FAQs

  • A fully charged smartphone with WhatsApp capability and a team of 2–8 people. Comfortable footwear is mandatory for field agents.


  • Our games run 7 days a week between 10:00 and 16:00 (subject to availability and large public events).

  • HQ is always online. You can ask for a hint via text at any time, though it may result in a time penalty for your final score.

  • Our puzzles are designed for adults and teenagers. While younger children are welcome to tag along, the logic challenges are aimed at those aged 14+.

  • Once your team has assembled at the start location, the Lead Agent begins the mission by sending START on WhatsApp. We recommend arriving around 30 minutes early so everyone is connected and ready before the clock begins.

  • All registered team members can receive the mission messages on WhatsApp. Your Lead Agent coordinates the team, but everyone can follow the story and help solve the clues.

  • All clues are located in publicly accessible outdoor areas. You will never need to pay for entry or trespass to complete a mission. For your safety and out of respect for the environment, please keep to public footpaths.

  • Most Urban Cipher missions take around 2–2.5 hours to complete. The exact time depends on your team size, puzzle-solving speed, and whether you take breaks along the route.

  • Yes. Urban Cipher missions are timed and leaderboard positions are based on how quickly your team completes the route. Time penalties may apply if hints are used.

  • Your booking confirmation will include the start location and start instructions. Most missions begin and end in the same town centre area so you can easily plan food or drinks afterwards. Please make sure you note the start/finish location opening times as this may be important for collecting completion badges.

  • If a message does not appear, simply send REPEAT and the latest mission content will be sent again. This helps if mobile signal drops or WhatsApp delays a message.

  • No. You do not need local knowledge. Everything you need to solve the mission is built into the clues, the environment, and the messages from HQ.

  • The mission still runs regardless of the weather, so please dress appropriately and wear comfortable footwear suitable for walking around town.

  • In most cases, yes, as the majority of the route takes place outdoors in public areas. If a mission includes locations that are not dog-friendly, we will state this in advance.

  • Routes may include uneven pavements, steps, or narrow streets depending on the historic area used. If accessibility is important for your group, please contact us using the form on our page, or social media before booking so we can advise.

  • You can cancel your booking and receive a refund of the ticket face value if you contact us at least 14 days before the event start date. Booking fees, transaction fees, and ticket protection are non-refundable as they cover the initial processing costs. Requests made within 14 days of the event are not eligible for refunds as places cannot usually be resold at short notice.

    Our tickets are flexible, so you can change the date or time of your event up to 1 week before the start time.

    All tickets can be managed on the ticket portal.

  • Urban Cipher Booking Terms and Conditions

    Last updated: 16 August 2026

    These Terms and Conditions apply to bookings made with Urban Cipher Ltd.

    Urban Cipher Ltd
    Company number: 16796326
    Registered office: 167-169 Great Portland Street, London, W1W 5PF
    Email: admin@theurbancipher.com

    By making a booking, you confirm that you have read and accepted these Terms and Conditions on behalf of yourself and the other members of your group.

    1. Your booking

    A booking is confirmed when payment has been successfully processed and a booking confirmation has been issued.

    Please check your confirmation carefully, including the experience, date, time, location and contact details supplied.

    You are responsible for providing accurate contact information, particularly the mobile telephone number used for gameplay.

    The person making the booking is responsible for ensuring that all members of their group are aware of any relevant booking information, safety requirements and these Terms and Conditions.

    2. Dated experience bookings and cancellation rights

    Urban Cipher experiences are leisure activities booked for a specific date or period.

    The normal 14-day statutory cooling-off period applicable to many online purchases does not apply to a leisure activity booked for a specific date or period.

    This does not affect any other statutory rights you may have.

    3. Cancelling your booking

    If you wish to cancel your booking, please contact Urban Cipher as soon as possible.

    If you cancel at least 14 days before the scheduled start date, you may receive a refund of the ticket price paid to Urban Cipher.

    Any separately disclosed third-party booking, transaction or payment fees that have already been incurred and are genuinely non-refundable may be excluded from the refund.

    Cancellations made less than 14 days before the scheduled start date are normally non-refundable, as the reserved slot may not be capable of being resold.

    Nothing in this section limits any rights you may have where Urban Cipher has failed to provide the booked service or where you otherwise have a statutory right to a refund.

