The Hidden Word — Decipher the Birth of Spanish
Uncover the secret annotations that birthed the Spanish language. Decipher the Glosas Emilianenses and expose the anonymous monk's hidden message before the manuscript vanishes forever.
📱 1 to 10 phones · 1 team per phone · Independent codes
In the 11th century, deep within the scriptorium of Suso Monastery, an anonymous monk made a radical act of linguistic rebellion
Discover the cradle of Castilian and the key to an invaluable linguistic heritage
In the 11th century, deep within the scriptorium of Suso Monastery, an anonymous monk made a radical act of linguistic rebellion. While copying a Latin religious text, he scribbled marginal notes—glosses—in a language forbidden by the Church: early Castilian Spanish and Basque. These annotations, the Glosas Emilianenses, became the first written proof that Spanish existed as a living tongue, separate from Latin. But the monk left behind more than linguistic history. Hidden within the monastery's twin complexes—Suso perched high in the forest, Yuso built centuries later on the valley floor—are cryptic clues that point to a deeper secret: why did this monk risk heresy to preserve these words? What truth was he protecting? You must trace eight sacred sites across the San Millán valley, decode the monk's marginalia, and unearth the conspiracy that nearly erased the birth of Spanish from history. The clock is ticking—the original codex is locked away in Madrid. Your only chance to solve this mystery lies in the stones, the archives, and the legends of this UNESCO World Heritage sanctuary.
A game, a guided tour and a city guide — all in one
You're not just buying an escape game. You're carrying a living city guide — historical anecdotes, forgotten legends, key monuments, hidden architecture — unfolding step by step as you walk.
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
« I want to make a prose in plain romance, in which the people usually speak with their neighbor. »— Gonzalo de Berceo, Medieval poet associated with San Millán de la Cogolla
The genesis of Castilian
The monasteries of San Millán de la Cogolla, Suso (the upper one) and Yuso (the lower one), are places of paramount importance for the history of the Spanish language. Founded in the 6th century by Saint Millán (Emilian), these monastic complexes were for centuries centers of culture and knowledge, where copyist monks worked tirelessly to preserve and create manuscripts. It was in this rich context that the transition from Vulgar Latin to the developing Romance languages began to be written.
Around the late 10th or early 11th century, an anonymous monk, in the scriptorium of San Millán, made marginal annotations on a Latin codex, the Codex Aemilianensis 60. These brief notes, intended to clarify the Latin text for his brethren, are now known as the Glosas Emilianenses. They represent the first written testimonies in Castilian (a nascent Romance dialect) and Basque, symbolically marking the birth of the Spanish language and written Basque.
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?
Ancient Manuscript
Track a linguistic mystery buried in the margins of an ancient codex.
Birth of a Language
Discover the first words written in Castilian and Basque.
Millenary Monasteries
Explore the UNESCO-listed sites of Suso and Yuso, cradles of Iberian writing.
Words come alive.
A journey to the beginning of Castilian.
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.
Vous avez joué à le manuscrit des glosas? Rendez-vous dans l'email reçu après votre partie pour laisser un avis vérifié.
Your turn to play
Decipher a forgotten linguistic code to reveal the glossator's secret message and unravel the mysteries of the first words written in Spanish.
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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