Newark's Forgotten Diary — Uncover the Truth of 1967
From12€

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Downtown Newark, New Jersey, United StatesNewark's Forgotten Diary — Uncover the Truth of 1967
📍 Downtown Newark, New Jersey, United States·🕐 2h30 – 3h·📍 ~3.5 km
Also available as:HistoricalMysterySpy thriller

Newark's Forgotten Diary — Uncover the Truth of 1967

Decipher a hidden diary documenting the untold stories and conspiracies behind Newark's 1967 uprising. Uncover the truth buried in the city's most turbulent week.

📱 1 to 10 phones · 1 team per phone · Independent codes

Difficulty
·From age 14 years
Starting point :Former 4th Police Precinct (now 17-31 17th Avenue), Newark, NJ

In July 1967, Newark erupted

8
stages
~3.5 km
route
2h30 – 3h
at your pace
🚶
walking

Newark's Forgotten Diary — Uncover the Truth of 1967

🎭Your Mission

You are a present-day investigative reporter in Newark, driven to uncover the truth behind historical injustices.

In July 1967, Newark erupted, and official reports blamed rioters. But a

Newark 1967: The Truth Under the Ashes

« “What is happening in Newark is not criminal disorder. It is the cry of a population that has been ignored for too long.” »
Kenneth Gibson, future Mayor of Newark, July 1967

Days of Fire: The 1967 Newark Uprising

From July 12 to 17, 1967, Newark was the scene of one of the most devastating race riots in US history. It began with the arrest and beating of an African-American taxi driver, John William Smith, by local police. This incident, seen as the final straw, triggered an explosion of accumulated anger and frustration within the Black community, facing poverty, discrimination, high unemployment, and persistent tensions with the police and municipal administration.

The riots resulted in 26 deaths, over a thousand injuries, and millions of dollars in property damage. The National Guard was deployed, turning entire streets into war zones. This tragic event profoundly impacted the city, whose economic and social scars lingered for decades. The Newark riots were one of the catalysts for the Kerner Commission report, which concluded that the nation was 'moving toward two societies, one black, one white — separate and unequal.'

1967
From July 12 to 17, riots devastate Newark after the arrest of John William Smith.
1968
The Kerner Commission publishes its report, highlighting systemic racism.
1970
Kenneth Gibson becomes Newark's first African-American mayor.
Far more than an escape game

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.

🏛️
Hidden historical gems

At each stop, places ordinary guides miss — secret façades, sculpted crests, alleys steeped in history.

📜
Anecdotes & legends

Every riddle is rooted in a real historical fact or local legend. You leave with dozens of stories to tell.

🏗️
Architecture & heritage

Learn to read buildings — flamboyant Gothic, Baroque, Art Deco — like a real art historian, while having fun.

🚶‍♀️
Immersive wandering

Walk through the city like a novel's character — every alley becomes a stage, every square a theatre.

🎙️
Immersive audio narration

A voice walks with you at every step, tells the story of each place, reads clues, adds a cinematic feel.

📲
Yours forever

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?

🏛️
Outdoor escape game

Explore the city on foot solving puzzles based on real historical facts. No locked room — the city is your playground.

📱
On your smartphone

No app to download. Play directly from your browser. Guided step by step, at your own pace.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦
Unlimited players

One purchase per phone is enough. Play with family, friends or as a couple — everyone participates.

🎯
Augmented reality

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.

🤖
AI that helps you

Stuck? Progressive personalised hints. The character repeats the puzzle on demand — at your own pace.

🗣️
32 languages

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

Newark Museum of Artoptional
To delve deeper into Newark's cultural and social history, the museum offers collections that resonate with the city's identity before and after the riots.
10$
/pers.
Jewish Museum of New Jerseyoptional
Located in the Ahavas Sholom Synagogue, this museum offers a unique perspective on community life and multicultural interactions in Newark, relevant to understanding the social context of the 60s.
Free
/pers.
New Jersey Historical Societyoptional
Explore original archives, photographs, and documents to complement Elias's diary and gain firsthand insights into the riots and New Jersey history.
6$
/pers.
Budget if you do them all / pers.~16$

The Route

8 stages through the city

The gameplay: AR, camera, hidden clues

📱Search clues with your cameraRA

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.

8
original puzzles
24
min of narration
🪙 24
TripCoins granted
16
GPS waypoints

How does it work with a group?

One phone = one team. Pick the number at checkout (1 to 10).

🧍
1 phone

Solo, or a group sharing the screen. One team, one code.

👥
2-3 phones

Family, couple, or 2-3 teams competing. Each phone has its own code and its own score.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦
4 to 10 phones

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.
🕒No date to pick · Code valid 1 year · Play whenever you want

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

Starting point
Former 4th Police Precinct (now 17-31 17th Avenue), Newark, NJ
Directions on Google Maps
🕐
Duration
2h30 – 3h
At your own pace
👥
Players
Unlimited
From age 14
📍
Distance
~3.5 km
Historic Downtown
Accessibility
Partial
Uneven sidewalks possible
🌐
Languages
17 languages
Built-in translation

Why this route?

📜

In-depth Historical Investigation

Delve into the real events of the 1967 Newark riots and their lasting consequences.

🗣️

Forgotten Voices and Testimonies

Restore the memory of those who lived through and suffered the days of fire, through the eyes of a journalist.

🏙️

Urban Transformation and Resilience

Witness how Newark was shaped by this tumultuous period and how it managed to rise again.

“History is not what happened, but what was told.”

Penetrate official narratives and reveal Newark's collective memory.

★ Innovation 2026

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

Untangle the threads of a tumultuous past and give voice to the events that shaped Newark's identity. Your investigation will lead you through the streets where history was written, inviting you to a deep reflection on justice and resilience.

12€
1 phone
23€
2 phones
33€
3 phones
42€
4 phones
50€
5 phones
56€
6 phones
62€
7 phones
68€
8 phones
74€
9 phones
80€
10 phones

1 purchase = 1 phone. Play several on the same device.

🕒No date to pick · Code valid 1 year · Play whenever you want
Get my code · 12€

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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