Santa Fe Plaza — Conquistadors' Lost Cipher
Decipher the conquistadors' hidden cipher etched across Santa Fe Plaza's sacred monuments. Uncover Oñate's guarded secret of the conquest before a shadowy cabal erases it forever.
📱 1 to 10 phones · 1 team per phone · Independent codes
In 1598, Juan de Oñate led the conquistadors into the wild lands of New Mexico, planting the Spanish flag at the heart of what became Santa Fe
Delve into 1610 New Mexico, in the heart of Santa Fe, to decipher the forgotten secrets of conquistadors and Spanish settlers.
Step into the shoes of a royal archivist, sent by the Spanish Crown to find the hidden will of a New Spain governor in Santa Fe. Your mission begins in front of the Palace of the Governors, built in 1610, the oldest continuously used adobe building in North America. At each stage of this approximately 1.5 km journey, open your phone: digital parchments appear on the historic facades of Santa Fe Plaza, engraved symbols emerge on the cobblestones, and the spirits of settlers and Pueblo warriors guide you through augmented reality puzzles. Approximately 135 minutes of gameplay await you, at your own pace, to explore the historic district of Santa Fe, Oldest Capital City in the US. More than an outdoor escape game: an interactive visit immersed in 400 years of history, with anecdotes revealed at each stop and confidential sites that classic guides often miss.
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
« Fons Perpetuae Juventutis (City of Santa Fe) »— Official motto of the city of Santa Fe, New Mexico
The story that haunts this land
Your quest begins at the Palace of the Governors, a National Historic Landmark that served as the Spanish governor's residence from 1610. You will feel the echoes of events that shaped the Spanish capital of Santa Fe, such as on August 18, 1846, when the Mexican flag was lowered to make way for the American banner, signifying the occupation by the US army after its march from Fort Bent. It is here that the history of New Mexico, rich in twists and turns, takes shape, inviting you to decipher the first clues of your journey.
Continue towards the Santa Fe Plaza, the vibrant heart of the city, also established in 1610 with the founding of the capital. This central square has been the scene of historic parades, where a young conquistador in costume on horseback once paraded. It is also the site of annual gatherings such as the burning of Zozobra, a 60-foot figure symbolizing gloom. The Plaza, at the heart of the Santa Fe Historic District, is a site threatened by modern developments, making your exploration all the more valuable to grasp its heritage.
Your itinerary then leads you to the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi, consecrated in 1886. Built on the site of a 1622 parish church, it houses the statue of La Conquistadora, which arrived in Santa Fe with Spanish colonists in 1626. Its Romanesque-Byzantine style and 140-foot high towers contrast with the nearby Loretto Chapel, built in 1878 by the Sisters of Loretto. There, you will admire its mysterious 20-foot high spiral staircase, added in 1880 without visible support, an architectural challenge that still defies understanding.
The path takes you to the Barrio de Analco Historic District, a 17th-century neighborhood where the San Miguel Chapel stands, considered the oldest church in North America still standing. Its original structure from around 1610 was burned during the Pueblo Revolt of 1680, then rebuilt after 1692. Its vigas beams have been dated by dendrochronology to 1609-1610, attesting to its antiquity. The neighborhood, designated a National Historic District, includes structures related to the first Spanish settlers and Pueblo peoples, testifying to a complex and intertwined history.
Finally, your investigation leads you to the New Mexico History Museum, opened in 2010 and adjacent to the Palace of the Governors. There you will discover adobe watering troughs built as early as 1620 for the conquistadors' horses, as well as exhibits dedicated to Spanish history and the conquest of New Mexico. Your journey concludes at the Cross of the Martyrs, erected in 1920, commemorating the 21 Franciscans martyred during the Pueblo Revolt of 1680. This monument, accessible by a trail from Canyon Road, offers a panoramic view of Santa Fe Plaza and the entire Oldest Capital City in the US, allowing you to contemplate the extent of the heritage you have just deciphered. The city's motto, "Fons Perpetuae Juventutis (Ciudad de Santa Fé)", then takes on its full meaning.
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?
Forgotten Chronicles
Delve into the little-known accounts of Santa Fe's early days, beyond the founding myths.
Dissident Cartography
Decipher visual and geographical clues inspired by the techniques of colonial cartographers.
Traces of an Empire
Explore the architectural remnants of America's oldest capital, a witness to three centuries of history.
Maps reveal more than land; they unveil truths.
Decipher the hidden intentions behind Santa Fe's founding.
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, WhatsApp, 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 1610 New Mexico, in the heart of Santa Fe, to decipher the forgotten secrets of conquistadors and Spanish settlers.
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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