George Yang, Author at Goody Feed

Sherlock Holmes lives at 221B Baker Street. But apparently, he now has a Singapore office too. A Study In Red: The Official Sherlock Experience opens in Bugis today, 21 August 2026, and is billed as the world’s first site-specific Sherlock Holmes experience. Even more surprisingly, Singapore is getting it before London, where a version is planned for 2027. Created by Singapore gaming studio Hidden, the experience is an officially licensed adaptation of Arthur Conan Doyle’s first Sherlock Holmes novel, A Study In Scarlet, which was published in 1887. Instead of Victorian London, however, this mystery has been reworked around Bugis. You’ll Spend Nearly Two Hours Solving a Mystery Around Bugis This is not an escape room where everyone gets locked inside one elaborately decorated room. Groups of up to five players move around Bugis Street, Bugis+ and Bugis Junction over roughly 1.5 to two hours. Players join a group chat with Sherlock Holmes on their own phones, then investigate physical crime scenes, examine clues and solve puzzles. You will have to send your findings back by text as the investigation progresses. There are also interactions with participating retailers along the way, with some providing physical items needed for the game. Players can receive offers such as discount codes at participating food and beverage outlets. According to the official website, no app download is required. You just need your phone, which is probably good news for anyone whose storage is permanently at 99%. The experience is suitable for players aged 13 and above. Hidden has woven elements of Bugis’ history into the story. The Straits Times reported that the adaptation draws on the neighbourhood’s past, including its links to gangs and sex work, while keeping the Sherlock Holmes characters connected to Doyle’s original stories. We will leave the actual case there because nobody needs murder-mystery spoilers before breakfast. Tickets Start From S$19 for Students The starting point is at #02-141, Bugis Street, 261 Victoria Street, which has been turned into a fictional 221B Bugis Street consultancy outpost. The experience operates daily from 10am to 9.30pm. Its official website recommends starting no later than 7.30pm. Adult tickets cost S$29 on weekdays and S$39 on weekends and public holidays. Student tickets cost S$19. Most players should set aside around two hours, although the experience is self-paced and allows players to stop for food, shopping or breaks. After completing the investigation, participants also receive licensed merchandise. This includes a specially produced Sherlock Holmes notebook, according to The Straits Times. The notebook is separately sold for S$21 at the experience’s Victorian-themed gift shop. A Singapore Studio Beat UK Companies to the Licence So how did Sherlock end up launching in Bugis before London? According to The Straits Times, Hidden co-founder Lim Yee Hung flew to London in March 2026 to pitch the idea to The Conan Doyle Estate, which manages licensing for Sherlock Holmes-related intellectual property. Hidden ultimately secured the exclusive licence for this particular format, beating interested companies from the UK, the newspaper reported. Tim Hubbard, the estate’s head of global licensing, told ST that Hidden’s understanding of the material, enthusiasm and track record in adapting stories to specific locations gave the estate confidence in the Singapore team. Hidden is a 17-person company led by founders Lim, Loh Jun Wei and Shawn Tan. It has previously worked with Hasbro on live Monopoly experiences in Singapore. Lim told ST that its Monopoly experiences have become profitable and attract more than 1,000 players a month. He said Hidden has invested a six-figure sum in A Study In Red and expects the project to become profitable as well. London, Tokyo and Melbourne Could Be Next Singapore might be first, but Bugis is not intended to be Sherlock’s final destination. Hidden is planning a London version for 2027 and is also looking at taking the concept to Tokyo and Melbourne with stories adapted to those cities, according to ST. If the Bugis launch performs well, more Singapore versions could follow too. Lim even floated the possibility of adapting the famous Reichenbach Falls setting to a Singapore waterfall, with Gardens by the Bay or Jewel Changi Airport among the ideas he mentioned. For now, though, the case begins in Bugis. Just remember the essentials: bring your phone, give yourself around two hours, and perhaps avoid arriving at 9pm expecting Sherlock to perform miracles.