About the game

Birmingham is known as ‘the city of a thousand trades’ thanks to all it’s businesses and workshops based in the area. It’s home to more canals than Venice, and this tour is going to show you the best of them!

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

Starting in the heart of the city, you’ll wander passed both classic and foreward-thinking architecture, before taking a stroll out along the tow-paths.

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.

• Birmingham Town Hall - a beautiful Grade 1 listed venue in the heart of the city centre.
• The Library of Birmingham - this iconic public library was designed by architect Francine Houben. It resembles a gigantic stack of boxes, wrapped in a mesh of metal loops.
• Centenary Square - a public square recently revamped that hosts festivals and activities in the city centre.
• Birmingham Canal Old Line - a historic and beautiful stretch of canal transports you back in time.
• The Argent Centre - a grand Grade 2 listed Victorian warehouse. The multicoloured brickwork decorates a design reminiscent of renaissance Florence!
• The Jewellery Quarter - on the edge of Birmingham's city centre lies this area steeped in incredible history home to more than 100 retailers, diamond dealers, and workshops.
• St Paul's Church - situated in a peaceful Georgian square lies the iconic St Paul's Church.
• The Business District - this bustling modern district is home to high profile professional services, bars, cafes and restaurants galore, not to mention St Philip's Cathedral.

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.

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!