France>Tours>The Case of the Vanishing Tours de Farce
City exploration game

The Case of the Vanishing Tours de Farce

The Case of the Vanishing Tours de Farce image 1
Play at your pace · usually 82 min 3.8 km Tours App-guided
Play in
English

The experience

About this quest

 Investigate the disappearance of a university researcher in the heart of Tours. Follow clues across landmarks like Gare de Tours, the cathedral, the Loire riverfront, and Hôtel de Ville as symbols tied to royal edicts reveal a hidden system of control. 

Uncover how history, satire, and authority intersect, and decide whether exposing the truth will bring your colleague back. 

Is this for you?

Who it's for

Escape-room and puzzle fans, friends and students in Tours get a free, story-driven mystery: tracking a missing university researcher from Gare de Tours via the cathedral, the Loire and Place Plumereau to the Hôtel de Ville, over a little more than two hours. If you want a live guide to question, or a gentle sightseeing stroll rather than 3.8 km of street puzzles, pick something else.

What makes this quest special

Highlights

  • Follow a trail of hidden symbols across Tours, from royal edicts to modern streets.

  • Explore iconic sites like the cathedral, Loire riverfront, and Hôtel de Ville.

  • Uncover a system of quiet control, and determine what it will take to bring a missing researcher out of hiding.

From your phone to the streets

A walk that turns into an adventure.

  1. 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. 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. 3

    Crack a clue. Share a little victory.

    Look around for answers, solve puzzles and enjoy the “we got it!” moments.

Your walk, at a glance

Tours

A · Start

Pl. du Général Leclerc, 37000 Tours, France

B · Finish

1-3 Rue des Minimes, 37000 Tours, France

Get directions to the start

Start and finish only. Discover the stops as you play.

Along the way

Landmarks & Hidden Gems Included

The people behind the adventure

Created by Ryan Taylor.

A route that brings places and playful storytelling together.

Made by Ryan Taylor

Good to know before you play

  • Step Into the Story
  • This quest features interactive puzzles you’ll solve in the real world.

A little clarity before you go

Frequently asked questions

What is the vanishing researcher mystery in Tours about?
You investigate the disappearance of a university researcher, following clues across landmarks such as the cathedral, the Loire riverfront and the Hôtel de Ville. Symbols tied to royal edicts reveal a hidden system of control. History, satire and authority meet, and you decide whether exposing the truth will bring your colleague back.
Where does the quest start and finish?
It starts at Gare de Tours and finishes at the Hôtel de Ville de Tours, so it is not a loop. In between you pass Le Vinci, the Museum of Fine Arts, Cathédrale Saint-Gatien, the pedestrian bridge, the library, the Grande Roue, the Rabelais statue, Place Plumereau, Tour Charlemagne and Rue Nationale.
How long does it take and how far is the walk?
The route covers about 3.8 km, and players typically take a little over two hours, walking and puzzles included. You do not have to do it in one go: you can pause the quest and continue later from where you stopped.
Do we need to book a time or pay to play as a group?
No. The quest is free to play, and you can start whenever you like with no booking, no group to join and no guide. The app on your phone leads you from place to place, tells the story of each stop and sets the puzzles.
Is it played indoors or outdoors?
It is played outdoors across the city centre of Tours, with puzzles set in what is in front of you at each stop. Dress for the weather, and if rain sets in you can pause the quest and pick it up again later.

Keep exploring Tours

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Your next story starts outside.

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