Mystery Trails

A murder mystery played on foot. The map is the street you're standing on.

Bankside, by Southwark Bridge. The Precinct is 70 metres along the river.

Stop 01 · Precinct

The briefing

Mystery Trails is a murder-mystery game for Android, played on foot. The Case is fictional. The map is the street you're standing on.

You get a case file. Somebody is dead, and the people who know why are scattered across a few hundred metres of real ground around you. There is no level select. There is a map of where you are, with pins on it, and the only way to reach a pin is to walk to it.

  • Real streetsEvery Case is laid over the ground around you, wherever you start.
  • A short walkMost Cases fit inside about 150 metres. You don't need to cross town.
  • Your reasoningThe game never names the culprit for you. You can be wrong.
  • Nothing to buyNo ads and no purchases. Credits are earned by playing.

Along Bankside to Bank End and the Forensics Hub. 150 metres.

Stop 02 · Forensics Hub

How a Case plays

  1. Take the Case. A body, a handful of known facts, and a search area drawn around where you stand.
  2. Walk to the pins. Scenes and people are pins on the map. Getting close is what unlocks them.
  3. Search the Scene. Look around through your camera for Evidence. It is harder to fake, and usually says less on its own.
  4. Question the people. Witnesses and suspects give Testimony. It can be true, mistaken, or a lie.
  5. Build the Murder Board. Pin every card, draw string between them, and watch the contradictions surface.
  6. Accuse. Name the culprit and show the links that prove it. You get two attempts.

Walk safely

Pins sit on public ground. Never enter private property to reach one. Watch the road, not the phone, and stop walking before you read the screen.

East into Clink Street. The newsstand is 95 metres on.

Stop 03 · Newsstand

Coming soon to Google Play

Mystery Trails is coming to Android through Google Play.

Leave your address and we'll write once, on the day it is out. Nothing else.

Tell me when it's out

Round the corner into Stoney Street. The telegraph office is 65 metres on.

Stop 04 · Telegraph office

Join the test

Mystery Trails is in internal testing on Google Play, for Android phones. Wire us your address and we'll invite you.

We use this address only to invite you to the test and to write to you about it. See the Privacy policy.

We add you to the testers list by hand, then Google Play emails you a link to join. Places are limited, so it can take a few days.

On down Stoney Street, past the market. The informant waits 55 metres on.

East to Cathedral Street and the Archive, by the cathedral. 130 metres.

Murder Board

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Cases are fictional. Walk safely and never enter private property to reach a pin. Read the whole site as text.

Informant spot · Case file

Support

Help with the Mystery Trails app for Android, from the person who makes it.

Where to start

  • Something is broken or looks wrong. Use Report a problem. It lists what to include so we can fix it fast.
  • A pin sent you somewhere unsafe or private. Do not go there. Report it on Report a problem.
  • Anything else. Questions, ideas or feedback go to Contact details.

Common questions

The map does not follow me. The app needs precise location. Check that location is on for Mystery Trails in your phone settings, and that you are outdoors with a clear view of the sky.

A Scene will not open. Scenes and people unlock when you are close to their pin. Walk a little closer and wait a few seconds for your position to settle.

I want to clear the map I have uncovered. Settings › Clear walked ground erases the record of the ground you have walked.

Your data

  • What the app collects, and why, is in the Privacy policy.
  • To delete your account and everything stored with it, see Account deletion.
  • To remove everything the app keeps on your phone, uninstall it or clear its storage in your phone settings.

Informant spot · Case file

Contact details

Mystery Trails is made by one developer. Every message is read by the person who makes the game.

Email

support@mysterytrails.app

Write in English. We aim to reply within a few working days.

What to write about

  • Questions about the game or your account.
  • Ideas, feedback and Case suggestions.
  • Privacy and data requests. See also the Privacy policy and Account deletion.

For bugs and unsafe pins, the Report a problem page lists what to include.

Website

mysterytrails.app

Informant spot · Case file

Report a problem

Found a bug, or a pin in the wrong place? Write to support@mysterytrails.app.

