New Lanark — Uncover Owen's Secret Ledgers
Decipher Robert Owen's hidden records to expose the truth behind New Lanark's radical social experiment and uncover what the Victorian establishment tried to suppress.
📱 1 to 10 phones · 1 team per phone · Independent codes
Robert Owen's New Lanark was no ordinary mill village
New Lanark — Uncover Owen's Secret Ledgers
You are Annie McLeod, a young factory worker in early 19th-century New Lanark, a privileged witness to its social reforms.
Your mission: to find Robert Owen's secret led
Delve into New Lanark, a UNESCO site in Scotland, to uncover the secrets of an industrial utopia that transformed working-class life in the 19th century.
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 adventure begins at the New Lanark Visitor Centre, the starting point of your quest for Owen's Great Secret Ledgers. Founded in 1785 by David Dale and Richard Arkwright on the banks of the Clyde, the village of New Lanark has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2001. This historic Robert Owen site, a pioneering industrial model, abolished child labor and introduced education for all as early as 1816 under Robert Owen's impetus. It is here, in this 23-hectare setting featuring restored buildings, that you begin your interactive visit to New Lanark.
Continue your journey to the Institute for the Formation of Character, the innovative school founded by Robert Owen in 1816. This building, constructed between 1806 and 1813, measured 18m x 12m and could accommodate 150 students. It represents a pioneering model of early education, recognized by UNESCO as a precursor to workers' rights. As Annie McLeod, you relive the introduction of free and compulsory education for child laborers, a turning point for the population of this village located in Glasgow and Strathclyde, and a key element of the thematic circuit on Owen's legacy.
Mill No. 3 awaits you next. This restored cotton mill from 1792 is the sole survivor of New Lanark's eight original mills. With its 5 stories (25m high) and a production capacity of 120,000 spindles in 1820, it was the beating heart of the textile industry. Although production ceased in 1968, it has been converted into a museum and accommodation since 1983. By exploring this New Lanark monument, you discover how the hydraulic energy from the nearby Falls of Clyde powered these machines, illustrating the ingenuity of global industrial heritage.
Your journey takes you to Robert Owen's House, the residence where the social reformer lived from 1800 to 1825. Restored in 1970, this house was where Owen conceived his plans for education and worker cooperation, ideas subsequently applied worldwide. It is here that you hope to find clues about the secret books, by exploring the rooms where the theories that made New Lanark a reference in social reform were developed. This step is crucial for understanding the history of New Lanark and the role of its visionary.
Upon completing your thematic circuit, you will not only have discovered Owen's Great Secret Ledgers, but also the vibrant heart of New Lanark as a family. From the power of the Falls of Clyde, a classified nature reserve since 1975 and essential energy source, to the educational innovations of the Institute for the Formation of Character, you will have explored the historic Robert Owen site. This outdoor escape game in New Lanark, in the Glasgow and Strathclyde region, offers an interactive and immersive visit, revealing the heritage of a village that shaped the future of work and education.
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?
Social Innovation
Dive into Robert Owen's pioneering reforms for workers' welfare.
Industrial Heritage
Discover a unique mill village, a testament to the Industrial Revolution.
Utopian Ideals
Explore the vision of a fairer and more egalitarian society.
Build a better society.
Owen's legacy awaits you.
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 New Lanark, a UNESCO site in Scotland, to uncover the secrets of an industrial utopia that transformed working-class life in the 19th century.
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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