Shadow of the Prism
Christchurch City Escape Tour
… Sir Edward and his crew were never heard from again.
Will you rise to the challenge to keep the Prism out of the wrong hands, and decide the fate of the world?
The Shadow of the Prism tour starts at Cathedral Square in Christchurch City Centre.
8–99 yr*
2–6
3 km
2 h
Wheelchair
accessible
* Please supervise children in the city
Discover Christchurch’s hidden past
Embark on an exciting journey through Christchurch, where history, mystery, and adventure collide. The Shadow of the Prism escape tour takes you on an immersive experience across some of the city’s iconic landmarks, solving cryptic puzzles and uncovering hidden secrets.
Step into the shoes of an explorer and follow the trail left behind by Sir Edward Grange, a famed Antarctic explorer with a dangerous secret. During the renovation of Christ Church Cathedral, a journal filled with cryptic clues was found, speaking of a hidden artefact—the Aoraki Prism. As part of the Aurora Fellowship, your mission is to recover this powerful crystal before it falls into the wrong hands.
Book your adventure today!
The secrets of Christchurch are waiting! You can get started in just 5 minutes.
The Shadow of the Prism tour starts at Cathedral Square in Christchurch City Centre.
Frequently asked questions
General information
What is a city escape tour?
Shadow of the Prism is a city exploration adventure that combines puzzles with a self-guided tour around some of Christchurch Central City’s most iconic landmarks. The puzzles incorporate elements found on buildings and statues along the route.
How many people can play this game?
The game is best enjoyed in groups. We recommend groups of 6 or less people.
Where does the tour start?
The tour starts at the Citizens’ War Memorial, next to the Christ Church Cathedral. The tour runs in a loop of approximately 2.5 kilometres, returning to the cathedral.
How long does the tour last?
From start to finish without breaks the tour takes between 90min and 2,5 hours. Depending on your walking speed and how fast you and your team solve the puzzles. The tour allows for as many breaks as you need so you can easily grab a bite to eat, play with your kids at the playground and then continue the game again.
Can multiple groups play this game?
The tour follows a fixed route, and so it is best to stagger the groups by at least 15 minutes. This way groups have less chance of running into each other while solving the same puzzle.
Is there a time limit to the game?
The escape tour has no ticking clock like traditional escape rooms. Players are free to take a break, explore Christchurch a little further and come back to the game when they feel like it. That being said, there is a time limit of 24 hours in which the game needs to be completed as you will lose access to the game after a full day has passed.
Do I need to reserve a date and/or time in advance?
No you don’t need to make a reservation to play the game. When you purchase the tour you will receive the order confirmation within minutes. This will hold the link to start your game. Then you can start anytime that is convenient to you and your team within two weeks of purchasing.
Is the tour available in other languages?
At this moment the tour is only available in English. We would like to translate the tour in the future to make it enjoyable for people of many nationalities. If you would like it to be available in a certain language, please reach out to us, the languages most requested will be the first to be added to the tour.
Can I gift the tour?
Yes you can! Choose the option Purchase as a gift when purchasing the tour. You will receive a gift email, which you can forward to your friend or family member. Your friend or family member will have up to a year to start and complete their game.
Accessibility
Can I do the escape tour if I have poor mobility or reduced fitness?
The tour is suitable and accessible for players who use a wheelchair to get around. The tour can be enjoyed at your own pace and you are able to take breaks whenever you need those. The tour is about 2,5km long and on flat terrain in the Christchurch city centre.
Is the tour wheelchair accessible?
Yes! On one section there is a small staircase, but in the app directions there is also an option to go around the building and not use the stairs.
Is the escape tour possible if you are deaf?
The escape tour is perfectly suitable for people with a hearing disability. You will not miss out on experiencing the tour as it was meant to be.
Is the escape tour possible if you are blind?
Sadly this escape tour is not suitable for people with a serious visual impairment. While there are many technologies available that would help a blind person follow the story, almost all of the puzzles have a visual element and we can not promise this tour is enjoyable for anyone with a visual impairment as it would severely limit their experience and the fun of solving the puzzles.
Requirements
What do I need to bring?
You need a smartphone with internet capabilities. There is free Wi-Fi supplied by the City Council in the city centre but this may not be available through out the entire tour. You need an internet connection to play the game. Make sure you have plenty of battery power left to play the game.
Lastly don’t forget to bring some water and snacks, you won’t need these to solve the puzzles, but they sure are nice to have walking around.
Do I need to download or install an app?
No you will not need to download or install any apps to play this escape tour. In your order confirmation you will find a link to start the game, this will open up your phone’s browser and then you are ready to go. While you do not need to download or install anything, you do need an internet connection to be able to play.
Do I need an internet connection?
Yes, you need an internet connection to play the game. If you do not have an internet connection, Christchurch city council provides free wifi in the city center. However, at this moment, it does not reach across the entire route of the tour.
Suitability
Is the escape tour suitable for all ages?
The tour is suitable for children of all ages in terms of game content. There is no swearing, no violence and no adult themes. Children who can concentrate and follow the storyline for about 90min, solve different puzzles with different math/language/logic skills, will get the most out of the experience. In our experience this means children aged 8 and older, but we do not prohibit children younger than that to join. You know your own children better than we do and we trust you are able to decide if this is something they would enjoy.
All children must be supervised in the city as the tour will make players participate in normal traffic. The tour does not take place in a closed off or secured area. You are responsible for your own safety and that of any children in your group.
Is the tour suitable for children?
The tour is suitable for children of all ages in terms of game content. There is no swearing, no violence and no adult themes. Children who can concentrate and follow the storyline for about 90min, solve different puzzles with different math/language/logic skills, will get the most out of the experience. All children must be supervised in the city as the tour will make players participate in normal traffic. The tour does not take place in a closed off or secured area. You are responsible for your own safety and that of any children in your group.
We are more than 6 people. What do we do?
The tour is best enjoyed in groups smaller than 7 people. This because the instruction and puzzles are all on your smartphone. Collaborating on puzzles, getting the instructions, following the story will be limited with so many people. Therefore we receommend to split up into different teams of max 6 people. Some groups add an extra competition element to see which team has the highest score in completing the tour.
Can I bring my dog or other pets?
Yes you can! The entire route is in publicly accessible space, so all the general rules apply. Like dogs on leash and cleaning up after them etc. We love pets so if you get a chance, we’d love to see a pic of your furry teammate on the tour!
Game play
Can I play the game at any time of day?
Yes, you can play the game at any time of day. However, some clues will be hard to read or find as it gets dark.
What sort of puzzles can I expect?
The puzzles are all different, for some you need a little bit of math, for some you need to be good at spotting details, other puzzles are based on logic and sometimes a puzzle is a riddle where you need skills with words. We are confident that there’s puzzles for all kinds of people in your group to enjoy and find a challenge in.
What do we do if we can’t figure out a puzzle?
Each puzzle offers the option to use a hint. In the bottom right corner of the screen you will see the hint button. You can get a total of 3 hints per puzzle. If the puzzle is still not solvable you can skip the puzzle and move on to the next part of the puzzle or the story, whichever is the next step.
It started to rain, what do we do?!
No worries you don’t have to continue in the rain if you don’t want to. The tour is not timed and you will not loose points by taking a break and taking shelter in a cute cafe. Once the rain clears you can continue your tour. If you need to abort the tour due to extreme weather, please reach out to us and we can come up with a solution together so you can finish or redo your tour on another day.