Treasure Hunt
Case Study
City of Secrets Trail
Edinburgh Council
Teams: 2-6 players
Duration: 2-3 hours
An outdoor adventure that transforms the city into a giant puzzle box. Teams use a custom mobile app to navigate between landmarks, solving riddles tied to real historical events. Augmented reality overlays reveal hidden clues on statues and buildings. Designed for a tourism board as a permanent visitor attraction with seasonal content updates.
The Brief
01
Edinburgh Council commissioned a permanent visitor attraction that would drive footfall to lesser-known historic sites while being commercially self-sustaining through ticket sales and sponsorship.
The Challenge
02
The trail needed to work year-round in Scottish weather, accommodate tourists with varying fitness levels, and remain engaging across repeat visits. Clue stations had to be vandal-resistant and low-maintenance while still feeling magical. The council also required full accessibility compliance across all 12 stops.
The Solution
03
We developed a hybrid physical-digital system: weatherproof bronze clue markers at each location paired with a custom progressive web app that delivers AR overlays, audio narration, and adaptive hint systems. The app detects which stops a player has completed and generates unique puzzle variations on return visits. An accessible route option replaces stair-heavy stops with alternative locations.
Results
04
42,000+
Annual Visitors
87%
Avg. Completion
#3 Activity
TripAdvisor
£380k
Revenue Y1
Teams
2-6 players
Duration
2-3 hours
Distance
3.5 km
Location
Edinburgh, UK
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