The Heist of the Century: A 90‑Minute Citywide Escape through York

YORK CITY TOUR FIELD GUIDE

The Heist of the Century: A 90‑Minute Citywide Escape through York

An interactive, city‑wide smartphone scavenger hunt led by Dan Rooney’s crew that tasks teams with cracking codes, breaking into a casino safe and escaping with the loot—useful as a practical guide to what to expect and how to prepare.

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The Heist of the Century: A 90‑Minute Citywide Escape through York.

Duration
Contact operator
Location
York
Operator
Team Activities UK
Category
City Tour
Robert Eric Crews
Founder & Editor, The Adventure Collective
Published Verified

York’s streets become the stage for a cinematic caper: teams follow a GPS map on their smartphones to meet pre-filmed members of Dan Rooney’s crew, work through puzzles and timed challenges, and race to blow open a casino safe before the clock runs out.

Highlights

Outing Highlights

THE HEIST

Crack the Safe, Beat the Clock

The core objective is a timed, puzzle‑driven heist: navigate the city, assemble the crew’s expertise and ultimately blow open the casino safe; once the safe is opened teams have a final 15 minutes to escape with the loot.

THE CHARACTERS

Meet Dan Rooney’s Crew

Along the route you’ll encounter Dan Rooney’s assembled specialists—Jack Potts the insider, Wheels the getaway driver and a roster of safe‑crackers and hackers—presented via GPS rendezvous and pre‑filmed segments.

THE CITY GAME

Smartphone‑Led, City‑Wide Puzzle Run

This is an interactive, city‑wide experience driven by your smartphone: use GPS navigation and in‑app cues to find characters, solve codes and progress through a 90‑minute narrative that turns York into a live escape room.

What the day feels like

What It Feels Like

The tempo is brisk and theatrical: teams consult a smartphone GPS map to locate and meet pre‑filmed members of Dan Rooney’s crew, accept guidance from those characters, solve a sequence of puzzles and move quickly between checkpoints as the 90‑minute clock winds down.

Suitability

Who it's for

Who this experience suits—and who should consider alternatives.

1
Small groups of friendsIdeal: the event is designed for teams of 2–4 people, making it a tight, cooperative game for small friend groups.
2
FamiliesSuitable: the activity is described as for all ages, so families can participate together—note teams will need to form in the 2–4 person size.
3
Casual tourists & city explorersGood match: the smartphone‑led format lets visitors see parts of the city while playing an interactive narrative rather than a physically demanding excursion.
4
Large groups or corporate teamsCaveat: larger parties must split into multiple 2–4 person teams, which can be excellent for competition but means the experience is divided across separate teams.

Practical planner

Details to review before reserving

Duration

The experience lasts 90 minutes from start to finish.

What to Bring

A charged smartphone is required to navigate via GPS and access the pre‑filmed crew segments and puzzles.

Team Size

Teams are configured for 2–4 people per team.

How It Starts

You use the in‑app GPS map on your smartphone to locate and meet Dan Rooney’s crew and other specialist characters during the game.

Final Window

Once the safe is opened there is a fixed 15‑minute escape period to secure the loot and finish the experience.

Booking Notice

Review cancellation policies before reserving.

Frequently asked questions

Planning Your Outing

How long does The Big Escape – York take?

The experience runs for 90 minutes in total.

How many people can be on a team?

Teams are sized for 2–4 people per team.

What do I need to bring?

You need a charged smartphone to use the GPS map and access the pre‑filmed crew segments and puzzles.

What is the objective of the game?

Crack codes and solve puzzles to gain access to and blow open the casino safe, then escape with the loot within the allotted time.

Who leads or appears in the experience?

The narrative centers on Dan Rooney and his crew of specialists, presented via GPS‑guided, pre‑filmed segments as you progress.

Are children able to participate?

The experience is described as suitable for all ages.