    4. Changing your booking

    Urban Cipher tickets are flexible.

    You may request a change to your booked date or time up to 7 days before your scheduled start time, subject to availability.

    Requests made within 7 days of the booked start time may be considered at our discretion, but we cannot guarantee that a change will be possible.

    Where a different experience or ticket type costs more than the original booking, you will be required to pay the difference.

    Any credit resulting from moving to a lower-priced experience will be dealt with at Urban Cipher's discretion unless otherwise required by law.

    5. Late arrival and failure to attend

    You should follow the start instructions contained in your booking confirmation and be ready to begin at your booked time.

    If your group starts late, we cannot guarantee that your booking or any time-sensitive elements of the experience can be extended.

    If you do not attend your booking and have not contacted us beforehand, your booking will normally be treated as a no-show and no refund will be due.

    If you are experiencing a genuine problem on the day, contact Urban Cipher as soon as possible. We will make reasonable efforts to help where operationally possible.

    6. Weather

    Urban Cipher experiences take place outdoors and normally operate in rain and other typical British weather conditions.

    Participants should check the forecast and wear suitable clothing and footwear.

    Choosing not to participate because of ordinary weather conditions does not automatically entitle you to a refund or rescheduling outside the cancellation and amendment terms above.

    If Urban Cipher determines that conditions are unsafe, or circumstances outside our reasonable control mean that the experience cannot safely operate, we may suspend or cancel the booking.

    If we cancel your experience and cannot provide the service booked, you will be offered an alternative date or a refund as appropriate.

    7. Mobile phone and technology requirements

    Urban Cipher experiences use mobile technology to deliver gameplay.

    Unless stated otherwise for a particular experience, your group will require:

    • a compatible smartphone;

    • sufficient battery charge for the duration of the experience;

    • an active mobile data connection;

    • a valid mobile telephone number; and

    • WhatsApp installed, activated and updated where the experience uses WhatsApp.

    You are responsible for ensuring your device is suitable and operational before starting.

    Mobile networks, WhatsApp and other third-party services are outside Urban Cipher's direct control. Temporary delays or connectivity problems may occasionally occur.

    Where possible, Urban Cipher provides recovery mechanisms and support for interrupted messages.

    If a failure of Urban Cipher's systems or services materially prevents you from completing the experience, we will provide an appropriate remedy, which may include restarting, rescheduling or refunding the affected booking depending on the circumstances.

    Problems caused solely by a participant's device, depleted battery, incorrect telephone number, lack of mobile data or failure to correctly configure WhatsApp do not automatically entitle the booking holder to a refund.

    8. Gameplay communications

    By making a booking and providing a mobile number, you acknowledge that Urban Cipher may send messages necessary to administer and deliver your booked experience.

    These may include booking information, setup instructions, gameplay messages, safety information and operational updates.

    If you provide telephone numbers or other personal information belonging to other participants, you must make them aware that their details are being provided to Urban Cipher for the purpose of delivering the experience and direct them to our Privacy Policy.

    Gameplay and administrative messages are service communications. We will not use this as permission to send unrelated marketing communications where separate permission is required.

    9. Outdoor environment and participant safety

    Urban Cipher experiences take place in real public spaces.

    Participants may encounter roads, crossings, traffic, steps, uneven surfaces, crowds, waterways, changing weather and other normal features of an outdoor urban environment.

    Participants remain responsible for their own personal safety and must exercise normal care while moving around the route.

    You must:

    • obey road signs and pedestrian crossings;

    • remain on lawful, publicly accessible routes;

    • follow reasonable safety instructions;

    • avoid entering private or restricted property;

    • avoid climbing structures or entering water;

    • behave responsibly towards members of the public, property and the environment; and

    • stop participating if you believe continuing would be unsafe.

    Urban Cipher clues do not require participants to trespass, enter dangerous locations or undertake unsafe actions.

    If you believe a location has become inaccessible or unsafe, do not attempt to reach it. Contact Urban Cipher or use the game's available recovery or support options.

    10. Children and supervision

    Individual experiences have their own recommended ages and participation requirements, which are shown on the relevant product page.

    Where children participate, the responsible adults accompanying them remain responsible for their supervision and safety throughout the experience.

    Agent Academy and other experiences specifically designed for younger children must be undertaken with appropriate adult supervision.

