Egas Moniz — The First Nobel
The neurologist who opened skulls and angiographies
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A neurosurgeon, a Nobel Prize, a shadow over modern medicine
Estrela — the esplanade where a Portuguese doctor won the first Nobel and lost his memory
In 1949, a 75-year-old Portuguese doctor received the Nobel Prize for Medicine for inventing prefrontal lobotomy, an operation we would today describe as torture. Yet the same man — António Egas Moniz — had earlier invented cerebral angiography, a discovery that revolutionised neurosurgery and saved countless lives. One man, two inventions, one glory and one posthumous shame. Eight markers in the Estrela quarter retrace the rise and moral fall of Portugal's first Nobel laureate.
« "The normal man must be able to live and fight in society. If he is not, I prefer his mental peace." »— — Egas Moniz, Operative Attempts in the Treatment of Certain Psychoses, 1936
A glory and its reverse
Born in 1874 in Avanca near Porto, António Caetano de Abreu Freire — who took the pen name "Egas Moniz" from a medieval hero — was at once doctor, MP, ambassador and foreign minister. He signed the Treaty of Versailles for Portugal in 1919. Back in medicine, he invented cerebral angiography in 1927 — a contrast-injection technique that allowed, for the first time, the vessels of a living brain to be seen. The discovery made him the founder of modern neurology.
In 1935, inspired by an American lecture, he performed with his assistant Almeida Lima the first prefrontal leucotomy: the connections between the prefrontal cortex and the thalamus were cut to "calm" psychiatric patients. In 1949 the protocol earned him the Nobel Prize for Medicine. Tens of thousands of lobotomies were performed worldwide in the 1950s — often on women, homosexuals and children. By the 1970s the practice was universally abandoned. Paralysed by a gunshot from one of his own patients, Egas Moniz died in 1955 at 100 Rua Rodrigo da Fonseca — the house still stands.
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.
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Practical info
Why this route?
Cerebral angiography
1927, the technique that first let doctors see a living brain.
Nobel 1949
The first Portuguese Nobel — and the most contested.
Medical ethics
A career that probes the frontier between science and violence.
One man, two inventions
The angiography that saved — the lobotomy that destroyed
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.
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Your turn to play
Clarify the two faces of Portugal's first Nobel between the Basilica and Rua Rodrigo.
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