About the game

The historic city of Chester was founded in the first century as a Roman fortress. It’s most well known for it’s extensive Roman walls and amphitheatre. This game is going to show you the best parts of the city!

It’s perfect for an afternoon out, especially with a few drinks along the way.

Starting at the magnificent Chester Cathedral, you’ll wander along stunning streets, climb the incredible city walls, before taking a stroll along the River Dee.

By searching for clues across the city, you’ll discover hidden treasure you never knew existed!

What you’ll do

You’ll be led around the city by Captain Bess, a snarky pirate who’s testing out new recruits to join her ship!

Bess will send a series of maps, clues and directions. You follow the map and solve the clue by searching your surroundings. When you get the right answer, you’ll move on to the next place.

Don’t worry, if you get stuck you can ask for a hint and Bess’ll get you on your way!

What you’ll see

Along the way you’ll see lots of sights and Bess will tell you some fun facts about some of them. It’s a perfect way of discovering things you might want to come back to.

• Chester Cathedral - an ancient abbey situated in the heart of the historic city.
• The City Walls - the oldest, longest and most complete city walls in Britain. Full of history with stunning views.
• Eastgate Clock - it is said to be the most photographed clock in England after Big Ben!
• The Roman Amphitheatre - dating from the 1st century it was used for entertainment and military training and was the largest in Britain.
• The Roman Gardens - an elegant garden featuring fragments of excavated Roman fortresses and buildings.
• Grosvenor Park - a fine Victorian park and with tree lined avenues and sweeping lawns surrounded by ornamental beds.
• The River Dee - a beautiful river with the ’Groves’ on the bank, a vibrant promenade with bandstand, cafés and pubs.
• Storyhouse - an award-winning theatre, cinema and library housed in a remodelled 1936 cinema.
• The Rows - a series of half-timbered buildings with raised walkways dating back to medieval times.

What else you should know

• Take your time—it’s more enjoyable to see everything at your own pace. There's a scheduled break around half-way, but you can take your own breaks if you prefer.
• Aim to finish before sunset—it's near impossible to find clues in the dark! Check the sunset time
• You can play in 2 parts—if it suits your plans, you can pause the game and come back after lunch or even the next day.
• Bess will be scoring you! Your score is the number of clues you got right first time, without a hint. The score is only for your satisfaction, so don’t struggle needlessly!

How the game works

The game works a bit like a WhatsApp group, but on a web page instead. You don’t need to download anything and it doesn’t need any permissions.

Before you’re due to start, we’ll send you a link to the game. Open the link to join the game and share it with your team so they can join too.

Once you’re ready, Captain Bess will tell you what to do next.

What to bring

• Smartphones with mobile data and full batteries. (It’s OK to share, but it works better if everyone has their own phone.)
• Shoes for walking 2½ miles.
• Waterproofs in case of bad weather.
• Wit, cunning and an adventurous spirit!

Accessibility

We've designed the game to be step-free around the whole route. The recommended pubs at half-way and at the end of the game have step-free front access and an accessible toilet.

Here's more information about the accessibility of the game

We are currently looking for wheelchair users to play-test the game before we call it "wheelchair friendly".

If you'd like to test the game, please get in touch!