The Handshake at Montoire — Uncover the Vichy Conspiracy
Decipher the secret pact forged during Hitler and Pétain's clandestine meeting in October 1940. Uncover coded messages hidden across Montoire's medieval landmarks to expose the conspiracy that sealed France's fate.
📱 1 to 10 phones · 1 team per phone · Independent codes
October 24, 1940
The Handshake at Montoire — Uncover the Vichy Conspiracy
You are a British intelligence operative infiltrated in Montoire-sur-le-Loir, October 1940.
Your mission: document the secret meeting between Marshal Pétain and Adolf Hitler
Relive the day that changed French history forever: October 24, 1940, when Pétain and Hitler shook hands at Montoire-sur-le-Loir station.
The story that haunts this land
Montoire-sur-le-Loir station preserves intact the platform where the decisive meeting of October 24, 1940 took place. In Pétain's salon car, stationed on track 1, the 84-year-old marshal accepted the principle of collaboration with Nazi Germany. Since 2003, the museum space installed in the historic station reconstructs this day with backlit panels, archival films and a 1:87 scale model. The Hist'orius association animates this memorial site where the echo of this handshake that sealed the fate of occupied France still resonates.
On Place Clemenceau, 400 meters from the station, you walk in the footsteps of German officials who prepared this secret interview. The Town Hall, silent witness to the events of October 1940, overlooks this square where Pierre Laval, vice-president of the Council, orchestrated preliminary negotiations. The facades of the historic center saw delegations, handpicked journalists and security services parade by, transforming Montoire into a diplomatic fortress for a day.
The bridge over the Loir, built in the 19th century, symbolically connected the two shores of a France torn between resistance and collaboration. From this obligatory crossing point, you embrace the medieval castle perched on its hill, ancient fortress of the 12th-15th centuries that has witnessed centuries of French history. This panoramic perspective on Montoire reveals the strategic geography that made this small town in Loir-et-Cher a European diplomatic crossroads for a few decisive hours.
Saint-Genest church, a 12th-century Romanesque building classified as a Historic Monument, raises its millennial stones less than 1 km from the station. This sacred architecture, restored in the 19th century, contrasts with the brutality of the political events of 1940. On Rue Saint-Jacques, the inhabitants of Montoire helplessly witnessed the ballet of uniforms and official limousines, without measuring that their small city had just entered the history books of Europe at war.
Your journey through Montoire-sur-le-Loir reveals how a provincial town can tip into the heart of great History. Between the station witness to collaboration and the medieval vestiges of the castle, you measure the weight of decisions made in a few hours on the destiny of a nation. This interactive visit in Grand-Est confronts you with the gray areas of the Occupation, far from heroic narratives, in the troubling intimacy of a place where History hesitated between several possible futures.
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?
Historic Meeting
Follow in the footsteps of the protagonists of the handshake that marked France.
Political Investigation
Decipher the motivations and symbols of a decision with heavy consequences.
The Photo of Shame
Reconstruct the events surrounding the most controversial image of the Occupation.
The choice of a nation, the weight of history.
Facing occupation, a decision with incalculable consequences.
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
Q01Is The Handshake at Montoire — Uncover the Vichy Conspiracy similar to a treasure hunt?
Same spirit: search, deduce, find. But here the "treasure" is a full story to piece together in eight stops. Each stop gives you a fragment of the final code. Eight fragments later, you've cracked it.
Q02Can we split The Handshake at Montoire — Uncover the Vichy Conspiracy across two days?
Yes — your code stays active and progress is saved. You can start Saturday afternoon, finish Sunday morning. Some players actually prefer this format to make the most of a full weekend on site.
Q03Is The Handshake at Montoire — Uncover the Vichy Conspiracy 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
Relive the day that changed French history forever: October 24, 1940, when Pétain and Hitler shook hands at Montoire-sur-le-Loir station.
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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