The Fortress of Chinon
Joan of Arc, the Templars and the hidden king
📱 1 to 10 phones · 1 team per phone · Independent codes
In 1429, Joan of Arc recognized Charles VII disguised among 300 courtiers in Chinon's Great Hall. A century earlier, in 1307, the last Templar leaders were imprisoned in the Tour du Coudray — their graffiti still survives. Two mysteries, one fortress.
The fortress where Joan found her king and the Templars their prison
The Fortress of Chinon stretches 500 meters along a rocky spur overlooking the Vienne river. It is one of the largest medieval fortresses in France — three castles connected by drawbridges. Within these walls, two of the most extraordinary episodes in History took place: Joan of Arc's miraculous recognition of Charles VII, and the imprisonment of the highest Templar dignitaries, including Jacques de Molay.
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
« "Noble Dauphin, my name is Joan the Maid, and the King of Heaven sends word through me that you shall be anointed and crowned." »— — Joan of Arc to Charles VII, Chinon, March 1429
Chinon — the fortress of two mysteries
On March 8, 1429, a 17-year-old peasant girl enters the Great Hall of the Fortress of Chinon. Three hundred courtiers watch her. Charles, the Dauphin of France, has mingled with the crowd and placed another man on the throne to deceive her. But Joan walks straight to him, kneels, and speaks the words that will change French history. How did she recognize him? No one knows — this is Chinon's first mystery.
The second mystery is older. In 1307, Philip the Fair has all the Templars in France arrested in a coordinated sweep. The highest dignitaries of the Order — possibly including Jacques de Molay himself — are imprisoned in the Tour du Coudray at Chinon. During their captivity, they carve mysterious symbols into the stone: Templar crosses, geometric figures, Latin inscriptions. These graffiti, rediscovered in the 19th century, are among the only direct testimonies left by the last Templars.
In 2001, an Italian historian, Barbara Frale, discovers an extraordinary document in the Vatican Secret Archives: the "Chinon Parchment," dated 1308, in which Pope Clement V secretly absolves the Templar leaders imprisoned at Chinon. This document, hidden for 700 years, proves the Templars were unjustly condemned. The Fortress of Chinon still holds many mysteries.
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?
Two mysteries
The Templars of 1307 and Joan of Arc of 1429 — two enigmas in the same fortress.
Templar graffiti
Decipher the real graffiti carved by the Templars in the Tour du Coudray.
Colossal fortress
Explore 500 meters of ramparts, three castles and centuries of military history.
Chinon caves
Dive into the troglodyte caves where Rabelais was already raising a glass in the 16th century.
Noble Dauphin, you shall be anointed and crowned.
Uncover the two mysteries of the fortress where Joan found her king.
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 Templar graffiti to Joan of Arc's miraculous recognition — unravel seven centuries of mysteries in the Loire's greatest fortress.
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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