Valletta — The Grand Master's Poison Plot
Uncover a deadly conspiracy within the Knights Hospitaller's inner circle. Decipher coded messages hidden in Valletta's bastions to expose the Grand Master's poisoning plot before the truth is buried forever.
📱 1 to 10 phones · 1 team per phone · Independent codes
In the shadow of Valletta's golden bastions, a dark secret festers
Valletta — The Grand Master's Poison Plot
You are a trusted investigator for the Order of St.
John, dispatched to Valletta in 1581 to unmask those responsible for the poisoning of Grand Master Jean de La Cassière. Your mission
Dive into the intrigues of Valletta, city of the Knights of St. John, where a poisoned plot threatens the Grand Master's fate.
The story that haunts this land
Your investigation begins at St. George's Square, in front of the Grandmaster's Palace. Built between 1571 and 1574 by the Knights of the Order of St. John under Jean Parisot de Valette, this building has been the seat of the Maltese government since 1571. Exploring its State Rooms, adorned with 17th-century frescoes and 1715 Flemish tapestries, you search for the first clues. Valletta, city of the Knights of St. John, is full of secrets carved in stone, and this palace, witness to the Order's decisions, is the ideal starting point to unravel the poisoned plot.
A short walk away, St. John's Co-Cathedral, erected between 1573 and 1577, opens its doors to you. This edifice, elevated to co-cathedral status in 1816, houses a sumptuous Baroque interior with eight chapels dedicated to the various Langues of the Order. It is here, in the chapel of the Langue of Auvergne, that Grand Master Jean de La Cassière, poisoned in 1581, is buried. Caravaggio's paintings, including 'The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist' (1608), an impressive 361 cm x 520 cm, may conceal hidden messages. This Valletta monument is crucial for your investigation into the Knights' heritage.
Your journey then takes you to the Auberge de Castille et León, built in 1574 for the Langue of Castille, Leon, and Portugal. Its Baroque facade, redesigned in 1742 by Girolamo Cassar, is an architectural testament to Valletta's evolution. Next, the Auberge d'Italie, also erected in 1574 by Girolamo Cassar for the Italian Langue, and renovated in 1757, boasts a 30m wide facade. These buildings, once residences for the Knights, are key locations for understanding the rivalries and alliances within the Order, essential for solving the conspiracy.
The Upper Barrakka Gardens, created between 1775 and 1780 as private gardens for the knights, offer a moment of respite and breathtaking views of the Three Cities and the Grand Harbour. The noon gun salute, performed since 1904, echoes as a reminder of Valletta's defenses. Afterwards, Fort Saint-Elme, built in 1552 and expanded in 1565 before the Great Siege, is an emblematic site of the victory against the Ottomans in 1565. This fort, now the National War Museum, bears witness to the Knights' resilience and the dangers that loomed over the island of Malta, a context ripe for court intrigues.
Finally, your quest leads you to Our Lady of Victories Church, the oldest in Valletta, built in 1567 by Girolamo Cassar to commemorate the victory of the Great Siege of 1565. Its 20m high dome and 18th-century frescoes provide a final backdrop for your discoveries. By completing your thematic circuit, you will have not only unraveled the threads of the poisoned plot but also explored Valletta's rich heritage, a UNESCO World Heritage city. This interactive visit will have provided you with a deep understanding of Valletta's history and the Knights of St. John, making you a true expert of its tumultuous past.
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
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?
Poisons and Antidotes
Decipher hidden formulas in the manuscripts of an Order apothecary.
Secret Archives
Explore the corners of history to reconstruct a forgotten plot.
Succession Struggles
Dive into the ambitions and betrayals within the Order of Knights.
Uncover the secret of the poisoned Grand Master!
The fate of the Order of Malta is in your hands.
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.
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Your turn to play
Dive into the intrigues of Valletta, city of the Knights of St. John, where a poisoned plot threatens the Grand Master's fate.
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 Valletta, Malta
See all games in Valletta, Malta→More ideas for self-guided walking tours, scavenger hunts & city quests in the same city
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Valletta — The 72-Hour Betrayal
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Valletta — The Conspiracy of the Order
Uncover the conspiracy that toppled the Knights of Malta. Decode cryptic symbols across Valletta's bastions and follow the trail of betrayal to expose the traitors who orchestrated the Order's shocking fall.
Valletta — Caravaggio's Dark Secret
Uncover the hidden conspiracy that drove Caravaggio to paint his blood-signed masterpiece and escape from the Knights' clutches in Valletta's shadowy streets.
Valletta — The Resilient Cross Secret
Uncover the hidden code behind Malta's George Cross award during the WWII Siege. Decode clues at Valletta's war memorials and bastions to expose the resilient secret that saved the island from invasion.
Valletta — Decipher the Knights' Hidden Reliquary
Uncover the secret vault where the Knights of Saint John concealed their most sacred relics. Decipher cryptic clues hidden in chapels and crypts to expose a centuries-old conspiracy of silence.
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