A bug in the app

It helps to include:

  • Your phone model and Android version.
  • The app version, from Settings in the app.
  • What you did, what you expected, and what happened instead.
  • A screenshot, if you can take one.

An unsafe or unsuitable place

If a pin sends you somewhere unsafe, private or unsuitable, do not go there. Write to us with:

  • The Case name.
  • Where the pin was: a street name, or a screenshot of the map.
  • What is wrong with the place: private ground, a busy road, closed at night, or anything else.

We look into every unsafe place report and move or remove the pin.

Something else

A Case that cannot be solved, a person who will not talk, or text that reads wrong: write to us with the Case name and what happened.

Archive · Case file

Mystery Trails Privacy Policy

Effective date: 5 November 2026

Contact: support@mysterytrails.app

Mystery Trails is a murder-mystery game played on foot. This policy says what the app collects, who receives it, and what stays on your phone. It also covers the sign-up form for the test on mysterytrails.app.

Summary

  • There are no accounts, no ads, and no advertising identifiers.
  • We do not sell your data.
  • Your location is used to play the game. While the app is open, it sends your position to our server every 20 to 60 seconds, with a random install ID, so the server can place Cases near you. The server keeps your latest position in memory only and forgets it about 10 minutes after the last report. The record of the ground you have walked never leaves your device.
  • Apart from our server, the app sends only map requests to outside services. Map tiles come from MapTiler; each request carries only the tile address and the app key. Ground data for boxes about 1 km wide around you goes through our server, which keeps each answer for up to 24 hours. If our server cannot be reached or fails, the app sends that box to public Overpass servers directly.
  • The camera is used only when you open the Look around view. Nothing it sees is saved or sent.

Accounts, ads and analytics

  • You do not create an account. You do not give us a name or an email address.
  • The app has no ads and no third-party analytics or crash-reporting service.
  • The app is built with the Unity game engine. Unity may collect basic device hardware statistics. We have turned this off in the app settings. If the setting does not take effect on your device, Unity may still send those statistics.

Location

  • The app asks for precise location when the map first needs it.
  • Your position is used on your device to place you on the map and to unlock Scenes and NPCs when you walk near them.
  • Your position also goes to our server, as described under Nearby Cases.
  • If you deny the permission, the map cannot follow you, and the game cannot unlock Scenes by walking to them.
  • You can withdraw the permission at any time in your phone settings.

Nearby Cases

Cases appear on the map near where players are. To place them, the app reports to our server.

  • What is sent. Your current position, a random install ID, and the IDs of the Cases you have solved, so you are not offered them again.
  • When. When the app starts and when you return to it, then every 20 seconds while no Case is near you, or every 60 seconds once one is. Nothing is sent while the app is closed or in the background. The app sends a report only when your phone's location looks genuine.
  • The install ID. A random code the app makes the first time it sends a report. It is not your name, your phone number, your Google account or an advertising ID. Uninstalling the app or clearing its storage makes a new one.
  • What the server keeps. The latest position for each install ID, in memory only. It is not written to a database or a file. The server forgets the position 10 to 11 minutes after the last report. To limit abuse it also counts reports per install ID; those counts hold no position and last until the server restarts. Everything it holds is lost when the server restarts.
  • Who sees it. A Case is placed about 500 metres from the player whose report started its search, and every player within about 1 km of it gets the same Case. Its position and identifier can show those players where that player stood when the Case was placed. Other players do not see your install ID or your later positions.

Server logs

Our server runs on Google Cloud in Belgium. Like any web server, it logs each request: the time, the address requested, the response, your IP address and the app's user agent. For ground data the address includes the box of about 1 km around you, so the logs show roughly where you were. The logs do not contain your exact position or the contents of your reports. Google Cloud Logging keeps these logs for 30 days, then deletes them. We use them only to find faults and stop abuse.

Camera

  • The app asks for the camera only when you first open the Look around view at a Scene. It never asks at launch.
  • The camera image is drawn on your phone as an ink picture. It is not saved, not uploaded and not shared. No photo or video is kept, and we do not look for people, faces or text in it.
  • Look around runs on Google Play Services for AR (ARCore), which is provided by Google and governed by the Google Privacy Policy. Google processes camera images on your phone to find surfaces and track movement.
  • If you deny the permission, the game works as before, without the view.
  • You can withdraw the permission at any time in your phone settings.

