Participants: over 600 people between June and August
Steps along the way: 10
Approximate distance: 2 km
Approximate duration: 1-1.5 hours
Language of the games: Bulgarian
Organized by: Inner Voice and BNR Burgas / BNR Radio Varna
In 2025, Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) celebrates its 90th anniversary with a series of urban quest games called Play BNR, created in partnership with Inner Voice. The general idea was to combine the festive mood, the history of radio, and modern entertainment through four specially developed games in the four major Bulgarian cities - Burgas, Varna, Plovdiv, and Sofia.
The first two games - in Burgas and Varna - took place on June 25 and July 15, 2025, respectively, giving a great start to the series. They were organized in close cooperation with the regional stations BNR Burgas and BNR Radio Varna, which supported the organization and promotion of the events.
The main goal of Play BNR is to celebrate the radio’s 90th anniversary in an innovative way that goes beyond traditional formats and reaches new audiences, including young people and families.
The key challenges for the project were:
- to promote BNR as an institution that not only informs but also creates fun experiences
- to give even more visibility to the regional stations BNR Burgas and BNR Radio Varna
- to develop a game format that is entertaining, educational, and accessible to a wide audience
- to engage the audience during the summer season and offer an alternative for active leisure time in both cities
Inner Voice created urban quest games in Burgas and Varna, consisting of 10 riddles that participants had to solve while passing through key locations. In Burgas, these were the central part of the city and the Sea Garden, and in Varna - the alleys of the Sea Garden near the radio building.
In both games, the riddles were accompanied by informative texts presenting the history of radio in Bulgaria and the role of local stations in the cultural life of the city. This added educational value and linked the gaming experience to the main occasion - the anniversary celebration.
Inner Voice also developed all visuals for the events, as well as special materials for social media and the radio’s website to ensure good communication with the public.
Play BNR Burgas started on June 25, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. in front of the BNR Burgas building (Filip Kutev Street) and ended at the Sea Casino in the Sea Garden. More than 20 teams, consisting of a total of 70 participants, took part in the opening event, and over 400 people participated in the game until August 31.
Play BNR Radio Varna started on July 15, 2025, at 6 p.m. in front of the BNR Radio Varna building (Primorski Blvd.) and ended at the same location. Ten teams, comprising a total of 35 people, participated in the opening event. By August 31, the game had attracted over 200 participants.
The opening events began with official greetings from the directors of the radio stations (Kiril Kostadinov and Natalia Cheshmedzhieva) and the Inner Voice’s team, who emphasized the importance of the anniversary and the innovative way in which it is being celebrated.
The two games showed the following results:
- Participants: A total of over 645 people took part in the two games between June and August 2025.
- Engagement: Participants shared that the game made them rediscover familiar locations and visit places they had previously passed by.
- Feedback: Players shared that the riddles were interesting, though sometimes challenging. This provided valuable information for future improvements, including the introduction of additional hints.
- Added value: BNR managed to position itself not only as a traditional media, but also as a partner in innovative projects that create direct interaction with the audience.
The first two games in the series (Play BNR Burgas and Play BNR Radio Varna) proved that urban quest games can be a successful tool for connecting with new audiences.
The successful partnership between Inner Voice and the regional stations of the Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) demonstrates that even traditional media can engage in modern interactive formats that enrich the urban experience.
The next games in Plovdiv (September 26, 2025) and Sofia (October 11, 2025) will be active until the end of November and will strengthen the position of Play BNR as a successful game series.
