Catch the Killer Next Door
A CluedUpp team on the case. Photo credit CluedUpp.
Looking for an activity to put on that cleared-out calendar? How about an outdoor murder mystery you can solve with your pod? CluedUpp, a British-based gaming company specializing in large-scale, outdoor experiences, is bringing its GPS location-based game to Irvine. We connected with Nicole Read, CluedUpp’s Digital Marketing Executive, to learn more.
The Vine: How long have you been with CluedUpp and do you personally participate? If so, what do you like about it?
Read: I joined the CluedUpp team in December 2020, so I haven't been able to participate yet, but it's certainly something I will be doing once we can here in the UK. All of our team have experienced a game themselves whether we played it as a team, or they've played with family and friends. The majority have mentioned it's just a great day out that's unlike anything they have done before.
The Vine: Have you held an event in Irvine before? How did you decide on Irvine as a location?
Read: We've never visited Irvine with one of our events before but we are positive the people of Irvine will really enjoy this unique outdoor experience. We are always looking for more locations for our events, especially in the USA as our audience over here can't get enough of it, so it feels only right to bring a game here!
The Vine: Do you have someone local to help figure out locations for the game?
Read: All our research is carried out remotely by our team here in the UK.
The Vine: Are the various stops within walking distance or do participants need a car to drive between stops in the game?
Read: Our games are set over a distance of five kilometers to seven kilometers so walking is recommended. We build our games via a GPS map, meaning all the stops are done by foot with not much room to use a car. We don't recommend using a car particularly because this spoils the fun and purpose of the game! However, teams are welcome to start anytime between 9:00 am and 2:00 pm and they can take as long or as little as they like. Sometimes people like to stop off at a bar or restaurant to gather their evidence and try and solve who the murderer is.
The Vine: How has your business been affected by COVID?
Read: Our business is booming due to the outdoor nature of the game. Of course, we are always monitoring the situation and local government guidelines every day, but we've been very lucky that we've still been able to host games in a safe manner.
The Vine: What is the age limit for participants?
Read: There is no age limit, as children can join in for free up to the age of sixteen and they are not included in team numbers. Many families do bring their children, but like any murder mystery, there may be elements of the story line that are unsuitable for children so parental discretion is always advised. But most families with children love solving the challenges!
The Vine: What else do you want readers to know about CluedUpp?
Read: Currently, we have over 500,000 games played worldwide in over 798 locations. We also have several prizes up for grabs including Best Dressed Team, Best Team Name and Best K9 Detective, where people bring and dress up their dogs.
Want to play? Sign up with a team (two to six players) and pay the fee ($51 per team). Vine readers can save 20% off the ticket price by entering code AC20.
A few days before the event, teams are notified of their starting locations (spaced out to avoid teams coming too close together). On February 20th, your team meets at the time of its preference between 9 am and 2 pm to catch the killer via smart phone. Good luck protecting your neighbors from the Irvine Ripper!