The Numbers Behind The Nefertiti Affair: 17 Puzzles and 4 Versions
The numbers behind The Nefertiti Affair: 17 puzzles, 4 versions
When you launch an entrepreneurial project with no experience, it’s impossible to know what the road ahead will look like. Ten years after the project began, our outdoor escape game, The Nefertiti Affair, is up and running, and I like to take stock of how far we’ve come. It’s really cool to see everything that has been achieved since the idea for this treasure hunt in Berlin, and since we opened in September 2025. And what better way to tell you our story than through numbers? With around fifty players, including about ten paying teams plus invited teams, 19 five-star reviews to date, 4 versions of the game and 17 puzzles, it was time to tell you a little more about The Nefertiti Affair.
The Nefertiti Affair at a glance
- Puzzles to solve
- 17
- Game versions
- 4
- 5-star reviews
- 19
- Route
- about2km
- Playing time
- 2 to 4hours
- Price
- €79per team
- Creation files
- over2,800
- Opened
- September 2025
1 Game, 2 Investigations: Find the Bust and Identify the Buyer
Let’s start with the most obvious one: our outdoor escape game, The Nefertiti Affair. Here’s the story: last night, the Neues Museum was burgled. It’s a disaster, because the legendary bust of Nefertiti has been stolen. Chased by the police, the suspect dropped their gear at Alexanderplatz as they fled. This crime scene is the only lead. Your mission is twofold: find the stolen bust and identify the mysterious buyer. So there you have it: your two investigations. This double objective naturally strengthens the investigation. It also lets us make the route more dynamic and, on top of that, I simply love adding a second objective whenever I create a game.
2 Routes in the Heart of Berlin: Why I Gave Up on the Loop
For years, I stubbornly insisted on making the route a loop. To me, it simplified things and, above all, it let me offer more time slots per day. But despite all the improvements, the route was still too long. By changing the finale, I believe I’ve clearly improved the experience. My only disappointment: I loved the final puzzle of the first route. The second one is not bad at all and keeps part of the same principle. Now that we’ve welcomed about ten teams on the new route, I’m convinced it was the right decision. I’ll also confess that every time I arrive at the finale location, I can’t help thinking it’s arguably the most beautiful spot in Berlin, and that finishing our outdoor escape game in Berlin there is a real joy for players.
4 versions : ce que les tests m'ont appris
With every version, it’s your ideas that you test against reality, and sometimes reality is brutal. You test, then you test the improvements again. Between the first version and the one played today, there have been many changes, and it’s always for the better: you learn what works and what doesn’t. Sometimes it’s a little sad, because you have to give up puzzles along the way that you were really fond of. But our outdoor escape game in Berlin is made for our players, not for our own enjoyment.
An anecdote: in July 2025, before some friends tested the game, I was convinced that version 3 was perfect. Thirty seconds into the game, the players did something I had never seen coming: they pulled out a notebook and started taking notes, even though the bag contains a “note-taking board”. The thing is, I wasn’t making it appear at that point in the game. I immediately saw the possible improvement. So we moved on to a version 4, with a major reorganisation of the items in the bag, and then, joy: everything became smoother.
17 Puzzles to Solve for Your Two Investigations
As we mentioned above: one game, two investigations. To solve them, you’ll need to work your way through no fewer than 17 puzzles. Over a route of about 2 kilometres, your brain will be regularly challenged. Those 17 puzzles take the form of a multitude of objects in your bag: it’s up to you to work out how to use them to move forward in your investigations, find the bust of Nefertiti and identify the mysterious buyer.
€79: A Good Deal for an Activity in Berlin?
In an age of constant inflation, it’s rare to find activities with such great value for money. I wouldn’t dare claim that our treasure hunt in Berlin is the best deal for an activity in Berlin, but for €79, you get two to four hours of activity in the heart of the German capital, on a route designed to show you Berlin and use it to solve the investigation.
On top of that, because we’re nice, every player gets a goodie at the end of the game, whether or not you’ve solved the investigation. €79 is the price of the experience, which works out at €13 per person if there are six of you, and you’re not on your own: a game master is there to welcome you and for the final reveals. Our article “Outdoor Escape Game in Berlin: Is It Worth the Price?” tells you more about what OUTscape has to offer.
Over 2,800 Files and 339 Folders: The Hidden Work Behind the Game
What if the most staggering numbers were these? Word, PDF, MP3, MP4 and PSD files, for a total of 17.5 GB. Honestly, I couldn’t believe it, but it’s a fact. And what’s crazy is that every single file was used at least once, whether for version 1, 2, 3 or 4. The set of help cards (450 files, 34 folders) is probably the most telling example: for each version, the help had to be adapted, but for players, that translates into 100% autonomy along the route.
Is there a mathematical formula that could convert this number of files into a number of hours? Probably not, but the question has piqued my curiosity. Rest assured, all this data is safely backed up, and it’s valuable: I often go back to old files to see what was done and what’s now in place. In any case, even if we can’t convert a number of files into working time, we can gauge that work through the reasons why our customers love The Nefertiti Affair.
Ten years later, It's your Turn to Play
All these numbers are the result of ten years of work: that’s quite a look in the rear-view mirror. When I look at them, I feel the satisfaction of having always believed in it, version after version, puzzle after puzzle, telling myself that The Nefertiti Affair is a genuinely good treasure hunt in Berlin, and I’m happy to be able to present it to the public. Of course, ten years is a long time, and I could have gone faster. But I now have no power to change that number, unlike you, who have the power to increase the number of detectives who have solved The Nefertiti Affair. We’ll be waiting for you.
Frenquently Asked Questions
Between the initial idea and the first players, it took us 4 versions of the game and 9 years of work (though not always flat out). We have been open to the public since September 2025.
There are 17 puzzles to solve to complete the 2 investigations: find the stolen bust and identify the mysterious buyer. The puzzles follow one another along a route of about 2 kilometres through the heart of Berlin.
Our outdoor escape game, The Nefertiti Affair, costs €79, which works out at €13 per player if there are six of you. Every player receives a goodie at the end of the game, whether or not the investigations have been solved.
We give you 4 hours to solve the investigation. You are free to go at your own pace and take as many breaks as you like.
Yes, you’re not on your own: a game master is there to welcome you and for the final reveals.