We went on an Alice in Wonderland-themed adventure trail around central Bristol

Immersive outdoor game The Alice in Wonderland Experience is an adventure around Bristol city centre in which players can travel solo or as a team of up to six members with the quest of finding Alice and saving her from being beheaded by the Queen of Hearts.

Created by CluedUpp Games and running exclusively in November, the app promises: “Whether you’re a curious family, a group of friends seeking adventure, or a tourist yearning to discover hidden gems, a City Quest is your passport to an unforgettable urban expedition.

“Our innovative self-guided adventure leads you on a captivating journey through the most intriguing areas of your city. Equipped with nothing but your smartphone and a sense of curiosity, you'll follow cryptic clues, solve perplexing puzzles, and find secret places you’ve never been before."

The game is £20 for a team of up to six adults and can be started at any time in November and paused at any point to fit your schedule. It lasts on average two to three hours and an app, internet connection and smartphone are needed to play. Up to six devices can be connected per team.

The adventure begins at Castle Park, where players are greeted on the app by a narrated introduction by the Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland.

Once the introduction is completed, the map with points of interest relevant to the story is unlocked on the game and the app leads players to the first location: Red Rook/Castle Statue, which is represented by St Peter’s Church in Castle Park. 

This also unlocks the first riddle (small tip, look at the name of the location you've been sent to. This will help with the answer).

Upon completing the riddle - or failing and getting a small time penalty - six new locations are unlocked on the map. One of the parts I enjoyed most about the map feature is that it tracks your location which makes it easier to navigate to the next location and know whether you are moving in the right direction without having to open an external app like Google Maps.

The next stop is the Red Bishop Statue which was represented by British Barber Co. Following the riddle, I made my way to Broad Street where, near Clayton Hotel, I met the first “interactive”  character, the mad Hatter who sent us on our first primary quest: to find the March Hare and return him home. This quest also unlocked a new location/person: the cook.

In Small Street we met the Cook and completed a “tapping the numbers in ascending order” game before we “went on a chase” after the piglet with pepper grinder which led us to Corn Street.

We met Humpty Dumpty in Corn Street - and failed to assemble him - before meeting the Crow by Strange Brew in Fairfax Street, which unlocked the locations of TweedleDum and TwiddleDee.

We encountered the Red King Statue at The Island on Nelson Street before we passed by Rough Trade and Molotow Bristol where we encountered each of the twins individually.

We made our way through the Christmas Market in Broadmead to meet the Red Knight Statue (small note about the riddle, read your location to find the answer) and the White Knight who was missing his armour.

After helping the White Knight, the adventure continued back where we started in Castle Park. Here, we meet the Red Knave and encounter the Queen of Hearts before we rescue Alice.

Overall, the city quest was a lot of fun and I think worth the money although it might feel a bit pricey if you decide to go solo. 

However, The Alice in Wonderland Experience offers a wide range of different game challenges aside from the usual riddles and a wide range of characters with unique designs.

Furthermore, it was a lengthy game with a fair amount of walking and different locations which I think are best enjoyed when the weather is on your side.

CluedUpp Games is also offering a Smurf-themed quest in Bristol throughout November and two exclusive events: Witchcraft & Wizardry Murder by Magic on December 9 and Crimescene Investigator on February 10.