Participants: about 100 international students
Steps along the way: 16
Approximate distance: 2.5 km
Approximate duration: 2-2.5 hours
Language of the game: English (also available in Bulgarian)
Organized by: Inner Voice and ESN Sofia
On October 4, 2025, the urban quest game Roman Plovdiv was held in Plovdiv, organized by Inner Voice in partnership with European Student Network - ESN Sofia. ESN is an independent, voluntary, non-governmental student organization that supports international students and works for cultural exchange.
The main goal of the game was to create a fun and unifying experience for students from different countries, while introducing them to the rich history and culture of Plovdiv in an interesting way.
The organizers aimed to provide:
- entertainment and unity for students from different cultures and countries - international students from Germany, France, Poland, Slovakia, Austria, etc.
- new knowledge about Plovdiv as one of the oldest cities in Europe and an important cultural center of Bulgaria
- an unforgettable experience that will leave positive memories at the beginning of their stay in the country
The planning challenges were:
- Most participants had no previous experience with urban quest games, but nevertheless they actively participated and did a great job.
- The large number of participants (about 100 people) sometimes made it difficult for everyone to see or hear the riddles at the same time.
Inner Voice challenged the students with Roman Plovdiv - an urban quest game with 16 riddles, which includes the most significant landmarks in the city center.
Some of the unique elements of the game were:
- The game was conducted entirely in English - both the riddles and the informative texts.
- The information was presented in an interactive way - through riddles and missions, instead of a traditional guided tour.
- The inclusion of ESN guides facilitated communication and ensured that the information reached all participants.
- No application download was required, which allowed for quick and easy inclusion in the game.
- For the third consecutive year, Inner Voice has partnered with ESN, providing access to the game under preferential terms.
The most important results of the game according to the organizers are as follows:
- All participants had fun and created new friendships.
- The game successfully fulfilled its goal of being both educational and interesting for the teams.
- The atmosphere was friendly, creating a competitive but positive environment in which students got to know each other and became closer at the beginning of their stay in Bulgaria.
- Around 100 students shared that they had learned new facts about Plovdiv and visited places in the city that they had not expected to see.
- The participants gave very positive feedback, saying that they would participate in similar activities again.
This project demonstrates that urban quest games are an extremely suitable tool for cultural exchange and turn exploring the city into a memorable experience.
The example of ESN Sofia proves that:
- Urban quest games are an excellent way to bring together people from different countries and cultures.
- Such experiences provide an affordable and easy alternative to traditional tours.
- Such activities are a great example of how fun can be combined with education and cultural exploration.
