Birgu — Decrypt the Inquisitor's Secrets
Uncover the hidden confessions and coded messages locked within the Inquisitor's Palace dungeons. Decipher the truth behind 224 years of religious persecution and judicial conspiracy.
📱 1 to 10 phones · 1 team per phone · Independent codes
For over two centuries, the Inquisitor's Palace in Birgu served as the seat of absolute ecclesiastical power—judge, jailer, and confessor rolled into one
Birgu — Decrypt the Inquisitor's Secrets
You are a papal archivist, dispatched to Birgu in 1798, tasked with sealing the files of the last Inquisitor, Ernesti Ignazio Water von Wattendorff, before
Dive into the heart of Vittoriosa, Malta, to uncover the dark secrets of the Inquisition that marked the island for over two centuries.
The story that haunts this land
Your quest begins at the Couvre Porte, the main fortified entrance to Birgu, built in 1635 by the Knights of St. John under Grand Master Antoine de Paule. This baroque gate, adorned with the Knights' coat of arms, served as the access point to Vittoriosa's historic center from the waterfront. Restored in 2005 by Heritage Malta, it is located less than 200m from Fort St. Angelo, offering you a first glimpse of the city's defensive power. It is here that the first clues about the Inquisition's activities await you, hidden in the stones of a monument that has seen so many travelers enter and exit the city of Vittoriosa.
300m via Triq il-Kunventwali, you reach the Inquisitor's Palace, your main objective. Originally the Grand Master's residence in 1530, it was transformed in 1571 to house the Papal Inquisitor. This 2,500 m² palace was occupied by 23 successive Inquisitors from 1574 to 1798, housing underground prisons for heretics and ecclesiastical courts. Becoming a national museum in 1966, it is managed by Heritage Malta and exhibits documents on the Maltese Inquisition. Here you decipher codes that will lead you to the secret archives of the last Inquisitor in Vittoriosa.
Your journey then takes you to St. Lawrence Church, located 400m from the Couvre Porte, in the heart of Victory Square. This collegiate church, built in 1530 and consecrated in 1650 after a baroque reconstruction, is a site of celebrations related to the victory of the Great Siege of 1565. Its interior houses the conventual chapel of the Knights of the Italian Obedience, with a marble altar from 1681. Exploring its 40m long naves, capable of accommodating 800 faithful, you discover inscriptions that reveal the complex links between religious and military power in Birgu.
The path then leads you towards Fort St. Angelo, a key bastion of the Great Siege of Malta in 1565, located 500m on foot along the Birgu waterfront. Its medieval origins date back to the 13th century, and it was rebuilt in 1530 by the Knights. With ramparts reaching 18m high and a fortified area of 1.2 hectares, it was the seat of Grand Master Jean Parisot de Valette during the 1565 siege. Although privately owned since 1998, its panoramic views of the Grand Harbour allow you to visualize the scope of the Inquisition from this strategic position, and find the last pieces of the puzzle there.
Your exploration of Vittoriosa concludes with the revelation of the most buried secrets. This thematic circuit in Birgu will have allowed you to grasp the extent of the influence of the Knights of Malta and the Papal Inquisition on this historic city. You have visited sites of paramount importance for Malta's heritage, from the Couvre Porte to Fort St. Angelo, passing through the Inquisitor's Palace and St. Lawrence Church. This interactive visit to Vittoriosa offers you a deep understanding of its history, far beyond conventional narratives, and leaves you with the feeling of having uncovered a centuries-old mystery.
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
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 Secrets
Delve into the dark archives of the Inquisition to unearth a hidden truth.
Historical Investigation
Conduct a real investigation based on true facts and figures from Maltese history.
Ancient Fortifications
Explore the bastions and alleys of a medieval city rich in history and legends.
In the shadow of the cross, truth awaits liberation.
The time for justice has come.
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
Dive into the heart of Vittoriosa, Malta, to uncover the dark secrets of the Inquisition that marked the island for over two centuries.
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 Vittoriosa (Birgu), Malta
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Birgu — The Broken Oaths
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Vittoriosa — The Inquisition's Lost Registry
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