Amsterdam Self-Guided Detective Murder Mystery Game

The trail begins on Beursplein in Amsterdam and turns almost at once into the lanes of the old centre. On foot you pass the Royal Palace Amsterdam, slip through the gate of the Begijnhof and follow the canal front towards Our Lord in the Attic Museum. It is a self-guided walking tour shaped as a detective game, in which the streets of Amsterdam hold everything you need to work with.

The route suits families with children, groups of friends, couples and colleagues, and it works alone as well. One team is up to four people sharing a single phone; a larger group buys another ticket and splits up, which is no hardship here, because the canal ring keeps bringing teams back within sight of one another. Amsterdam is flat, but the pavements are narrow and busy, so the pace is yours to set. Nobody is waiting on a guide, and there is no fixed start time to catch.

How to play

Four steps stand between you and the first clue on Beursplein.

1. Book the City Game
2. Check the instructions email
3. Download the Loquiz app
4. Start playing whenever you like

The case is the murder of Balthasar. Evidence turns up as you walk: a coded message to unpick near the Westerkerk, a photo task on the water by the Skinny Bridge, a statement from a digital character that does not match what you saw at the Flower Market. Each puzzle you solve takes another name off the list of suspects.

Send two or three teams out at the same time and the whole thing becomes a race, which is why it also works as a teambuilding afternoon rather than only a day out. Stop for lunch, leave the case where it stands, and pick it up an hour later. The last answer is waiting somewhere in the centre of Amsterdam.