Sherlock Holmes has arrived in Singapore, and this time the case unfolds beyond the pages of a book. Homegrown gaming studio HIDDEN has launched A Study in Red: The Official Sherlock Experience, a 90-minute immersive mystery played across Bugis Town, connecting Bugis Junction, Bugis+, Bugis Street and the surrounding heritage-rich district. The experience is the world’s first officially licensed Sherlock Holmes adventure designed to be played in the real world, created in partnership with the Conan Doyle Estate ahead of a planned global expansion.

Teams of up to five follow a trail of clues through Bugis, investigating crime scenes enhanced by augmented reality, uncovering evidence, exploring 360-degree virtual environments and receiving calls from characters from the Sherlock Holmes canon. Inspired by A Study in Scarlet, the game also incorporates lesser-known stories from Bugis’ own history, turning the neighborhood itself into part of the mystery. The experience marks HIDDEN’s first release on its own purpose-built web application and opened to the public on August 21.

The Curated Take

The appeal goes beyond the Sherlock Holmes name. By weaving a fictional investigation into the real history and streets of Bugis, A Study in Red offers travelers a new way to engage with a neighborhood they might otherwise experience simply as a shopping and dining precinct. It is a clever example of immersive travel, where storytelling transforms familiar places into something to explore, investigate and see differently.