Kazan — Pugachev's Dragon Manuscript
Uncover a secret Cossack plot and track down Pugachev’s encrypted manuscript hidden in the shadow of the Kazan Kremlin.
📱 1 to 10 phones · 1 team per phone · Independent codes
In 1774, the rebel Cossack Emelian Pugachev laid siege to Kazan, hoping to shatter Catherine the Great’s empire and spark a peasant uprising across the Volga
Kazan — Pugachev's Dragon Manuscript
You are Emelyan Pugachev, the Cossack leader, in Kazan, 1774.
Retrace your assault on the city, rebelling against Catherine II. Your mission: find the
Explore the Kazan Kremlin, a millennium-old fortress in Tatarstan, at the heart of a siege that reshaped the map of Russia in 1552.
The story that haunts this land
Your quest begins on May First Square, the scene of the June 1774 clashes where your Cossack rebels fought Catherine II's imperial troops in front of the Kazan Kremlin. This site, developed in the 1930s, replaced 19th-century structures and now hosts the Eternal Flame, commemorating WWII heroes since 1970. It is here, facing this 3.6-hectare historic citadel, inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000 and founded in the 10th century by Bulgar rulers, that you must find the first key to the lost manuscript.
Then, enter the enclosure through Spasskaya Tower, or Tower of the Savior, built between 1556 and 1563 after Ivan the Terrible's conquest in 1552. Reaching 66 meters with its star, this tower served as the main ceremonial entrance to the Kremlin and features a 16th-century icon of the Savior of Smolensk. By observing the clock added in the 18th century, just before your rebellion, hidden symbols will guide you to the Annunciation Cathedral. This cathedral, built from 1556 to 1562 by Pskov architects Postnik and Ivan Yakovlev, houses frescoes from the 1560s and the 'Our Lady of the Annunciation' icon, venerated since 1572. Its five domes and 2.5-meter-thick walls testify to imperial power.
Your journey leads you to the Qolşärif Mosque, a reconstruction completed in 2005 on the site of the original destroyed in 1552 during the Siege of Kazan. Named in honor of Qolşärif, the imam killed defending the city, this mosque is the largest in Europe with a capacity for 6,000 worshippers and minarets reaching 58 meters high. It is the tallest building in Kazan, and a place for reflection on Tatar resistance against the Russian Empire. Clues related to local Tatarstan traditions await you here, revealing secret passages in Kazan's history.
Continue towards the Governor's Palace, built from 1830 to 1833 in the Empire style by A. P. Gavrilov. This palace, which now houses the Museum of Tatarstan, spans 120 meters with 64 Corinthian columns. It was the scene of events related to your Pugachev rebellion in 1774, when your troops approached Kazan. Nearby, the Syuyumbike Tower, constructed in the 17th century (dated to the 1650s), rises 58 meters over 12 levels. Legendary residence of the Tatar queen Söyembikä, who died in 1557, it leans slightly like the Tower of Pisa and served as a watchtower, having undergone stabilization works in the 1990s.
The final challenge awaits you near Tainitskaya Tower, another strategic point of the Kazan Kremlin. By gathering all the fragments of information and symbols revealed by augmented reality, you will decipher the final location of the Dragon Manuscript. This interactive journey will have immersed you in the layers of the Kazan Kremlin, a UNESCO World Heritage site that condenses the history of Tatarstan, from the 10th century to the Russian imperial period, including the Siege of Kazan in 1552. You will have explored the key monuments and the narratives of resistance and power that shaped this iconic city.
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?
Cossack Revolt
Relive the largest peasant and Cossack uprising in Russian history.
Encrypted Manuscript
Decipher a secret message that could have changed Kazan's destiny.
Tatar Legends
Explore the symbols and heritage of a millennium-old culture in the heart of the Empire.
Freedom or death!
The rallying cry of Pugachev's rebels
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
Explore the Kazan Kremlin, a millennium-old fortress in Tatarstan, at the heart of a siege that reshaped the map of Russia in 1552.
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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Kazan Kremlin — The Lost Manuscript
Uncover the forgotten manuscript revealing a secret pact between Islam and Orthodoxy, hidden during the 1552 siege. Decode clues across the Kremlin to expose the truth before it vanishes forever.
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