The Paleontologist's Cipher — Dinosaur Quarry, Utah
Decipher a missing paleontologist's encrypted field notes hidden across the Quarry to expose a century-old fossil smuggling conspiracy and recover the truth buried in stone.
📱 1 to 10 phones · 1 team per phone · Independent codes
In 1915, Dr
Forgotten Whispers of the Uinta Basin
In 1915, Dr. Eleanor Marsh led the first systematic excavation of the Dinosaur Quarry, uncovering 1,500 Jurassic-era fossils embedded in a single sandstone wall. Her meticulous records documented not just bones, but a pattern: certain specimens vanished from the official inventory. Decades later, her personal journals surfaced—encrypted, fragmented, hidden in plain sight across eight landmarks within the Quarry zone. The entries hint at a dark bargain: wealthy collectors and corrupt officials had orchestrated a black-market fossil trade, erasing evidence of the rarest finds. Your mission: follow Marsh's coded trail through the Quarry Exhibit Hall, the surrounding paleontological dig sites, and the geological formations that hold her secrets. Decrypt her cipher, piece together the smuggling network, and expose the conspiracy that nearly destroyed the monument's scientific legacy. The truth lies 150 million years in the making—and only you can unearth it.
« We are digging for the treasure of the ages. It will be a great collection. »— Earl Douglass, paléontologue, 1909
Between Prehistoric Giants and Wild West Legends
The Uinta Basin, with its rugged landscapes and unique geological formations, is a true paradise for paleontologists. It was here, in 1909, that Dr. Earl Douglass, working for the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, made a spectacular discovery: the "Carnegie Quarry," a fossil deposit of incredible richness. This site, which would later become part of Dinosaur National Monument, revealed thousands of bones from Late Jurassic dinosaurs, transforming our understanding of prehistoric life and cementing Vernal's reputation as "Dinosaurland."
But Utah was not only a land of scientific discovery. Its isolated canyons and plains also offered ideal hideouts for some of the most famous outlaws of the American West. Robert LeRoy Parker, better known as Butch Cassidy, and his Wild Bunch gang, spread terror in the late 19th century, committing daring bank and train robberies before vanishing into the wilderness. Their legends, often intertwined with those of local figures like Josie Bassett Morris, a strong woman who knew every corner of the region, are rooted in the folklore of the Uinta Basin.
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?
Paleontological Digs
Follow in the footsteps of prehistoric giants who roamed these lands millions of years ago.
Outlaw Trails
Untangle the riddles left by Wild West legends, from Butch Cassidy to Josie Bassett.
Wild Nature
Explore the rugged landscapes and unique geological formations of the Uinta Basin.
Démêlez les fils du temps pour révéler un double trésor oublié.
Fossiles et hors-la-loi : l'héritage secret de l'Utah vous attend.
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 an app or a paper guide?
Neither. Everything plays in your browser (Safari, Chrome) after you tap your activation link. No PDF to print, no download. The trail lives in your phone, that's it.
Q02How many stops are in The Paleontologist's Cipher — Dinosaur Quarry, Utah?
Eight stops total. At each stop you find a camera clue, solve the puzzle, collect a fragment of the final code. With all eight, you've got the answer.
Q03Is The Paleontologist's Cipher — Dinosaur Quarry, Utah suitable for a challenge-seeking teen?
Absolutely. The puzzles aren't obvious — a curious teen will sweat just enough to be proud of cracking them. Progressive hints prevent frustration: if stuck, unlock hint level 1, then 2, then 3.
Q04What's the best time to start?
Morning between 10 and 11, or early afternoon around 2 PM, is ideal. You still have daylight ahead, Vernal, Utah, United States is less crowded, and the light is better for camera clues.
Avis des aventuriers
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Your turn to play
Percez les secrets enfouis de Vernal ! Démêlez les indices laissés par un paléontologue visionnaire et un bandit légendaire pour une aventure inoubliable au cœur du Far West et de la préhistoire. Votre quête de l'Or des Badlands commence maintenant !
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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