Groningen Self-Guided Detective Murder Mystery Game

On the Grote Markt in Groningen, under the Martinitoren, the case is handed over and the walking begins. From there the route goes past Het Goudkantoor, over to the Der Aa-kerk and the Fish Market, and along the edge of the Prinsentuin. It is a self-guided murder mystery game rather than anything with a guide attached. Students, families with children, groups of friends, couples and colleagues all play it, and one person alone can handle it fine. A team is four people at most, sharing one phone, so a group of twelve goes out as three. The centre of Groningen is flat and closed to most traffic, which makes for easy going, and there is no fixed start time to organise around. How to playThe practical side is short. Book the City Game Check the email with your play link Open the link on your phone Start playing whenever you like The case is the murder of Balthasar, and the evidence is scattered: coded messages, photo tasks and digital characters whose statements need checking against each other. Some of it sits near Forum Groningen, some in the streets by the Pelstergasthuis and the Folkingestraat Synagoge. Every puzzle solved narrows the field of suspects. Run several teams at once and it becomes a race to the solution, which is what makes the game a workable teambuilding activity. Break for coffee, pick it back up, and settle the case in the centre of Groningen when the last statement finally makes sense.