The Plantagenet City
The cradle of the Kings of England
📱 1 to 10 phones · 1 team per phone · Independent codes
Le Mans was the capital of a dynasty that ruled England for three centuries. Richard the Lionheart was baptized in its cathedral. Behind the 3rd-century Roman walls, the Plantagenet secrets await discovery.
A cathedral where a future King of England was baptized
The Cathedral of Saint-Julien du Mans is a stone colossus that has dominated the city for over a thousand years. It is here, in the Romanesque baptismal font, that the future Richard the Lionheart was baptized in 1157 — son of Henry II Plantagenet, Count of Maine and King of England. The medieval city surrounding the cathedral is one of the best preserved in France, protected by a 3rd-century Roman wall that ranks among the most impressive in Europe.
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.
« "God and my right." »— — Motto of the Kings of England since Richard the Lionheart, 1198
The Plantagenets — from Maine to the throne of England
The Plantagenet story begins in Le Mans. Geoffrey V, Count of Anjou and Maine, married Empress Matilda in 1128 in the cathedral. He always wore a sprig of broom (planta genista) in his hat — hence the dynasty's name. Their son Henry would become Henry II, King of England in 1154, founding an empire stretching from Scotland to the Pyrenees.
Le Mans was then the beating heart of this Plantagenet empire. Henry II had fortifications built, the cathedral enlarged, and it was here that his son Richard — the future Lionheart — was baptized in 1157. But the city also witnessed the dynasty's tragedies: in 1189, Henry II, betrayed by his sons Richard and John, fled Le Mans before Philip Augustus's troops. He set fire to his own city to cover his retreat and died shortly after at Chinon.
Le Mans' Roman wall, built in the 3rd century, is one of the best preserved in the Roman world. Its 1,300 meters of ramparts, with their geometric patterns in polychrome bricks, still protect the old town. The Maison de la Reine Bérengère — wife of Richard the Lionheart — testifies to the enduring Plantagenet memory in this exceptional city.
The Route
5 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?
Royal dynasty
Dive into the history of the Plantagenets, the dynasty from Maine that ruled England for three centuries.
Roman wall
Walk along one of the best-preserved Roman walls in Europe, with its unique polychrome patterns.
Medieval intrigue
Betrayals, civil wars and secret alliances — experience the drama of Europe's most powerful family.
Preserved city
Explore one of France's most beautiful medieval cities, with its intact half-timbered houses.
God and my right.
Uncover the secrets of the dynasty that ruled two kingdoms.
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.
Avis des aventuriers
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Your turn to play
From the cathedral to the Roman walls, from medieval lanes to the Grande Poterne — relive the Plantagenet saga in the city where it all began.
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
🪙+15 TripCoins granted with your booking
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