Map services

Playing alone, the app sends map requests to our server and to two outside services, MapTiler and Overpass. Each one can see your IP address and basic request details, as with any web request.

  • Map tiles (MapTiler). The app downloads OpenStreetMap map data from MapTiler in squares at zoom level 14. A square is up to about 2.4 km wide (about 1.5 km in London). Each request carries only the square's map coordinates and the app's key, so MapTiler can tell roughly which area you are in. It does not receive your exact position. The app asks for the squares within about 1.1 km of you. When you take a Case, it also downloads the squares that cover the Case area and 500 m around it, so the Case works without signal. If any are missing, it asks for them again when the app starts.
  • Ground data (streets and buildings). To choose places for Cases, the app asks our server for the streets and buildings in boxes about 1 km wide around the part of the map you are in. This is not your exact position. Our server gets the data from Overpass (OpenStreetMap data) and keeps each answer for up to 24 hours. If our server cannot be reached or fails, the app sends that box to public Overpass servers directly.

MapTiler and Overpass have their own privacy policies. We do not control them. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, delivered by MapTiler.

Squads

A Squad is a group of players working one Case together on a shared Murder Board.

  • You join a Squad with a short code. There is no account.
  • When you are in a Squad, your position and your actions in the Case go to the host you joined. The host is the server address you chose or were given.
  • Your device uses a random member token to identify you to that host. The token is not linked to your name.
  • The host keeps the state of the Squad so that members can leave and rejoin. This includes member tokens, member positions, and the board and Case actions of the Squad. On the server we run, this state is stored in a database.
  • The state is kept until the Squad ends. A Squad ends when no one is left in it. The state is then deleted.
  • Other members of your Squad can see your position and your actions on the shared board.
  • If someone else runs the host you joined, that person controls what happens to the data. Join only hosts you trust.
  • The app does not show a Case's answer key to any Squad member.

What stays on your device

  • Your session and progress.
  • A cache of map tiles. Tiles for the Case you are playing stay while it is active; other tiles are removed oldest first once the cache passes 50 MB.
  • A cache of ground data (streets and buildings) from our server or Overpass.
  • A record of the ground you have walked, used to draw the fog on the map. It is kept only on your phone, in a folder Android does not back up. It is never sent to us, to a Squad or to any other service. To delete it, use Settings › Clear walked ground.
  • The host address you used for a Squad.
  • Your member token.

Uninstalling the app removes all of this. You can also clear the app's storage in your phone settings.

Test invitations on the website

The Telegraph office stop on mysterytrails.app has a form to join the Google Play internal test. It is the only place the website asks for an email address.

  • What we collect: the email address you enter, the time you sent it, the time we invite you, and a hash of your IP address combined with the date. The hash is made with a secret key, so it cannot be turned back into your IP address, and we delete it after that day, as soon as the next sign-up arrives or we next export the list. We use it only to limit how many sign-ups one connection can send per day.
  • Why: to add your Google account to the internal testers list in the Google Play Console, so that Google Play can invite you, and to write to you about the test.
  • Who sees it: the developer. Google receives your email address once we add it to the testers list. The form and its data are hosted by Cloudflare, in western Europe.
  • How long: until the test ends, or sooner if you ask. To be removed, write to support@mysterytrails.app from the same address.

Sharing

  • We share data only with the services named above, and only as needed to run the map, Squads and the test invitations.
  • We do not sell your data.
  • We do not use your data for advertising.
  • We may disclose data if the law requires it.

Children

Mystery Trails is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect data from them. If you think a child has used a Squad, contact us and we will remove the related data.

Security

Squad traffic is sent to the host. We use reasonable measures to protect the data on the server we run. No system is perfectly secure.

Your choices and requests

  • Deny or withdraw location permission in your phone settings.
  • Deny or withdraw camera permission in your phone settings.
  • Leave a Squad to end your part in it.
  • To ask what Squad data exists about a member token, or to have it deleted, write to support@mysterytrails.app and include your Squad code.

