Semyonovsky Place — Dostoevsky's Tsar Pardon
Uncover the secret pardon that saved Dostoevsky from execution on Semyonovsky Place. Decode hidden messages and imperial clues across his haunted St. Petersburg haunts to reveal the Tsar's mercy plot.
📱 1 to 10 phones · 1 team per phone · Independent codes
In 1849, Fyodor Dostoevsky stood blindfolded on Semyonovsky Place, facing a firing squad for plotting against Tsar Nicholas I
Semyonovsky Place — Dostoevsky's Tsar Pardon
You are a private investigator in Saint Petersburg, 1849, hired to uncover the truth behind Fyodor Dostoevsky's reprieve.
In 1849, Fyodor Dosto
Dostoevsky in the Shadow of the Imperial Gallows
« Life is a gift, a gift that cannot be lost, a gift that cannot be refused. »— Fiodor Dostoïevski
The Era of Reforms and Imperial Repression
In the mid-19th century, the Russian Empire, under the autocratic rule of Nicholas I, was a powder keg of new ideas. Intellectual circles formed in Saint Petersburg, discussing utopian socialism, democracy, and the abolition of serfdom. The most famous among them was the Petrashevsky Circle, where Fyodor Dostoevsky, then a young author, associated with radical thinkers. These meetings, perceived as a direct threat to the established order, were closely monitored by the Tsar's secret police, who feared a repeat of the Decembrist revolt.
On April 23, 1849, Dostoevsky and other members of the Circle were arrested. After months of interrogations and a secret trial, 21 of them were sentenced to death. On December 22, 1849, they were led to Semyonovsky Square, where their sentence was read, and they were prepared for execution. It was at this precise moment, facing the firing squads, that the Tsar's order arrived: their sentence was commuted. This cruel and psychologically devastating mock execution marked Dostoevsky forever, deeply influencing his future works, notably 'Crime and Punishment' and 'The Idiot', and offering him a unique perspective on the human condition, guilt, and redemption.
A game, a guided tour and a heritage guide — all in one
You're not just buying an escape game. You're carrying a living guide — historical anecdotes, forgotten legends, key monuments, hidden architecture — unfolding as you go.
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
The Route
8 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?
Censored Manuscript
Decipher the forbidden passages of a subversive text to understand the ideas that led Dostoevsky to his condemnation.
Political Imprisonment
Explore the places of detention and trial, symbols of tsarist repression against intellectual freedoms.
Imperial Decree
Find the clues leading to the decree of pardon, the unexpected act of clemency that saved a life and revealed the Tsar's cruelty.
« One cannot love what one does not know. »
Fyodor Dostoevsky
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, 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
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Your turn to play
Unravel the mystery of his unexpected pardon and retrace the steps that led a literary genius to the brink of abyss and into the light.
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
🪙+24 TripCoins granted with your booking
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