Sherlock Holmes · Murder mystery
Manchester 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 Manchester 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
Explore Manchester on a self-guided walking tour past the John Rylands Library and the Cathedral, solving puzzles and photo tasks.
Secrets of Manchester 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.
Everything runs off your location. Stand somewhere that matters in Manchester and the game opens that spot's riddle, puzzle or photo task — and the only way through is to look up. Nothing is solvable from the screen. Two hours later you are the one in the group explaining the place to everyone else.
St. Mary's Catholic Church, The Hidden Gem; John Rylands Research Institute and Library; Waterstones Deansgate are on the route, and the stretches between them matter just as much: everything you are looking for is in plain sight and ignored by everyone else.
Corporation and Market Street Intersection; Manchester Cathedral are on the list too, and the habit of looking up sets in on its own.
A Self-Guided Tour of Manchester That Asks the Questions
The shape of a walking tour, the mechanics of a puzzle. You cover a genuine route through Manchester 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 Manchester?
You have found one. It takes a minute: pick a date, get the link by email, start when you want. No printing, no hiding things in advance, no list to compile — the route, the riddles and the photo tasks are already laid out across Manchester, roughly two hours and 3 to 4 km of walking. A single ticket at €19.95 covers four people sharing one phone. The ticket is valid for 12 months from the day of booking.
Who It Suits: Adults, Teams and Families in Manchester
Adults. Nothing about this resembles a printable list of things to find. It runs at intermediate difficulty, the riddles want things read properly rather than glanced at, and two hours passes without anyone checking their phone for other reasons.
Teams. Nothing to facilitate, nowhere to book, no start time to enforce. One ticket per four colleagues, every group loose in Manchester on the same route, and a comparison at the end. Several teams at once is what makes it a team scavenger hunt rather than a walk.
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.
Couples and friends. No umbrella to follow, no group to stay with, no fixed pace. Stop where you like, take as long as you like, and finish knowing things about Manchester that most residents never learned.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the Secrets exploration game work?
You book a date, get a link by email and open the game via the link. At the starting point in Manchester you open the game on your phone. It is GPS-based: it knows where you are, and each location holds a riddle, a puzzle or a photo task. Solve one and the next location unlocks.
Is this a walking tour or a game?
Both, deliberately. On distance and route it is a walking tour of Manchester; 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?
Just a charged phone and comfortable shoes for 3 to 4 km. You get a link when you book and open the game via the link at the first stop; nothing to print, nothing to plant beforehand, nothing to pick up anywhere.
How long does it take?
About two hours, covering 3 to 4 km on foot. There is no time limit — within 12 months from booking, you pick a date and then begin whenever suits you on that date, so a slow group simply takes longer.
How many people can play on one ticket?
€19.95 buys one ticket, one phone and one to four people around it. Larger groups split across two tickets and end up competing, which most of them prefer.
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 specific time?
No. You choose a date when booking, then start at whatever time you like on that date. There is no meeting point, no guide and no group to join.
What happens if it rains?
You play when it suits you and stop when it suits you, so a shower just means a coffee. No timer is running, and the route is exactly where you left it.
Will we actually learn something about Manchester?
That is the point of this one. The riddles are built on the history, the characters and the odd details of Manchester, so you finish knowing things most visitors never find out. If you would rather have a story than a tour, look at the other city games in Manchester instead.
More City Games: city games across the United Kingdom · Secrets of London
- St. Mary's Catholic Church, The Hidden Gem17 Mulberry St, M2 6LN Manchester
- John Rylands Research Institute and Library150 Deansgate, M3 3EH Manchester
- Waterstones Deansgate91 Deansgate, M3 2BW Manchester
- Corporation and Market Street IntersectionCorporation St, M4 3AQ Manchester
- Manchester CathedralVictoria St, M3 1SX Manchester
- The Corn ExchangeExchange Sq, M4 3TR Manchester
- Manchester ArndaleMarsden Way South, M4 3AT Manchester
- Royal Exchange TheatreSt Ann's Square, M2 7DH Manchester
Show all 15 stops
- House of Books & Friends81 King St, M2 4AH Manchester
- The Portico Library57 Mosley St, M2 3HY Manchester
- Manchester Art GalleryMosley St, M2 3JL Manchester
- Alliance Française de Manchester55 Portland St, M1 3HP Manchester
- The Queen Bee Mural84-86 Oldham St, M4 1LE Manchester
- Manchester Central LibrarySt Peter's Square, M2 5PD Manchester
- Palace Theatre97 Oxford St, M1 6HT Manchester
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.
Leaderboard
| # | Team | Points | Time |
|---|
No team has played in this period yet.
More games in Manchester
More places nearby
Secrets of · Scavenger hunt
Secrets of Edinburgh Self-Guided Scavenger Hunt & Walking Tour
1.5–2 hours · 1–4 players per team · no app€19.95 per team
Secrets of · Scavenger hunt
Secrets of Glasgow Self-Guided Scavenger Hunt & Walking Tour
1.5–2 hours · 1–4 players per team · free Loquiz app€19.95 per team
Secrets of · Scavenger hunt
Secrets of London Self-Guided Scavenger Hunt & Walking Tour
1.5–2 hours · 1–4 players per team · no app€19.95 per team