Team vs team
Use your own phones and join a team. Any teammate’s answer advances everyone. Beat the other teams on the leaderboard.
City exploration game
The Black Path : Search For The Missing Barrow Boy, London
4.25Player rating
A DIFFERENT WAY TO SEE THE CITY
Play at your pace · usually 119 min 4.3 km London App-guided
Play in
English
The experience
About this quest
This game transports you back to the gritty East End of 1920s London. You'll meet stall holders, brewers, knocker-uppers, and various dodgy types in your quest to find a teenage market porter gone missing on East London's ancient thoroughfare, The Black Path.
This immersive puzzle tour will take you to historic locations including Spitalfields Market, Brick Lane, Columbia Road Flower Market, and the Hackney Empire, where you'll learn fascinating facts about the places you visit.
This immersive puzzle tour will take you to historic locations including Spitalfields Market, Brick Lane, Columbia Road Flower Market, and the Hackney Empire, where you'll learn fascinating facts about the places you visit.
Is this for you?
Who it's for
East End and Hackney history fans, and couples who like a longer puzzle walk, spend about two hours hunting for a missing 1920s market porter, solving medium-difficulty puzzles in the streets. The 4.3 km loop runs from Spitalfields Market through Hackney and back via Columbia Road and Brick Lane. If you want a guide to question, or two hours on foot sounds like too much, choose a shorter or guided option.
What makes this quest special
Highlights
Tread the path that Templars and shepherds alike have walked for centuries.
Find out what a cockney Pearly Queen knows.
Calm an angry lock-keeper on the Regent's Canal to uncover what is hidden there.
Meet flavourful characters whilst exploring the East End's famous markets, pubs, and parks.
And find out what a 'Knocker-Upper' is whilst you're at it!
From people who played this quest
Good times. In their words.
4.25 / 5
4 player ratings
Selected player reviews. Original words and ratings.
Most relevant starts with detailed five-star reviews. All ratings remain available.
From your phone to the streets
A walk that turns into an adventure.
- 1
Open the app. You’re on your way.
Choose your pass, then open your quest in the Questo app. It guides you from the starting point.
- 2
Get outside. Follow your curiosity.
Discover real places and their stories on foot. Stop for a coffee or a photo, then pick up where you left off.
- 3
Crack a clue. Share a little victory.
Look around for answers, solve puzzles and enjoy the “we got it!” moments.
CHOOSE YOUR PASS
How many are playing?
Get this questNo booking slot · play any dayFull refund until you start playing
BRING YOUR WHOLE GROUP
One city. Rival teams. Great stories together.
A school trip, a team day or friends out together. Turn your next outing into a little friendly competition.
Everyone for themselves
One player per phone. Solve clues on your own and race for the top spot on the final leaderboard.
Can a team share one phone?
Yes. Play together on one phone per team, or use your own phones and join the same team in the app. We recommend your own phones so everyone can take part.
Your walk, at a glance
London
A · Start
Christ Church, Commercial St, London E1 6LY, UK
B · Finish
St. Augustine's Tower, London E8 1HT, UK
Start and finish only. Discover the stops as you play.
The people behind the adventure
Created by Rob Jordan.
A route that brings places and playful storytelling together.
Made by Rob Jordan
WHAT MAKES A QUEST DIFFERENT
Your adventure, with a playful twist.
1 / 4
Experience
- This quest
- Discover places through stories and clues in the app
- Guided walking tour
- Hear stories and ask a guide questions
2 / 4
Pace
- This quest
- Pause for a photo, a café or a longer look
- Guided walking tour
- Usually follows the guide’s schedule
3 / 4
Company
- This quest
- Explore with your own people or on your own
- Guided walking tour
- Private and shared group tours are available
4 / 4
Guidance
- This quest
- Directions and challenges in the Questo app
- Guided walking tour
- Live interpretation from a guide
Features and terms vary by experience. Check the details before booking.
Good to know before you play
- This quest features interactive puzzles you’ll solve in the real world.
- Difficulty level: Medium 🟡🤔
- Fun to do as a couple
- Route open 24/7 but better during daylight hours
A little clarity before you go
Frequently asked questions
What is the Black Path game?
It is a self-guided puzzle walk played on your phone and set in the gritty East End of the 1920s. You meet stall holders, brewers, knocker-uppers and assorted dodgy types while searching for a teenage market porter who has gone missing on the Black Path, an ancient East London thoroughfare.
Who is the missing East End barrow boy in the story?
He is a teenage market porter who has vanished somewhere along the Black Path. You follow his trail through 1920s Spitalfields and Hackney, solving puzzles at each stop and learning facts about the real places you pass, from Spitalfields Market to the streets around the Hackney Empire.
Where does the walk start and how long is it?
It starts and finishes at Spitalfields Market, covering about 4.3 km in around two hours. Along the way you pass St Augustine's Tower, Hackney Town Hall, London Fields, the Cat & Mutton Bridge, Hackney City Farm, Columbia Road Market, Arnold Circus and Brick Lane.
Do we need to book a time, and can we pause?
No booking slot is needed. Start whenever you like, and pause and carry on later if you stop for food or a market browse. The route is open 24/7 and entirely outdoors, but it is better during daylight hours, so plan an earlier start and dress for the weather.
Is it suitable for children, and can we play as a group?
The puzzles are medium difficulty and the walk is about two hours long, so it best suits older children and teenagers who enjoy history and problem solving. There is no guide or fixed group, and one ticket covers your whole group up to the stated number of devices.
Is The Black Path East End mystery self-guided?
Yes. The Questo app guides you from clue to clue without a tour guide or fixed departure. You can start when it suits you, pause and continue at your own pace.
Where does The Black Path East End mystery start and finish?
It starts at at Christ Church beside Spitalfields Market and finishes at at St Augustine’s Tower in Hackney. The route is approximately 4.3 km and includes 11 location-based puzzles.
How many tickets does our group need?
This classic quest sells access per device and player. Each person who wants to solve clues on their own phone needs their own access.
Keep exploring
Every quest. One year.
Explore the annual passGive them a story
A day out, gifted.
Explore Questo giftsKeep exploring London
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East End context
A fictional disappearance across real 1920s trades and places
The missing teenage barrow boy belongs to the quest’s fictional mystery. The longer route uses real East End places and working-life themes, including market traders, brewers and knocker-uppers, from Spitalfields and Brick Lane to Columbia Road and Hackney. Playable languages: English.
