Buffalo, 1901 — Decipher the Assassin's Trail
Uncover the conspiracy behind President McKinley's assassination. Track the assassin's movements, decode hidden messages, and expose the radical network that changed America forever.
📱 1 to 10 phones · 1 team per phone · Independent codes
September 6, 1901
Buffalo, 1901 — Decipher the Assassin's Trail
You are an investigative journalist, dispatched to Buffalo in September 1901, just days after President William McKinley's assassination.
Your mission is to reconstruct the last steps of assassin Leon Czol
Immerse yourself in the fervor of Buffalo, 1901, and unravel the trail of the assassin who shook America.
The story that haunts this land
Your investigation begins at Larkin Square, a 2.5-acre public space developed in 2013 on the former industrial site of the Larkin Soap Company. Surrounding you are renovated historic buildings dating from the 1910s, part of the Larkinville Historic District. It was here, under the Larkinville Gazebo built in 2014, that rumors of the assassination began to circulate among the residents of Buffalo. You will need to find clues hidden within the neo-Gothic architecture to unlock the first stage of your journey.
1 km from Larkin Square, St. Joseph's New Cathedral, consecrated in 1896, stands tall with its 70-meter bell tower, visible from the surrounding area. Buffalo's first Catholic cathedral, it was the site of the funeral of Bishop Stephen Ryan (1825-1894), Buffalo's second bishop. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975, this red sandstone cathedral hides messages that only a keen eye can decipher, revealing information about the social tensions of the era that may have influenced Czolgosz.
Your journey then takes you near the archaeological remains of the Larkin Building, a modernist building designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, built between 1903 and 1906. Demolished in 1950, it was the first tall building to be entirely electrically lit, measuring 170x170 feet across 7 floors. Excavations in 2007 unearthed these foundations, which will reveal a coded message left by an alleged accomplice of the assassin, plunging you into the heart of Buffalo's architecture and innovation of the time.
Continue towards Broadway Market, 1.2 km from Larkin Square. Opened in 1889, this 50,000 sq ft indoor market is Buffalo's oldest continuously operating public market. By 1920, it housed 150 Polish merchants and was the vibrant hub of Buffalo's Polish community, the second largest in the USA after Chicago. In this bustling place, full of life and rumors, you will virtually question witnesses to obtain crucial information about Leon Czolgosz, himself of Polish-American origin, and his acquaintances.
Your investigation concludes in the Canalside Historic District, 1.5 km from Larkin Square, where the Commercial Slip, restored in 2012, recalls the arrival of the Erie Canal on October 26, 1825. The 3-acre basin, the original Erie Canal terminal in 1825, was restored in 2013 with Lock #1 rebuilt to its original dimensions. Between 1825 and 1855, 40 million tons of freight passed through this site, which is part of the Erie Canal National Heritage Corridor and the Buffalo Waterfront Historic District. Here, the final pieces of the puzzle fall into place, allowing you to understand the magnitude of the event and its impact on the "Queen City of the Lakes," then undergoing significant transformation.
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?
Historical Investigation
Immerse yourself in one of the most significant political assassinations in U.S. history.
Political Thriller
Uncover the hidden truths behind a plot that changed the course of American history.
Anarchist Ideologies
Explore the deep motivations and secret manifesto of a radicalized assassin.
When a gunshot echoes through history...
Unravel the plot, before the shadow spreads.
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.
Avis des aventuriers
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Your turn to play
Immerse yourself in the fervor of Buffalo, 1901, and unravel the trail of the assassin who shook America.
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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