About the game

Sheffield was was once the steel-making capital of the world! While today much of this industry is long gone, the former forges and mills house Sheffield’s thriving arts, cultural and culinary spots. This tour is going to show you the best of it!

You’ll start in the heart of the City and admire the best of it’s fab architecture. You’ll also discover Kelham Island, a former industrial area that’s reinvented itself as a hip hangout.

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.

• Sheffield Cathedral - an unusual mixture of modern and medieval architecture, the cathedral sits at the heart of the city.
• Kelham Island - a former industrial area that's reinvented itself as a hip hangout in the north of Sheffield.
• Crucible Theatre - best known for hosting the World Snooker Championships every year.
• Sheffield Winter Garden - this stunning timber glass house is one of the biggest in Europe. It's a relaxing and exotic place to visit.
• The National Emergency Services Museum - housed in one of Yorkshire's first combined police, fire and ambulance stations, today it has over 45 vehicles on show.
• Peace Gardens - a beautiful spot to relax in the sunshine, with people playing in the fountains, right in the heart of the city.
• Sheffield Town Hall - a magnificent gothic town hall, a fine example of Victorian architecture at its best
• St Marie's Roman Catholic Cathedral - an elegant cathedral with beautiful stained glass windows and stunning little chapels.
• Kelham Island Museum - a fantastic free museum that tells the story of Sheffield's Steel industry.
• Cutlers' Hall - an elaborate building that houses the centuries-old Company of Cutlers.
• City Hall - a fab concert venue that's been home to some of the finest entertainment in the area.

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!