HiddenCity Launches With Trails in Cities Nationwide. Up to 1,600 Free Experiences Available

LONDON, August 1, 2011 -

- Turn your city into an experience: explore concealed streets, uncover quirky shops and stop by tucked away taverns

- On Monday 1 August 2011, HiddenCity* launches six unique experiences in four vivid UK cities: London, Brighton, York and Newcastle.

HiddenCity is a mobile game that unlocks the hidden experience within a city. Using text messages and a map, players are guided through a trail of clues**. Each leads them to a new location within walking distance, where teams must use their surroundings to deduce an answer.

Players can sign up online at www.intheHiddenCity.com. Select a trail by ‘city’ or ‘theme’, pay online and play any time within 28 days***.

Ideal for groups of two to four people, HiddenCity is a social way to discover, or re-discover, a city. The game can also be played as a competitive event, with the option to enter multiple teams and contend against each other to be the fastest to complete a trail. Once finished teams can sign in online to review scores and, if competing, compare times with rival teams.

To celebrate the launch HiddenCity is offering the first 100 teams signing up to each city the chance to play absolutely free. Over the four launch cities this means that 400 teams and up to 1,600 players can experience a HiddenCity trail for free. This offer will last throughout the launch week, from Monday 1 to Sunday 7 August 2011 (inclusive), or until exhausted. Teams that sign up for free can play any time within 28 days***. The standard retail price is £16 per team.

HiddenCity founder, Rob Reason, said today, “When you’re out and about it’s the places that you never expected to see that are the ones you remember. That’s what HiddenCity is all about: discover what you didn’t expect or never knew existed. Then, at the end, share your stories with your friends (over a well-earned drink of course…)”

This is the first step for HiddenCity too. We have a busy summer ahead, with new trails set to be unveiled, nationwide challenges and events for seasoned and novice players alike****.

We want to get everyone out there playing in their cities so we’re offering the first 100 teams signing up to each city the chance to play absolutely free.”

Notes to editor

Download the press kit at www.intheHiddenCity.com/press.

*HiddenCity was founded in 2010 by Rob Reason and has since piloted corporate events and self-run trails in London. HiddenCity is now being unlocked nationwide, with new cities and themes due to be added throughout 2011. The trails are carefully designed and 100% independent. Players are not obliged to make purchases at any of the venues along the way. Each trail lasts around two to four hours.

**Here are some taster clues to whet your appetite. In the press pack you’ll find supporting press shots for each clue.

• London:“Grab your A-Z and find where a naval city and a city of steel meet. There lies an out of place shop feared by cats. Which year was it built?”
• Brighton: “Walk a way over water on this pleasurable structure. Research the rides with rigour and name one of the rotating roosters.”
• York: “South of Mickelgate, where royal roads meet at the riverside, seek the tavern of a male monarch’s limbs, opposite a tree chopper. On the sign outside, how many swines stand next to the coat of arms?”
• Newcastle: “On a street that’s a gate and opposes east, head to a point where you’re north of Central. Between an angry house and a mustering point you’ll find a statesman tall and proud. When did he get stood up?”

***Play times are specific to each trail; details of which can be found on our website, www.intheHiddenCity.com/choose-a-hunt. Trails are “self-run” and not guided tours so players are not tied to a start time. More details on how to play can be found at: www.intheHiddenCity.com/how-it-works. For hosted trails visit www.intheHiddenCity.com/hosted-hunts.

****This August HiddenCity will be holding a ‘HiddenPress’ event in London to preview a new set of themed trails, which will become available to the public later this summer. If you are interested in gaining an exclusive pass to the HiddenPress event, or for more information, contact press@intheHiddenCity.com.

Contact us: press at inthehiddencity.com +44(0)20-7193-7429