The Drowned City, York

FAQs

How long do the trails take?

The duration of each of our trails is different, you can see specific information on the "plan your day" section of the specific trail. In general our routes aim to last around 2.5 hours on average.

Can I book and play the same day?

Of course! After purchasing you can login to your dashboard, where you can enter your number of teams followed by each team's name and member details. Set up within a couple of minutes.

Multiple Teams - Competitive

Once booked, and you've logged into the dashboard, you'll be able to choose how many teams you'd like for your booking - once submitted you'll then be able to fill in team names and member details straight away.

We recommend a team size around 5, with a minimum of 2 people and around 8 as a maximum.

Stop & start at anytime

You can take extra breaks or come back to your route at anytime. Just continue from where you left off at your own convenience. We can't stop your team clock from ticking, but not everything's a race!

When can I start my adventure?

Some of our trails have specific time slots that you should start within, this is usually due to closing public areas that you'll be travelling through. Some adventures can be played at any time so you can start whenever you're ready.

The latest start time assumes that you'll take no longer than the maximum duration, most teams will complete the trail within this time, if you'd like to go slower then start a bit earlier!

Can all members receive clues?

Yes absolutely, add a phone for every member when setting up the team on the dashboard, or by forwarding them the extra-member join message you received at the start.

Can I Use My International Phone Number?

All international phone numbers work with our system, using WhatsApp or Telegram will only use data so make sure you can roam whilst away.

Which Apps Can I Use?

WhatsApp & Telegram apps can be used to receive clues on all our trails

Game commands

• START: Commence the trail when you're at the start location.
• HINT: You're at the correct location but don't know how to find the answer.
  (1 Penalty Free)
• LOST: Got lost on the route? We'll send a detailed path to get you back on route.
  (1 Penalty Free)
• SKIP: When you're on a set break but ready to move on.

Time Penalties - Watch out!

There are time penalties for; incorrect answers, hints and losts. You receive 1 penalty-free of each, but after that you'll have 10 minutes added onto your team time for each use.

Money Back Guarantee

Simply; If you don't have a great time on our trail, let us know why and we'll give you your money back in full. Easy!

Do I need to know the city?

All the trails can be completed with out any prior knowledge without an issue, a perfect way to explore a new city!

Payment methods

We accept Google Pay, Apple Pay, Paypal, VISA, MasterCard and American Express. All processed securely by our payments provider Stripe.

How to start?

After purchase you'll receive login credentials to enter your dashboard. There you can enter a team name and phone numbers, upon submission you'll receive a message to confirm the booking with us.

WhatsApp Setup Guide

Telegram Setup Guide

How much do messages cost?

Whatsapp & Telegram integrations will use data, again if your contract has a set amount of data you should not be charged. If you have any questions or issues then please get in contact with us.

How do the trails work?

We turn your city into a playground of clues! When you begin you'll receive the first clue. Solve the obscured directions to discover your path and lead you to answer the question. Use your surroundings to help guide you and find the answer to the clue. Once you've found it reply back to us to receive the next.

Along the way we'll take you to fantastic secret areas and breaks at brilliant pubs/cafes.

Check out our How it works page to see more.

What size groups can be accommodated?

Perfect for couples, groups of friends, families, small businesses or large corporate team building days.

Our activities are perfect to get a bit of friendly competition going, simply let us know how you'd like your booking split into teams and we can get you setup with a live leaderboard too!

What happens if it rains?

Either dress for the weather and take it in your stride! (Top tip, bring an umbrella!)

or simply let us know and we can re-schedule for you last minute.

Are you flexible with dates?

Absolutely, when you're booking you can select to choose your date later. If you've already chosen a date and would like to change this, just reach out to the team and we can process this for you, completely free of charge.

How do the breaks on the way work?

On your adventure you'll reach 'rest stops' where we'll recommend some great local businesses - feel free to enjoy a recommendation, find somewhere else or skip entirely - there is absolutely no pressure to enter or use any of the businesses mentioned.

The game timer will stop during the rest zone so feel free to relax!

How does it work with multiple groups on the same route?

For multiple teams you can start all at once or stagger start times by a couple of minutes - groups organically spread out and overtake throughout the activity. The fastest team may not be the winning group as there are time penalties for wrong answers, a fine balance!

What if groups arrive at different times, can we start at different times?

Absolutely, each team's timer will start when they send 'start' and each team will receive their overall time (with penalties!) at the end for comparison.

If you'd like us to set you up a private live leaderboard for your teams, just ask!

Will groups overlap on the route?

Maybe. Depending on how busy the route is you might be on the tail of another group, overtaking or getting overtaken. It's a great way to meet other like minded adventurers on the way, don't forget to say hi to each other and get a bit competitive!