Changes

If this policy changes, we will update the effective date above. Material changes will also be noted in the app listing.

Contact

support@mysterytrails.app

Archive · Case file

Mystery Trails Terms of Service

Effective date: 5 November 2026

Contact: support@mysterytrails.app

These terms cover your use of the Mystery Trails app and the services behind it. By using the app, you agree to them. If you do not agree, do not use the app.

The game

  • Mystery Trails is a murder-mystery game played on foot. Every Case, person and event in it is fictional.
  • The game places pins on real streets. A pin is a place to stand in the game, not an invitation to enter a building, a garden or any private ground.
  • We may change, add or remove Cases and features at any time.

Playing safely

  • You play outdoors, in real places, at your own risk.
  • Watch the road and your surroundings, not the phone. Stop walking before you look at the screen.
  • Obey traffic rules, signs and the law. Never trespass to reach a pin, and never enter a place that is closed, private or unsafe.
  • If a pin sends you somewhere unsafe, private or unsuitable, do not go there. Report it on the Report a problem page.
  • Do not play while driving or riding.

Age

  • Mystery Trails is not directed at children under 13. You must be at least 13 to play.
  • If you are under 18, play only with a parent's or guardian's permission, and let them decide where you may go.

Your account

  • You sign in with your Google account. You are responsible for what happens under your account.
  • You choose a detective name. The app suggests your first name from Google; you can keep it or change it. Do not use a name that is offensive or pretends to be someone else, and do not add details such as your full name, address or phone number.
  • You can delete your account at any time. See Account deletion.

Fair use

You agree not to:

  • cheat by faking your location, or use tools that automate play;
  • attack, overload or try to break into the app or our servers;
  • copy, resell or redistribute the app or its content;
  • use the app to harass anyone or to break the law.

We may suspend or delete an account that breaks these rules.

Content and ownership

The app, its Cases, art, text and sound belong to Mystery Trails or its licensors. You may use the app for your own play. Map data comes from OpenStreetMap contributors and is used under the Open Database Licence.

Price

The app is free. There are no ads and nothing to buy. Credits in the game are earned by playing and have no money value.

No warranty

The app is provided as it is. We do our best to keep it working and accurate, but we cannot promise it will always be available, free of errors, or that every pin is in a suitable place.

Liability

To the extent the law allows, Mystery Trails is not liable for injury, loss or damage that comes from playing the game, from where you choose to walk, or from the app being unavailable. Nothing in these terms limits rights you have under consumer law that cannot be limited.

Privacy

How we handle your data is set out in the Privacy policy.

Changes

If these terms change, we will update the effective date above. Material changes will also be noted in the app listing. If you keep playing after a change, you accept the new terms.

Contact

support@mysterytrails.app

Archive · Case file

Delete your Mystery Trails account

Mystery Trails is a game for Android by ItsJimmy, the developer on Google Play. You can delete your Mystery Trails account and everything stored with it at any time. There are two ways.

In the app

  1. Open Settings › Account › Delete account.
  2. Confirm.

The app needs a connection to do this. Your account is deleted at once, and the app returns to the sign-in screen.

By email

  1. Find your player id: in the app, open Settings › Account and tap the Player id row. This copies it.
  2. Email it to support@mysterytrails.app with the subject "Delete my account".

If you no longer have the app, reinstall it and sign in with the same Google account. Then delete the account in the app, or copy your player id and email it to us.

We delete the account within 30 days of your email and reply to confirm.

What is deleted

  • Your player record and your detective name.
  • Your cloud save: your progress, Cases, Murder Boards and Credits.
  • Everything else on our server that is linked to your player id.

The account holds no email address. The only name it holds is your detective name.

What is kept

  • Your deletion email is kept only as long as the request needs, then deleted.
  • Our server's request logs are deleted after 30 days, as the Privacy policy describes.

Nothing else linked to your account is kept after deletion.

On your phone

Deleting the account does not uninstall the app. To remove what the app keeps on your phone, uninstall it or clear its storage in your phone settings.