The Exile of Thomas Becket
Secret letters between Auxerre and Canterbury
📱 1 to 10 phones · 1 team per phone · Independent codes
Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, lived in exile in France for six years. From Sens and Auxerre, he maintained a secret correspondence with the Pope to plot against Henry II of England. These letters, coded to evade royal spies, have never all been found.
When an exiled archbishop made the King of England tremble from Burgundy
Auxerre is a city of water and stone. The Yonne flows at the foot of an old town dominated by the Cathedral of Saint-Étienne and the Abbey of Saint-Germain. In the 12th century, these walls sheltered one of the greatest conflicts between Church and Crown. Thomas Becket, on the run, found refuge here and plotted his diplomatic revenge against the king who had betrayed him.
« "Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?" »— — Henry II of England, December 1170
Thomas Becket — the archbishop who defied a king from exile
In 1164, Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, entered open conflict with Henry II of England over the independence of the Church. The king wanted to subject the clergy to royal justice. Becket refused. Threatened with death, he fled England and found refuge in France, first in Sens, then in the abbeys of Burgundy.
During six years of exile, Becket waged a fierce epistolary war. His letters to Pope Alexander III, to bishops, and to European princes were masterpieces of diplomacy and rhetoric. Some were coded to evade the spies of Henry II who monitored the roads. The Cathedral of Sens preserves the liturgical vestments Becket used during his exile.
In 1170, a fragile reconciliation allowed Becket to return to England. But on December 29, four of Henry II's knights murdered him in his Canterbury Cathedral. Becket immediately became a martyr. Three years later, he was canonized. Canterbury became the greatest pilgrimage site in England.
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.
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?
Coded correspondence
Decipher Thomas Becket's secret letters to the Pope.
Carolingian frescoes
Explore the oldest Carolingian crypt in France.
Auxerre on the Yonne
Discover the city from its quays and historic river quarter.
Church vs. Crown
Relive one of the greatest power struggles between Church and king.
Letters travel faster than swords.
Find the secret correspondence of the exiled archbishop.
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
Q01Concretely, how does it unfold outdoors?
You arrive in Auxerre · Cathedral, abbey & old town, open the link on your phone, the story starts. It's the modern outdoor escape game: audio narration, camera puzzles, final code unlocked as a team. No install. No need to book a time slot.
Q02How long does it take to finish The Exile of Thomas Becket?
Plan 1 h 30 to 2 h 30 depending on your pace. Some finish in 1 h 10, others take 3 h in slow-mode. No pressure: the clock only counts for the leaderboard, you play at your tempo.
Q03Is The Exile of Thomas Becket good for a hen / stag party?
Great fit: no costume required, the team really collaborates (it's not a linear path), and the final code earns you a souvenir photo. Pick a calm time slot — early afternoon usually.
Q04What happens if it rains in Auxerre · Cathedral, abbey & old town?
The game is playable in light rain — just keep your phone under a hood. For heavy thunderstorms, your code stays valid, you can postpone to another day at no cost.
Avis des aventuriers
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Your turn to play
From the fresco crypt to the Abbey of Saint-Germain, from the Yonne quays to the Marine Quarter — follow the trail of Thomas Becket's secret letters in an escape game between Canterbury and Auxerre.
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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