Carthago Nova
In the footsteps of Hannibal and Scipio in the ancient port
📱 1 to 10 phones · 1 team per phone · Independent codes
In 209 BC, Scipio Africanus took this city in a single assault. The Carthaginians didn't have time to hide all their treasures. Some are still waiting.
Beneath the modern port's concrete, two empires still clash
Cartagena is not like other Spanish cities. Beneath every square, beneath every car park, lie the remains of Carthago Nova — Hannibal Barca's capital in Iberia. The Roman theatre, discovered by chance in 1988 beneath a fish market, is the perfect symbol of this palimpsest city where every layer tells of a war, a conquest, an empire.
A game, a guided tour and a city guide — all in one
You're not just buying an escape game. You're carrying a living city guide — historical anecdotes, forgotten legends, key monuments, hidden architecture — unfolding step by step as you walk.
At each stop, places ordinary guides miss — secret façades, sculpted crests, alleys steeped in history.
Every riddle is rooted in a real historical fact or local legend. You leave with dozens of stories to tell.
Learn to read buildings — flamboyant Gothic, Baroque, Art Deco — like a real art historian, while having fun.
Walk through the city like a novel's character — every alley becomes a stage, every square a theatre.
A voice walks with you at every step, tells the story of each place, reads clues, adds a cinematic feel.
Keep access to the guide & game for 1 year. Come back any time, share it with friends.
« You will not leave this city the way you entered it. »
How does it work?
Explore the city on foot solving puzzles based on real historical facts. No locked room — the city is your playground.
No app to download. Play directly from your browser. Guided step by step, at your own pace.
One purchase per phone is enough. Play with family, friends or as a couple — everyone participates.
Point your phone at the façade: a historical character appears and speaks to you in your language. Golden letters magically write themselves on the wall to reveal the puzzle answer.
Stuck? Progressive personalised hints. The character repeats the puzzle on demand — at your own pace.
French, English, German, Spanish, Italian + 27 other languages auto-translated by AI.
Want to go deeper?
Places tied to your adventure — optional entries, totally up to you · per person
« "Cartagena is the only city in Spain founded by Africa. Every stone here speaks Punic before it speaks Latin." »— — Facing the Roman theatre, where the fish market hid twenty centuries of history
From Hasdrubal to Augustus: birth of a strategic port
In 228 BC, the Carthaginian general Hasdrubal the Fair founded Qart Hadasht — the "New City" — on a peninsula surrounded by five hills, a perfect natural harbour. His son-in-law Hannibal Barca made it his rear base before crossing the Alps. The silver mines of the nearby sierra financed the army that would terrify Rome.
Scipio Africanus took the city by surprise in 209 BC, scaling the walls at low tide via the lagoon. Under Rome, Carthago Nova became one of Hispania's most prosperous cities. Augustus granted it colony status. A 6,000-seat theatre, a forum, baths were built — all on Punic foundations.
The following centuries brought Byzantines, Visigoths, Arabs. Each built on the ruins of the last. It was only in the 20th century that archaeologists began to unfold this layer cake. The Punic wall, found intact, is today one of the rare visible Carthaginian remains in Europe.
The Route
5 stages through the city
The gameplay: AR, camera, hidden clues
At each stop, open your phone camera: an augmented reality character appears on the façade and speaks your language. Hunt the clue — it materializes as golden letters on the real wall or floats in front of you. When you find it, the phone vibrates, an AR chest opens and reveals your answer fragment. 8 stops, 8 clues to find with the camera, 1 final code.
The stops on your route are a surprise. You'll discover them one by one, guided by your phone, starting from the meeting point.
How does it work with a group?
One phone = one team. Pick the number at checkout (1 to 10).
Solo, or a group sharing the screen. One team, one code.
Family, couple, or 2-3 teams competing. Each phone has its own code and its own score.
Friends, bachelor/bachelorette, small office outing — each their own code, each plays at their own pace. Tiered pricing then €6 flat per phone from the 6th.
