earn 30 ducats 
.
3Defend and take back
Other teams can take your zones once the lock
is over, and you can take theirs. A zone 
stays with the team that conquers it. The first team at a bonus spot 
gets a power-up in its backpack 
.
4Final count
When the time is up, the team with the most points wins; with equal points, the most ducats
. Be at the meeting point 
in time: the herald calls everyone together.
Every zone has ten tasks about what you can really find there. Each team gets a different one, and a new one every time it comes back, so answers can't be passed on.
20 factions
Every zone has a field that fits the place: knowledge at a library, creativity at a museum, charm on a market square, speed on a bridge or quay, power at a fortress or tower. The stronger your faction is in a zone's field, the more points that zone is worth to you, so every faction has its own zones to go for.
- Councillors of Manchester Town Hall
- Bell Ringers of Friends Meeting House
- Choir of St Mary's - The Hidden Gem
- Organists of St. Ann's Church
- Curators of People's History Museum
- Scholars of John Rylands Library
- Sculptors of Alan Turing Statue
- Artists of Rise up, Women
- Players of Manchester Opera House
- Traders of Church Street Market
- Builders of The Old Wellington Inn
- Merchants of Albert Hall
- Bridge Wardens of Blackfriars Bridge
- Explorers of Chinatown Arch
- Wardens of Cross Street Chapel
- Heralds of Manchester Art Gallery
- Company of The Portico Library
- Guild of Palace Theatre
- Friends of Manchester Central Library
- Runners of Bridgewater Hall
Ducats, chests and drops
Chests
Every 20 minutes the herald hides chests 
in the streets. The first team within 30 m opens one: ducats , a potion, a defence or something to leave for others.
The merchant
You start with 50 ducats and earn more by conquering, holding zones and approved photos. Spend them at the merchant 
: you can buy anywhere, and at his spot you get 20% off.
Drops and fog
Leave a bomb, trap, fog, curse or sabotage on the street 
. Only your team sees it; the team that walks into it is hit. Fog 
hides their map beyond 100 m. A scout 
shows drops near you 
: walk to one to defuse it.
Speed potionWait times and zone locks halved for 10 minutes.
Wisdom potionRemoves one wrong answer from your next multiple-choice question.
Strength potionYour next conquest scores double.
ShieldBlocks the next attack on your team (20 seconds to react).
MirrorSends the next attack straight back to the team that left it.
AntidoteEnds fog, a trap or a curse at once.
ScoutShows other teams' drops within 100 m for 2 minutes; walk to one to defuse it.- BombLeave it on the street: the team that walks into it loses 25 points.
TrapLeave it on the street: 3 minutes no conquering and no answering.
FogLeave it on the street: for 4 minutes their map shows only 100 m around them.
CurseLeave it on the street: on their next 2 questions a wrong answer costs double.
SabotageLeave it on the street: steals one thing from their backpack (or 30 ducats).
34 zones
- Manchester Town Hall
- John Bright
- Manchester Central Library
- Friends Meeting House
- Rise up, Women
- St Mary's - The Hidden Gem
- Manchester Art Gallery
- The Portico Library
- Albert Hall
- Cross Street Chapel
- St. Ann's Church
- Chinatown Arch
- Deansgate
- University of Law
- John Rylands Library
- Manchester Central Convention Complex
- Great Northern
- Church of Scientology
- Bridgewater Hall
- Manchester Opera House
- Peel
- Palace Theatre
- The Briton's Protection
- 53two
- Whitworth Locke, Civic Quarter
- Church Street Market
- Blackfriars Bridge
- Wellington
- The Old Wellington Inn
- Beetham Tower
- Alan Turing Statue
- Manchester Crown Court
- Victoria Bridge
- People's History Museum
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.
€19.95 per team
Book and payOften chosen by companiesWith 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. The game master never sees the answers.
€199.00 including 5 teams, €19.95 per extra team
Book and payThe 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.
What the game master sees
Live, on a laptop or tablet: where every team is, who holds which zone, and each team's points, ducats and items. From here the game master gives or takes points, sends a message to one team or to all teams, adds 15 minutes or pauses the game.
What is City Conquest all about?
City Conquest is a group game in Manchester where teams play against each other for zones, and the highest score when time is up takes the win.
Zones are marked on the map, each with a task. Solve the task and the zone is yours. A rival team can solve it too and claim it back, which keeps the pressure on. Do you defend what you have or go on the attack? Your faction, with its own story and strengths, gives your team a role to play and some extra bragging rights when you come out on top.
How does the organiser get everyone started?
The organiser, the main booker, sets up City Conquest on the game master page and starts it for all teams together.
The organiser picks the default language and the playing time on that page. There is no option to start without the organiser, so the whole group plays on one clock. During the game, every player can pick and switch the language on their own phone. That makes it easy to include colleagues or friends who prefer another language.
Which Manchester streets become the board?
Manchester's streets and the sights on our routes form the game board. Chasing zones, teams may pass Manchester Town Hall, the John Rylands Library, Waterstones Deansgate and Manchester Cathedral.
A group game in Manchester like this keeps everyone moving through the centre. Teams split up, cross paths on busy streets and race each other to the next contested zone. Good teamwork and a quick look at the map often decide who gets there first.
Which games can you book in Manchester today?
Two City Game games in Manchester are bookable today. Secrets of Manchester is a walk with puzzles and photo tasks past St. Mary's Catholic Church, the John Rylands Research Institute and Library and the Cathedral, played in the browser on your own phone, no app. Sherlock Holmes murder mystery in Manchester is a detective case on foot from Albert Square to the cathedral, with the free Loquiz app.
Both take 1.5 to 2 hours and cost €19.95 per team: one phone, at most 4 players. Start whenever you like.
Do we need a game master?
No. Without a game master you play completely on your own: the person who booked opens the organiser page once, picks the default language and play time and starts the game for all teams; after that everything runs by itself on every phone. A game master (€199.00 incl. 5 teams) is optional, for someone who wants to follow and steer the game live.
Can teams start the game themselves?
You do not need a game master for that: the person who booked starts the game once for all teams on the organiser page, so every team plays the same time. After that everything runs by itself on every phone. A game master is optional, for someone who wants to follow and steer the game live.
Who wins City Conquest?
When time is up, the team with the most points wins; with equal points, the team with the most ducats wins.
How many teams do we need?
You need at least two teams. Each team has 1 to 4 players and plays on its own phone.
How are points scored?
Teams score by conquering zones, which means solving the task at each zone. The team with the most points when time runs out wins.
Who controls the playing time?
The organiser sets the playing time and default language on the game master page, then starts the game for all teams.
Is City Conquest good for a work social?
Yes. Teams compete head to head, so it suits colleagues as well as friends and families.
What else can we play in Manchester?
You can book Secrets of Manchester or Sherlock Holmes murder mystery in Manchester today, each for €19.95 per team.
City Conquest Race Through Manchester
€19.95 per team
We play in more and more cities around the world, with friends, family or your company.
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