The Lyon Gang — Decipher the Hidden Caches
Twenty years after their fall, the Lyon Gang's legendary caches remain buried. Decode cryptic clues hidden across Renaissance landmarks to expose their final secret before it vanishes forever.
📱 1 to 10 phones · 1 team per phone · Independent codes
In the 1990s, the Lyon Gang orchestrated France's most audacious heists, moving millions through the shadowy streets of Vieux Lyon
Dive into 1920s Lyon and decrypt the secret stashes of the legendary Lyon Gang, a true story etched into the cobblestones of France's gastronomic capital.
Step into the shoes of François Raoult, known as 'L'Aristocrate', a Lyonnais robber, tasked by Émile Guillaumin, leader of the Lyon Gang, to retrieve hidden loot before dawn. Your mission takes you on a 1.5 km journey, exploring Lyon's UNESCO World Heritage 1998 sites, from Place des Terreaux to Place Bellecour. Over approximately 135 minutes, at your own pace, open your phone: augmented reality clues reveal themselves on the Haussmannian facades of Rue de la République or the traboules of the Old Lyon safeguarded sector 1964. A coded message appears on the Bartholdi Fountain, symbols carved into the stones of Saint-Jean Cathedral guide you. More than an outdoor escape game: an interactive visit immersed in Lyon's history, with anecdotes revealed at each stop and confidential sites that classic guides often miss.
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
« Liberty, Equality, Fraternity »— Inscription on the pediment of Lyon City Hall
The story that haunts this land
Your journey begins at Place des Terreaux, in the heart of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, created in 1651 by the Aldermen of Lyon. In front of you stands the Hôtel de Ville, built between 1646 and 1672 and classified as a Historic Monument in 1886. It is here, beneath the Bartholdi Fountain, inaugurated in 1889, that the first clue awaits you. This fountain, 24 meters high, sculpted by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, has witnessed many secrets. The equestrian statue of Louis XIV, cast in 1820 by Jean-François Legendre-Duclos, is a silent reminder of the past powers that ruled this city.
Rue de la République, cut through between 1856 and 1863 under Napoleon III, is your next stop. This 1.2 km thoroughfare connects Terreaux to Bellecour, and is ranked among France's most beautiful shopping streets, with its Haussmannian alignment. It's around a shop window that Paolo, a gang member born in 1898, is said to have left a mark. Nearby, the Opéra de Lyon, formerly the Théâtre des Célestins, rebuilt in 1838 with a capacity of 1100 seats, still echoes with the whispers of Lyonnais. A detour through Passage de l'Argue, a 16th-century traboule, will lead you to a paved inner courtyard where an accomplice, Lyonnel Tramoni, known as 'le Niçois', allegedly left a message.
Your chase then leads you to Place Bellecour, created in 1556 by order of Henri II. It is Europe's largest Renaissance square, covering 17 hectares. The equestrian statue of Louis XIV, installed in 1825 and sculpted by François-Frédéric Lemot, dominates the square. This site, classified as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1998 for Old Lyon and the banks of the Rhône, is a meeting point for many Lyonnais. It is in the shadow of the Chapelle de la Trinité, built between 1752 and 1756 and classified as a Historic Monument in 1922, that you will find the next puzzle, hidden in a discreet corner of this vast esplanade.
Continue towards Place des Jacobins, formed in the 17th century and surrounded by 18th-century private mansions. This historic Presqu'île center, near the traboules of Old Lyon, is a key location in the city's history. The Église Saint-Bonaventure, built between 1604 and 1624 by the Jacobins in a Lyonnais Baroque style, hides a clue in its ornaments. The former Faculty of Law, transferred here in 1809 and whose buildings were classified as Historic Monuments in 1930, might also hold crucial information for your ongoing investigation in this Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes city, rich in heritage.
Your final stop takes you to Rue Saint-Jean, the main thoroughfare of Old Lyon, paved since the Middle Ages and classified as a UNESCO site in 1998. This street, approximately 700 meters long, is lined with secret 16th-century traboules. The Cathédrale Saint-Jean, built from 1175 to 1480 with its astronomical clock installed in 1383, is the culmination of your search. The classification as a safeguarded sector in 1964 for the architectural preservation of this Renaissance district testifies to its importance. By deciphering the last clues, you will understand the ingenuity of the Lyon Gang and carry with you a fragment of the history of Lyon, France's gastronomic capital, beyond classic guidebooks.
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 · 15€No calendar booking. Code sent immediately by email.
🔒 Secure payment · Code in 5 min · Free cancellation
Practical info
Why this route?
Criminal investigation
Follow the real traces of the Lyon gang in their former hideouts
Urban treasure hunt
Reconstruct the secret codes to locate the missing 50 million
Authentic Lyon
Discover Lyon's recent history through its iconic locations
Where did the 50 million go?
Solve the mystery that police never cracked
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
Soyez le premier à partager votre expérience.
Did you play le gang des lyonnais? Check the email you received after your game to leave a verified review.
Your turn to play
Dive into 1920s Lyon and decrypt the secret stashes of the legendary Lyon Gang, a true story etched into the cobblestones of France's gastronomic capital.
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 Historic center of Lyon, France
See all games in Historic center of Lyon, France→More ideas for self-guided walking tours, scavenger hunts & city quests in the same city
Other escape games in France
View France→More destinations, tours & urban treasure hunts across the country
Explore other cities in France
Cluny
The most powerful abbey in medieval Christendom
Vichy
Thermal elegance and history of the Queen of Spa Towns
Clermont-Ferrand
Black lava cathedral and call to crusade
Autun
Sister and rival of Rome in Gaul
Vallon-Pont-d'Arc
Chauvet Cave and natural arch of the Ardèche gorges
Vézelay
Eternal hill and departure point for the Crusades