Thuin — The Alchemist's Poisoned Garden
Follow the trail of Brother Antoine, a 17th‑century alchemist‑botanist, as you decode his hidden herbarium and uncover the deadly secret buried in Thuin’s terraced gardens.
📱 1 to 10 phones · 1 team per phone · Independent codes
In the steep terraces of Thuin’s medieval town, Brother Antoine once tended a secret herbarium where rare plants met strange alchemical recipes
Thuin — The Alchemist's Poisoned Garden
You are a 17th-century alchemist, a disciple of Paracelsus, on a vital quest in Thuin, Belgium.
Your mission is to find Thuin's
Delve into the heart of Thuin, a millennial city in Wallonia, where the Hanging Gardens and the UNESCO Beguinage whisper the secrets of an alchemical and spiritual past.
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 story that haunts this land
Your quest begins in the Hanging Gardens of Thuin, classified as major Heritage of Wallonia in 2000. These 7 terraced gardens, spanning 1.5 ha and overlooking the Sambre, were created in the 17th century to cultivate vegetables and medicinal plants. Here, you discover the remains of the human-powered pumping system, restored in 1995-2000 with original winches dating from 1633. It is here, facing the Place de la Ville and its view of the beguinage, that the first enigmas about the virtues of plants are revealed, guiding you towards the knowledge of Thuin's ancient herbalists.
The path then leads you to the Belfry of Thuin, built in 1638 on medieval ramparts and classified as a Historic Monument in 1936. This 38-meter high bell tower, part of the 12th-century Saint-Théodore church, was inscribed on UNESCO's list in 1999. From the Place du Chapitre, you get a panoramic view of the Sambre and the gardens, a strategic observation point for the Princes of Liège who were lords of Thuin. Here, the clock mechanism reveals alchemical symbols, evidence of secret research conducted in the city of Thuin.
Your investigation continues in the Beguinage of Thuin, founded around 1230 by Countess Jeanne of Constantinople. Classified as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1998, this is one of 13 UNESCO beguinages in Belgium, with 17 houses from the 13th-14th centuries spread over 2 ha. The Saint-Christophe church, built in 1614, was the spiritual center for the beguines, known for their manual labor and plant cultivation. As you walk through this typical 16th-17th century cobbled district, accessible via the Hanging Gardens, you decipher the codes left by these women, guardians of precious botanical knowledge.
You then cross the Sambre Bridge, an 18th-century stone bridge about 120 meters long, connecting the historic center of Thuin to the Ponts-des-Trous district. Near the old hydraulic mills dating from the 16th century, this passage is crucial for your quest. The Tour du Barbi, a 13th-century watchtower about 20 meters high, a remnant of the princely fortifications restored in 1985, overlooked the Sambre. Its name, linked to a medieval torture instrument, reminds you of the dangers that weighed on secret messengers and alchemists of the time, adding tension to your exploration of Wallonia's heritage.
Your journey concludes at the Place du Chapitre, the heart of Thuin's historic district, surrounded by 18th-century houses and adjacent to the belfry and Saint-Théodore church. Paved with local sandstone blocks, this square, site of the ancient princely chapters, is the final stage where all clues converge. You assemble the fragments of Thuin's alchemical herbal, revealing forgotten formulas. This interactive visit to Thuin will have allowed you to unravel the mysteries of its history, its UNESCO monuments, and its role in the transmission of knowledge, offering a unique perspective on tourism in Wallonia and the history of Thuin.
The Route
5-10 curated sites across the territory
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 · 14,90€No calendar booking. Code sent immediately by email.
🔒 Secure payment · Code in 5 min · Free cancellation
Practical info
Why this route?
Ancient Botany
Discover the secrets of medicinal and alchemical plants cultivated by Brother Antoine in the Hanging Gardens.
Mysteries of Alchemy
Delve into the fascinating world of alchemy, between science and esotericism, through the clues left by the monk.
Alchemical Code
Decipher a system of botanical symbols and rebuses to reconstruct Brother Antoine's lost manuscript.
Nature whispers its secrets to those who know how to listen.
Unveil the botanical arcana of the past.
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
Delve into the heart of Thuin, a millennial city in Wallonia, where the Hanging Gardens and the UNESCO Beguinage whisper the secrets of an alchemical and spiritual past.
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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