Albany — The Patroon's Lost Secret
Uncover the hidden conspiracy of Kiliaen van Rensselaer, the first Patroon, whose encrypted will conceals a vast fortune and betrayal within Albany's historic core. Decipher clues at monuments to claim the legacy before it's lost forever.
📱 1 to 10 phones · 1 team per phone · Independent codes
In 1629, Kiliaen van Rensselaer, the cunning first Patroon of Rensselaerswyck, amassed a fortune controlling vast Hudson River lands from his Albany stronghold
Delve into the forgotten secrets of Albany's Patroons, where Dutch heritage intertwines with the very foundations of New York State.
Step into the shoes of Jeremias van Rensselaer, administrator of Rensselaerswyck from 1632 to 1674, as you try to recover a crucial document for the colony's future. Your mission takes you through the historic streets of Albany, New York, on a journey of approximately 1.5 km, completed in ~135 minutes. At each stage, open your phone: augmented reality clues are revealed on building facades, commemorative plaques, and historical remains. A map of Fort Orange appears superimposed on Liberty Park, Kiliaen van Rensselaer's profile emerges on the site of his Manor, and excerpts from old Dutch registers come alive on the walls of the First Church in Albany. In a single afternoon, at your own pace, you trace the founding history of the city — that of the Dutch settlers and the great landowners who built Albany. More than an outdoor escape game: an interactive tour immersed in 400 years of history, with anecdotes revealed at each stop and confidential sites that classic guides often miss.
Les lieux que vous découvrirez
Les vrais lieux que vous explorerez au fil de l'aventure. Énigmes en réalité augmentée à chaque étape.
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
« Excelsior »— State motto, Official motto of New York State since 1778
The story that haunts this land
Your quest for the Patroon's Lost Secret begins at the Fort Orange site, adjacent to Liberty Park, Albany, NY. This 60 x 60 meter square fort, with its four bastions, was built in 1624 by the Dutch West India Company. It served as a crucial trading post for early Dutch settlers before being abandoned in 1673 after the English conquest of New Netherland. Here, the first clues are transmitted to you, immersing you directly in Dutch Colonial History and the beginning of the Albany Historic District. You explore the remnants of this Dutch presence that shaped the city's heritage.
Continuing your itinerary, you reach the Van Rensselaer Manor House Site. This location was the residence of Kiliaen van Rensselaer (1586-1646), founder of Rensselaerswyck and one of the greatest Patroons, whose patroonship spanned 1,600 km². The manor, purchased in 1664 by Jeremias van Rensselaer, Johan's brother, was demolished in 1893, but historical markers remain. It was the administrative center of this vast estate that left an indelible mark on New York's heritage. Here you decipher symbols related to the Van Rensselaer family, a key element of the Patroonship Heritage.
Your journey then leads you to the First Church in Albany, founded in 1642 and the city's oldest continuous congregation. The current building, rebuilt in 1798 in Federal style, features a 63-meter steeple added in 1814. This Congregational church has deep ties to the Patroons and early Dutch settlers, constituting a central monument in Albany's history. It is here that ancient documents, related to parish registers, reveal new leads in your Albany scavenger hunt. The discovery of this historic site illustrates the persistence of Dutch heritage.
Exploring the Old State Bank Building, located at 100 State Street, Albany, you admire its Greek Revival style. Built in 1836 by Ithiel Town, with its Ionic facade and 12-meter granite columns, it has been a National Historic Landmark since 1970. This building, although post-Patroon era, embodies the architectural and economic evolution of the city. It symbolizes Albany's transition from a Dutch colony to a financial center of New York State. Your investigation leads you to search for hidden clues here, witnesses to the city's economic history.
Your exploration of Albany concludes with the James T. Foley U.S. Courthouse, built between 1931 and 1934 in Art Deco style. This 11-story, 45-meter edifice, located at 445 Broadway, Albany, was listed on the National Register in 1980. Although newer than the Patroon era, it represents the continuity of Albany's urban and administrative development, a city that has always reinvented itself. From here, you get an overview of Quackenbush Square, a historic district restored in 1979, with buildings dating from 1730-1840, testifying to urban rehabilitation and the persistence of the city's history. Your interactive Albany tour will have allowed you to grasp the essence of its heritage, from its Dutch origins to its current status, a true New York thematic circuit.
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.
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?
Colonial Chronicles
Delve into the accounts and official documents that shaped the early days of New Netherland.
Riverine Routes
Follow the strategic importance of the Hudson River for trade and colonization.
Forgotten Pacts
Uncover the complex interactions and agreements between Dutch settlers and indigenous nations.
The past is never really dead. It's not even past.
William Faulkner
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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Delve into the forgotten secrets of Albany's Patroons, where Dutch heritage intertwines with the very foundations of New York State.
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
Other escape games in Albany, New York State
See all games in Albany, New York State→More ideas for self-guided walking tours, scavenger hunts & city quests in the same city
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