    Adults should ensure that children do not run into roads, waterways, restricted areas or other potentially hazardous locations while concentrating on the game.

    11. Accessibility

    Urban Cipher experiences use real streets, parks and public spaces.

    Routes may include uneven surfaces, narrow streets, slopes, steps or other physical features depending on the location.

    If a participant has accessibility requirements that may affect their ability to complete the route, please contact Urban Cipher before booking so that we can provide relevant information about the specific experience and discuss reasonable options where available.

    12. Group size and eligibility

    Each experience has a stated group size, age recommendation and any other participation requirements.

    Your booking must comply with the limits shown for the ticket or experience purchased.

    Urban Cipher may refuse to start or may modify an experience where the number of participants materially exceeds the number covered by the booking.

    13. Participant behaviour

    We want Urban Cipher experiences to be enjoyable for participants and the public.

    We reserve the right to suspend or terminate an experience where participants engage in threatening, abusive, dangerous, unlawful or seriously disruptive behaviour.

    Where an experience is terminated because of the conduct of a participant, a refund will not normally be provided.

    14. Changes to routes and experiences

    Urban Cipher experiences operate in public environments that we do not control.

    Occasionally a location may become temporarily unavailable because of roadworks, public events, maintenance, closures, emergencies or other circumstances.

    We may make reasonable changes to a route, clue, start location or other operational element where necessary to allow the experience to continue safely and effectively.

    We will not make a material change to the essential nature of the experience without good reason.

    15. Intellectual property and game content

    All Urban Cipher stories, characters, clues, puzzles, images, videos, audio, messages, software and other game content remain the intellectual property of Urban Cipher Ltd or the relevant rights holder.

    Your booking gives your group permission to use this content solely for participating in the booked experience.

    You must not reproduce, publish, distribute, sell or commercially exploit game content, answers or substantial parts of an Urban Cipher experience without prior written permission.

    Personal photographs and videos taken during an experience are permitted provided they do not disclose substantial puzzle solutions or infringe the rights of others.

    Commercial filming or reproduction requires prior permission from Urban Cipher.

    16. Our responsibility to you

    Urban Cipher will provide its services with reasonable care and skill.

    We do not exclude or limit liability where it would be unlawful to do so, including liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or your statutory consumer rights.

    We are not responsible for loss or damage that was not caused by a breach of these Terms or negligence on our part.

    Participants remain responsible for their own possessions during the experience.

    17. Events outside our control

    Urban Cipher is not responsible for delays or disruption caused by circumstances outside our reasonable control, including severe weather, emergency closures, public safety incidents, telecommunications outages, major public events or restrictions imposed by public authorities.

    Where such an event prevents us from providing the booked experience, we will contact you where reasonably possible and offer an appropriate alternative, rescheduling option or refund depending on the circumstances.

    18. Third-party booking platforms

    If you book through Bokun or another authorised booking or travel platform, that platform may have additional terms relating to payment processing, cancellation administration or refunds.

    Where there is a conflict regarding the operation of the Urban Cipher experience itself, these Terms and Conditions apply, subject always to your statutory rights and any mandatory terms imposed by the platform through which the booking was made.

    19. Personal information

    Urban Cipher Ltd is responsible for personal information that it processes in connection with your booking.

    Information will be handled in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

    The Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect, why we use it, how long it may be retained, who it may be shared with and your rights in relation to that information.

    The Privacy Policy should be read separately from these Terms and Conditions.

    20. Complaints and problems

    If you experience a problem with your booking or experience, please contact us as soon as reasonably possible so that we have an opportunity to investigate and resolve it.

    Email: admin@theurbancipher.com

    Where a problem occurs during gameplay, contacting us while the experience is still taking place may allow us to resolve it immediately.

    21. Changes to these Terms

    We may update these Terms and Conditions from time to time.

    The terms that apply to your booking will normally be those in force when the booking was made, except where a change is required by law or is clearly beneficial to you.

    22. Governing law

    These Terms and Conditions are governed by the laws of England and Wales.

    Nothing in these Terms affects any mandatory consumer rights you may have under applicable UK law.

    23. Acceptance

    By completing your booking, you confirm that you have read and agree to these Terms and Conditions and that you are authorised to make the booking on behalf of your group.