Locked City Alley

LOCKED CITY

Immersive Outdoor Treasure Hunts

Explore your city. Solve cryptic clues. Discover hidden secrets.

Locked City is an immersive SMS-Based treasure hunt style game through the streets of London.

Rated ★★★★★
"Devilishly tricky, enormously fun!"

Join the hunt!
As seen in:
Londonist Logo

Your adventure awaits...

Journey through the streets of London solving a trail of cryptic clues and puzzles sent to your phone via text message. Discover hidden secrets, fascinating history and mesmerising street art. Race to compete to the top of our leaderboard!

How to Play

Join forces with your team of up to five players for an exciting adventure.
Want to play with six or more players? Split into teams and race!

Our games are played on via WhatsApp - no addtional apps required! Each player in your team will receive will receive the trail of cryptic clues and any member of your team can reply with your team's answer.

Book one of our exciting hunts online and your team captain will instantly receive your team's welcome messsages. Your team captain can then add team-mates into the game via WhatsApp. As long as you know your team captain and a witty team name, you're ready to book!

Our hunts are entirely flexible. Need to change the start time? Bad weather? Fear not! Simply start the hunt whenever you are ready.

Clues sent via WhatsApp
Up to 5 players per team
All players receive clues
Open all year round
Perfect Outdoor Activity
  • Welcome to Locked City. Get ready for your exciting adventure! Send 'start' to begin.
  • Start
  • Continue over bridge. R down ginger bearded monarch. Finding his 15th portrait, tell me what has a ring to it?
  • Telephone
  • Proceed down SH street. Cross cobbles to Chalcot*Chalcot. At no. 3, if 25,31,18,28,15,7   22,18,7,26,14 once lived here, what is the sum of her profession?
  • 67
  • Cross straight and continue past walled century. Seek red at agitated NO HOURS DUE. What was outgrown in VIII?

Choose Your Hunt

Embark on thrilling hunts across London, each uniquely themed and designed to challenge your wits. Whether you're a novice or a seasoned puzzle solver, we have the perfect adventure for you. Explore iconic landmarks, uncover hidden secrets, and solve intricate puzzles. Choose your difficulty level and dive into an unforgettable experience.

Choose one of our treasure hunts in London below!

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Sherlock holmes: The new recruit

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Curse of Covent Garden

Legend speaks of a curse haunting the inhabitants of Covent Garden and turning them to stone. Follow the cryptic trail and lift the curse before it is too late...

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Curse of Covent Garden

A Journey through time

Travel back through time and witness the moments that shaped London. Discover the historic gems hidden within the modern city.

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THINK YOU KNOW YOUR CITY?

Explore your city 🔎

Our hunts are designed to explore well known sights and hidden gems you never knew existed.

Whether you’re new to the area or a local, you’ll be sure to embark on a fantastic experience and discover fascinating history, eye-popping street art and hidden details in the city.

Couple Explore
CONSIDER YOURSELF A SHERLOCK?

Solve cryptic clues 📜

All clues are sent to your phone via text message. The answers you will need to find are hidden in your surroundings.

Each clue will challenge your team to explore your surroundings, uncover secret locations and work together to solve the puzzles.

Choose Your Hunt
Couple on Phone through Window
READY FOR AN ADVENTURE?

Discover hidden secrets 🗝️

Locked City is great for friends, family, colleagues and even dates looking for a new adventure!

Love Escape Rooms? Love Scavenger Hunts? Love discovering new locations? We know you're going to love Locked City!

Man on phone near canal
CAN YOU MAKE IT TO THE LEADERBOARD?

Race against the clock 👟

Compete for the best time to make it onto the leaderboards! But don't forget, answer incorrectly and face a penalty...

Are you a large group of 6 or more people? Split into multiple teams and race and play head-to-head, racing to complete the hunt!

Choose Your Hunt
Group Yellow Street

Frequently asked Questions

How it works

How many players can play?

Each team can up to 5 phones connected. We encourage groups of 6+ people to split into multiple teams to have the best experience.

You can easily add more numbers to receive clues by replying 'Add +44XXXXXXXXXX'.

How will I receive clues?

Clues and directions will be sent via WhatsApp. You will only receive the next clue once the correct answer has been sent.

Do I need local knowledge?

No! Each hunt is designed to require no local knowledge and will be of the same difficulty regardless of prior knowledge.

Playing the hunt

What if we get stuck on a clue?

You can reply 'STUCK' at anytime and a hint will be sent to you. If you are still stuck, you can send 'SKIP' to skip to the next clue. These will incur a time penalty!

What if I get lost?

You can text 'LOST' at anytime and the exact location of the answer will be sent to you.

What do I need to bring?

Bring your phone with internet connection (for WhatsApp). A battery pack may be advisable if you are likely to run out of charge.

Are there any rules?

- Please be courteous to other members of the public.
- No conferring or sharing of answers with other teams.
- No deliberately obstructing other teams!
- Use of a map is allowed but is not required.

What if my phone runs out of battery?

Don't worry if your phone runs out of battery! As long as another member of your team has been added to the hunt, you can keep playing.

Are there toilets enroute?

Each hunt passes toilets en-route (toilets may charge a small fee) and features designated rest stops in pubs containing toilets.

How much do messages cost?

We use WhatsApp to send you messages, therefore you will need an internet connection on your phone, which is often included in your mobile plan.

making a booking

Can I book on the same day that I want to play?

Yes! You can start as soon as the booking is made. You will receive your introductory messages immediately after booking.

Do I need to start at my booked time?

No. Our hunts are fully flexible, so if your plans change or if you're running late, you can start at a different time. Just make sure you start before the last start time of the day, which can be found on our website or in your introductory messages.

Can I play when it is dark?

Some of our hunts will take you through public parks which may close at dusk, therefore we recommend starting with plenty of time. Please see check the available start times on our website, or in your introductory messages to understand when you can start your hunt.

What if it rains?

Whilst always best in good weather, our hunts can operate regardless of the weather conditions. We do advise exercising caution if it is slippery underfoot. You are welcome to start (or resume) a hunt at a later date if the weather conditions are poor.

Unfortunately we don't offer refunds due to adverse weather.

Can I use an international number?

We recommend using a UK mobile number, however most international numbers should also be compatible. If you have any questions, please reach out to our team.

Are hunts wheelchair accessible?

Due to the nature of our hunts, we unfortunately cannot guarantee the route will be accessible by wheelchair, as there may be steps and narrow pavements.

Is there a time limit?

There is no time limit. You can race to make the leaderboards or simply relax and take the hunt at your own pace. If you need to return to finish the hunt at a later date, that's possible too!