- ✓All codes are independent — play at the same time OR separately, each team advances at its own pace.
- ✓Leaderboard between your teams + global game leaderboard — each score appears in the public ranking.
- ✓More than 10 phones or need a personalized quest? Discover custom tours.
Ready to live this adventure?
Get my code · 12€No calendar booking. Code sent immediately by email.
🔒 Secure payment · Code in 5 min · Free cancellation
Practical info
Why this route?
Two empires, one port
Carthaginians then Romans: follow the traces of the two civilisations that fought over the Mediterranean.
Living archaeology
Punic wall, Roman theatre, forum — each stage is a real archaeological site you learn to read.
Epigraphic clues
Latin and Punic inscriptions on monuments are your clues. No need to read them — just compare.
Port & hills
A route between sea and heights that shows you why this site was chosen 2,200 years ago.
Two empires. One port. Twenty-two centuries of secrets.
Dive beneath the modern city to find Carthago Nova.
9 features nobody else has
OddballTrip combines gamified play, augmented reality and AI. All our competitors deliver 1 or 2 of these angles. We deliver all 5.
AR treasure chest
A golden chest floats in front of the monument. Tap → opening animation → reveals a secret message.
AR narrator character
Point your phone at the façade: a knight, witch, monk, sailor, detective or ghost appears full-screen and speaks to you in your language with their dedicated ElevenLabs voice (each character has their own unique voice) — your living guide.
Magic golden letters
At the puzzle climax, golden letters magically write themselves on the real wall — that's the puzzle answer. An unforgettable visual effect.
Written + audio narration
Every puzzle available as text AND voice-over: read at your own pace or listen eyes-free while walking. Great in groups and for accessibility.
360° radar + vibration
A mini-radar shows the target even behind you, and the phone vibrates when you aim in the right direction.
Heritage storytelling
Every puzzle weaves in real historical facts (architecture, era, anecdotes). You learn by playing — like a gamified audioguide.
Progressive AI hints
3 levels of AI-generated help: vibe → where to look → answer format. You're never stuck.
AR selfie memento
At the end of the game, capture a selfie with OddballTrip banner + mascot, shareable on Instagram, WhatsApp, TikTok.
Zero app to install
PWA technology: open the link, it plays in your browser. Same quality as an app, no App Store hassle.
Frequently asked questions
Q01Do I need to download an app?
No, never. You get a link, you click, it plays in your browser. That's the point of a PWA: same as an app, without the hassle.
Q02Does it work offline?
GPS yes (handled by your phone). Maps yes (tiles cached). AI and hints need an intermittent 4G connection.
Q03How long does a game take?
1 h 30 to 2 h 30 depending on your pace. The timer runs but only for the leaderboard — you play at your own tempo.
Q04What happens if I'm stuck?
You get 3 levels of hints per puzzle (increasing penalty). If truly stuck, you can skip the step (45-min penalty but you keep going).
Q05What's the age range?
From 12 without an adult, from 6 with an adult reading puzzles. Works for families, couples, friend groups, companies.
Q06What if my city isn't in the catalogue?
Pre-register or contact us — we'll email you as soon as your city is live.
Q07What is augmented reality exactly?
Point your phone at the façade: a historical character appears full-screen and speaks to you in your language. At the puzzle climax, golden letters magically write themselves on the real wall — that's your answer. After each puzzle solved, a treasure chest floats in front of you. Seeing is believing.
Avis des aventuriers
Soyez le premier à partager votre expérience.
Vous avez joué à carthago nova? Rendez-vous dans l'email reçu après votre partie pour laisser un avis vérifié.
Your turn to play
Spain's only city founded by Carthage awaits — a Punic wall, a Roman theatre buried beneath a fish market, and riddles inscribed in two dead languages. Start whenever you're ready.
1 purchase = 1 phone. Play several on the same device.
No calendar booking. Code sent immediately by email.
🔒Secure payment · Code in 5 min · Free cancellation
🪙+15 TripCoins granted with your booking
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