Neuchâtel — Shadow of Celestial Mechanics
Uncover the espionage plot that shrouded Jaquet-Droz's celestial clockwork secrets. Decode hidden messages across the Old Town to expose the spy ring sabotaging Switzerland's horological mastery.
📱 1 to 10 phones · 1 team per phone · Independent codes
In the 18th century heart of Neuchâtel's Old Town, the Jaquet-Droz manufactory revolutionized timekeeping with automatons and celestial mechanics mimicking the stars' dance
Neuchâtel — Shadow of Celestial Mechanics
You are Abraham-Louis Breguet, master clockmaker on a secret mission in Neuchâtel in 1798.
You arrive at Place Pury, the starting point of an
Dive into the secrets of Swiss watchmaking in Neuchâtel, world capital of precision mechanics since the 18th century.
The story that haunts this land
Neuchâtel becomes the heart of Swiss watchmaking from 1679, when Daniel JeanRichard founds the first watch workshop in the Jura mountains. Place Pury, inaugurated in 1788 in honor of State Counselor David-Louis de Pury, welcomes you to the center of this mechanical revolution. The bourgeois buildings of the 18th century surrounding it housed the watch merchants who already exported to London and Amsterdam. Your mission begins here: find traces of Breguet's lost technical manuscripts, hidden in the city's monuments by his network of Swiss correspondents.
The Collégiale des Grands-Sonnetiers, built between 1499 and 1540, houses in its side chapel the tomb of Abraham-Louis Breguet (1747-1823), the most famous clockmaker in history. Its Gothic tower of 62 meters, visible from 20 km away, served as a landmark for watch merchants converging on Neuchâtel. The ancient mechanical clockwork elements integrated into its design testify to this early vocation. Pierre Jaquet-Droz (1709-1790), inventor of automatons that still fascinate today, prayed here before each major creation.
Neuchâtel Castle, residence of the Princes since 1214 and current seat of the cantonal government, hides sundials from the 18th century on its west facade. These time-measuring instruments precede the rise of Neuchâtel mechanical clockmaking. In its inner courtyard with Gothic arcades from 1459, clockmakers came to present their innovations to the prince-protectors of their art. The 15th century renovations already integrate niches intended for monumental clocks.
The Neuchâtel Cantonal Observatory, founded in 1820 by Daniel Huber, develops the precision astronomy essential to clockmakers. Its historical instruments, including a meridian from 1825, allow watches to be set to astronomical time. The Museum of Art and History, installed in the former hotel of the Lords of Neuchâtel from the 16th century, preserves 4,500 clockwork pieces, including Pierre Jaquet-Droz's automatons. This collection traces three centuries of Neuchâtel technical innovation.
Your journey in the shadow of celestial mechanics reveals how Neuchâtel became the Swiss capital of watchmaking through the unique alliance between artisanal know-how, technical innovation and European commercial network. From Quai Philip Godet, former quai du Peyroux where watch trade transited in the 18th century, to the neoclassical Town Hall by Louis Levade (1784-1790), every stone tells this mechanical epic. You leave with the secrets of master clockmakers and understanding of this UNESCO heritage that still makes Switzerland's heart beat.
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.
The game downloads to your phone on start. Once the "✓ Downloaded" indicator appears, everything works without data — narration, AR, GPS and puzzles. Perfect abroad without a data plan.
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?
Master Watchmakers
Dive into the world of precision watchmaking and the ingenuity of the Jaquet-Droz.
Espionage Plot
Thwart a plot to steal the technological secrets of the era.
Mechanical Genius
Admire the ingenuity behind the 'androids' that simulated life ahead of their time.
Protect the secrets of the master watchmakers before it's too late.
The fate of the automatons is in your hands.
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
Q01What's the difference with a regular indoor escape room?
Outdoor escape game format: no physical locks, no actor, no fixed time slot. You start when you want, progress through Neuchâtel, Switzerland with your phone, and the city itself is the set. More immersive on local history, more flexible in pace.
Q02Can we take a break mid-trail?
Of course. Stop at a café, have lunch, resume later: your progress is saved. Many players bake a meal break into the trail, especially with families.
Q03Do we need to be several people to enjoy it?
No, solo works very well. The outdoor escape game format in self-guided mode leaves room for introspection: read the story at your pace, hunt clues like a detective. 2-6 players is more social, solo is more contemplative.
Q04Is Neuchâtel — Shadow of Celestial Mechanics stroller-accessible?
Depends on the exact route in Neuchâtel, Switzerland. The vast majority of stops are downtown, on sidewalks or squares. If a stair or narrow passage is involved, it's flagged on the product page. Generally: yes, doable with a standard urban stroller.
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Dive into the secrets of Swiss watchmaking in Neuchâtel, world capital of precision mechanics since the 18th 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
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