Cologny — Diodati's Lost Manuscript
Uncover the secret manuscript hidden during the stormy night at Villa Diodati when Frankenstein was born. Decode clues across Cologny to expose the truth before it's lost forever.
📱 1 to 10 phones · 1 team per phone · Independent codes
In the summer of 1816, the 'Year Without a Summer,' Lord Byron hosted Mary Shelley, Percy Shelley, and John Polidori at Villa Diodati in Cologny
Cologny — Diodati's Lost Manuscript
You are John Polidori, physician and writer, on the morning of June 17, 1816, in Geneva, having just left Villa Diodati.
Your mission, through
Immerse yourself in the summer of 1816, when Lord Byron, Mary Shelley, and other romantic minds gathered by Lake Geneva to forge stories that would change literature.
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
« After Darkness, Light »— Motto of Geneva, official motto of the city of Geneva since the Reformation (1536)
The story that haunts this land
Your quest begins at the Quai des Bergues, in Geneva. Built between 1850 and 1856 to improve navigation on the Rhône, this 1.2 km long quay saw the first steamships on Lake Geneva from 1823. It is here, near the Hôtel des Bergues inaugurated in 1830 by Jean Robillier, that Lord Byron and Percy Bysshe Shelley docked, seeking inspiration by the Genevan waters. The whispers of the waves recall the fiery discussions that preceded the night of Diodati.
Continue towards Rousseau Island, developed as a public garden in 1835 in homage to Jean-Jacques Rousseau, born in Geneva in 1712. The statue of Rousseau, sculpted by James Pradier and erected the same year, dominates the island, which was formerly a public washhouse in the 18th century. This place of contemplation, where nature and thought converge, resonates with the spirit of the romantic poets who meditated on the ideas of freedom and nature, so dear to Rousseau, during their stay in Geneva.
The route then leads you to the Jet d'Eau, a symbol of Geneva since 2003. Initially installed in 1886 to regulate the pressure of Switzerland's hydraulic power turbines, its current version from 1891 propels 500 liters per second at 200 km/h, reaching 140 meters in height. This monument of power and force, a result of Genevan engineering, evokes the creative force of writers who, like the jet, unleashed their works with immense energy during that summer of 1816.
Your exploration of Geneva's heritage continues to the Reformation Wall. Inaugurated on October 16, 1909, this 100-meter long, 9-meter high monument depicts key figures such as Jean Calvin, Guillaume Farel, Théodore de Bèze, and John Knox. The inscription 'What is man?', from Psalm 8, engraved in 1909, recalls the existential questions of the reformers. This site, a Swiss historical monument, juxtaposes theological rigor with the free spirit of the romantics who chose Geneva, a city of the Reformation, for their audacious reflections.
Finally, your journey through the history of Geneva concludes at Saint-Pierre Cathedral, whose construction began in 1160. This site, where Jean Calvin preached from 1536, is an example of the UNESCO World Heritage of Reformation sites. The north tower, completed in 1568 and 60 meters high, offers a view of Geneva's Old Town, including the Place du Bourg-de-Four, paved in 1540 and a historical center since the 12th century. By traversing these Calvinist sites, you complete your immersion in a Geneva where ideas, whether theological or literary, have always found fertile ground to flourish and mark history. This thematic walking tour will have provided an interactive visit of Geneva's monuments, revealing unexpected facets of Geneva's history with family or friends.
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?
Literary Journey
Dive into the imagination of great Romantic and Gothic literature authors.
Gothic Atmosphere
Explore the places that inspired a night of dark tales and the genesis of Frankenstein.
Philosophical Quest
Question the limits of creation, science, and humanity, through the eyes of Mary Shelley.
The Monster Was Born Here.
Discover the secrets of the summer that changed literature forever.
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 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
Immerse yourself in the summer of 1816, when Lord Byron, Mary Shelley, and other romantic minds gathered by Lake Geneva to forge stories that would change literature.
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
Other escape games in Geneva, Switzerland
See all games in Geneva, Switzerland→More ideas for self-guided walking tours, scavenger hunts & city quests in the same city
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Geneva — Shadow of the Consistory
Geneva, 1553: Uncover the Consistory's secret trial. Decode clues from Reformation landmarks to expose a forbidden manuscript and save a heretic's life before the shadows claim another victim.
Geneva — Dunant's Silence
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