The Assassination at Blois
The murder that changed France
📱 1 to 10 phones · 1 team per phone · Independent codes
On December 23, 1588, Henri III had the Duke of Guise murdered in his own chamber at the Château de Blois. The body, riddled with 45 sword strikes, lies at the foot of the royal bed. In Catherine de Medici's secret cabinet, 237 hidden panels conceal poisons, letters and state secrets.
Behind 237 secret panels, Catherine de Medici's poisons still await
The Château de Blois is the only Loire château where four centuries of architecture stand side by side — Gothic, Flamboyant, Renaissance and Classical. But it is its bloody history that fascinates. The king's chamber, on the second floor of the Henri III wing, is the scene of one of the most famous murders in French history. And in Catherine de Medici's studiolo, the 237 wooden panels still hide their secrets — Italian poisons, coded correspondence, horoscopes and alchemical formulas.
« "My God, have mercy on me!" »— — Last words of the Duke of Guise, Château de Blois, December 23, 1588
The assassination of the Duke of Guise — when the king becomes murderer
In December 1588, France is torn apart by the Wars of Religion. Duke Henri de Guise, leader of the Catholic League, has become so powerful he threatens Henri III's throne. The king convenes the Estates General at Blois to try to regain control. But Guise controls the city, the assembly and the army. Henri III, cornered, makes a radical decision: he will have the duke assassinated.
On December 23, 1588, at dawn, the king summons Guise to his chamber. Forty-five members of the "Quarante-Cinq" — the king's personal guard — wait behind the tapestries. When Guise enters, they fall upon him. The duke, despite his colossal stature, falls under the blows. Henri III emerges from behind a curtain and contemplates the body. "He is even greater dead than alive," he says. The next day, Guise's brother, the Cardinal de Lorraine, is also murdered.
Catherine de Medici, Henri III's mother, dies thirteen days after the assassination. Her secret cabinet at the Château de Blois, with its 237 panels concealing cupboards, has become legendary. Vials of poison, correspondence with Nostradamus, and horoscopes of every prince in Europe were allegedly found there. Eight months after the murder, Henri III is himself stabbed by the monk Jacques Clément — as if the walls of Blois had cast a curse.
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.
The game downloads to your phone on start. Once the "✓ Downloaded" indicator appears, everything works without data — narration, AR, GPS and puzzles. Perfect abroad without a data plan.
Want to go deeper?
Places tied to your adventure — optional entries, totally up to you · per person
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?
Royal crime scene
Enter the very chamber where the Duke of Guise was assassinated in 1588 — the walls are original.
237 secret panels
Explore Catherine de Medici's cabinet and its 237 panels concealing poisons and secrets.
Four centuries of architecture
The only Loire château combining Gothic, Flamboyant, Renaissance and Classical styles.
Poisons & plots
Dive into the intrigues of the Valois court, between poisonings and political assassinations.
He is even greater dead than alive.
Solve the most famous murder of the French Renaissance.
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
Q01Is The Assassination at Blois similar to a treasure hunt?
Same spirit: search, deduce, find. But here the "treasure" is a full story to piece together in eight stops. Each stop gives you a fragment of the final code. Eight fragments later, you've cracked it.
Q02Can we split The Assassination at Blois across two days?
Yes — your code stays active and progress is saved. You can start Saturday afternoon, finish Sunday morning. Some players actually prefer this format to make the most of a full weekend on site.
Q03Is The Assassination at Blois suitable for a challenge-seeking teen?
Absolutely. The puzzles aren't obvious — a curious teen will sweat just enough to be proud of cracking them. Progressive hints prevent frustration: if stuck, unlock hint level 1, then 2, then 3.
Q04What if we get stuck on a puzzle?
Three hint levels per puzzle, with a small increasing time penalty. If truly stuck after level 3, you can skip the step (45-min penalty). The point: nobody stays blocked and goes home frustrated.
Avis des aventuriers
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Your turn to play
From the king's chamber to Catherine de Medici's secret cabinet — reconstruct the royal plot of 1588 in the château where French history changed forever.
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
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