Basse-Terre — Soufrière Controversy
1976: Uncover the explosive feud between Tazieff and Allègre that triggered the mass evacuation of Basse-Terre. Decipher clues from the crisis to expose the truth behind the panic.
📱 1 to 10 phones · 1 team per phone · Independent codes
Summer 1976: La Soufrière awakens with tremors and ash clouds, plunging Basse-Terre into chaos
Basse-Terre — Soufrière Controversy
You are a French naval officer on an inspection mission in Basse-Terre, administrative capital of the French Antilles, in 1802.
You land in this city, theater of
Dive into the epicenter of Guadeloupean colonial power, where the echoes of Louis Delgrès' resistance and the cannons of Fort Saint-Louis still resound.
« Liberty Equality Fraternity »— Inscription on the frontispiece of Basse-Terre Town Hall
The story that haunts this land
Your investigation begins at Place du Champ d'Arbaud, this 1-hectare military parade ground developed in the 18th century as the administrative heart of Basse-Terre. Since 1763, the official founding date of the city, this central square surrounded by colonial buildings has witnessed all public gatherings that marked Guadeloupean history. Before you, Notre-Dame-du-Mont-Carmel Cathedral and the prefecture outline the architecture of colonial power, while your phone reveals troop movements that converged here during the 1802 events.
Basse-Terre Town Hall, completed in 1840 in neoclassical style, bears on its facade the inscription 'Liberty Equality Fraternity' that resonates with particular irony in this former slave colony. Listed as a Historic Monument in 1995, this building has housed the local administration headquarters since 1763, with its 200 m² council chamber where crucial decisions in Guadeloupean history were made. Your app reveals secret minutes from sessions following slavery's abolition in 1848, exposing tensions between republican ideals and colonial reality.
At Basse-Terre Port, this 500-meter main quay operational since 1763 immerses you in the 18th-century sugar economy that shaped the French Antilles. Capable of accommodating 4 ships of 10,000 tons, this port was the strategic arrival point for Richepanse's troops in 1802, who came to reestablish slavery after its temporary abolition in 1794. Digital ghosts of slave ships and warships appear on your screen, reconstructing the commercial and military ballet that determined Guadeloupe's destiny.
Fort Delgrès, built in 1772 on the ruins of Fort Saint-Louis, dominates the bay with its 2 fortified hectares and batteries equipped with 24-pound cannons. Renamed in 1983 in honor of Louis Delgrès, this mixed-race officer born in 1772 who led the 1802 anti-slavery resistance, this site listed as Historic Monument in 1984 preserves traces of the last battle against Richepanse's troops. Your augmented reality reconstructs the tactical positions of this heroic resistance that ended with the fort's voluntary explosion rather than surrender.
Your mission concludes at Basse-Terre Palace of Justice, this 1840 neoclassical temple with 8-meter Ionic columns that has housed the high court since 1852 across 1500 m². These walls witnessed the first post-abolition slavery trials in 1848, marking the legal transition toward a theoretically egalitarian society. You leave with deep understanding of French colonial contradictions, where revolutionary ideals clashed with plantation economic realities, leaving in Basse-Terre's heritage the architectural scars of a complex history between resistance and domination.
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 sites to explore by car within the day
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 · 14,90€No calendar booking. Code sent immediately by email.
🔒 Secure payment · Code in 5 min · Free cancellation
Practical info
Why this route?
Imminent Eruption
Relive the tense days when La Soufrière threatened Basse-Terre.
Scientific Duel
Explore the famous controversy between Haroun Tazieff and Claude Allègre.
Mass Evacuation
Understand the human and social impact of this historical crisis.
When the earth rumbles, wisdom is sought.
At the heart of the Soufrière enigma.
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
Q01Basse-Terre — Soufrière Controversy — is it a guided trail or a free-form hunt?
It's a semi-guided trail: GPS points you to the next stop, but you find the camera clue and solve the puzzle yourself. No app to install, everything runs in your browser.
Q02How far do you walk in Basse-Terre, city center and volcanic perspectives?
Usually 2 to 4 km of total walking, within 1.5 km as the crow flies from the start point. The route is designed to be walkable at a relaxed pace, no public transport needed.
Q03Is Basse-Terre — Soufrière Controversy 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 if we get stuck on a puzzle?
Three hint levels per puzzle, with a small increasing time penalty. If truly stuck after level 3, you can skip the step (45-min penalty). The point: nobody stays blocked and goes home frustrated.
Avis des aventuriers
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Your turn to play
Dive into the epicenter of Guadeloupean colonial power, where the echoes of Louis Delgrès' resistance and the cannons of Fort Saint-Louis still resound.
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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