Citadel Hill — The Black Manuscript Mystery
Uncover the cursed Black Manuscript hidden in Citadel Hill's shadows. Solve cryptic clues across Halifax's historic core to expose a 19th-century conspiracy before its dark secrets claim another victim.
📱 1 to 10 phones · 1 team per phone · Independent codes
In 1840s Halifax, a shadowy figure known only as the Scribe penned the 'Manuscrit Noir'—a forbidden tome filled with occult rituals, political betrayals, and maps to buried treasures from the Napoleon
Dive into 1920s Los Angeles, an era of secrets buried beneath the glitz, and unearth a mystery that has spanned decades.
Step into the shoes of Wilfrid Voynich, a Polish bookseller and antiquarian obsessed with ancient manuscripts, as a cryptic enigma leads you to the heart of Downtown Los Angeles. A fortuitous discovery propels you onto the trail of a legendary 'Black Manuscript,' whose pages may hold the key to a secret far vaster than the mere text. Your quest begins at Grand Central Market, the starting point of this unique GPS scavenger hunt. At each stage of this approximately 1.5 km journey, unfolding over ~165 minutes, your phone reveals augmented reality clues: ancient symbols appear on historic facades, coded messages materialize on the pavement, and fragments of forgotten maps come to life before your eyes. More than an outdoor escape game: an interactive visit immersed in the history of Los Angeles, with anecdotes revealed at each stop and confidential sites that classic guides overlook.
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 story that haunts this land
Your investigation begins at Grand Central Market, one of Los Angeles' oldest public markets, opened in 1917 at 317 S Broadway. This multicultural gathering place, named after New York's Grand Central Station, has witnessed a century of stories and secrets. Restored in 2014 to preserve its historic architecture while modernizing its over 30,000 square feet of facilities, it now houses more than 50 food stalls. It's in this vibrant maze, at the heart of the Downtown Los Angeles Historic Core, that the first pages of the mysterious manuscript guide you to a clue hidden among the stands.
Continue to the Bradbury Building, a National Register of Historic Places site, constructed in 1893 by Lewis L. Bradbury, a prosperous merchant. Its interior architecture is iconic, featuring wrought-iron staircases, glass-cage elevators, and a five-story atrium about 15 meters high, flooded with natural light from a glass skylight. This masterpiece, completed after Bradbury's death in 1892 by his son and architect Sumner Hunt, served as a setting for the film Blade Runner in 1982, enhancing its global renown. Here, the patterns of Mexican glazed bricks and green marble reveal symbols that only the Black Manuscript can interpret.
The path then leads you to Los Angeles City Hall, the seat of municipal government since its inauguration in 1928. This building, soaring to 138 meters (32 stories) and the city's tallest until 1964, showcases Beaux-Arts architecture with a terracotta dome inspired by La Paz's Capitol in Bolivia. Designated a national historic landmark in 1976, it withstood the great fire of 1907 and the 1933 Long Beach earthquake. It is in the shadow of this resilient Los Angeles titan that you decipher a new enigma, hidden within the details of its construction.
Your quest takes you to Pershing Square, Los Angeles' first public park, opened in 1866 as La Plaza Park. Renamed in 1918 in honor of General John J. Pershing of World War I, this 4.8-acre (1.9-hectare) park, bordered by 5th, 6th, Hill, and Olive Streets, was redesigned in 2016 to include fountains and public art. Amidst this urban haven, a message etched in California's history awaits you, linked to perseverance and the secrets that time reveals. The Black Manuscript seems to echo it, mentioning forgotten figures from Los Angeles' past.
Finally, your journey brings you close to the Angels Flight Railway, one of the oldest funiculars in the United States, opened on September 1, 1901. With a track length of 91 meters and a 33% incline between Hill Street and Grand Central Market, its original 'Sinai' and 'Olivet' cars have been restored and were designated a national historic landmark in 2002. It is here, on the 'tracks to heaven,' that the last fragment of the Black Manuscript mystery is revealed. This interactive tour of Los Angeles will have introduced you to the city's history, its monuments, and its secrets, enriching your journey with a deep understanding of California's heritage.
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?
Immersive Investigation
Immerse yourself in a scenario worthy of the greatest noir novels, inspired by Raymond Chandler.
Forgotten Secrets
Reconstruct a lost manuscript that reveals disturbing links between major historical events.
Noir Atmosphere
Explore the mythical streets of Los Angeles from a dark and mysterious angle.
In the City of Angels, even dreams have a dark side.
Are you ready to unearth the truth?
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.
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Your turn to play
Dive into 1920s Los Angeles, an era of secrets buried beneath the glitz, and unearth a mystery that has spanned decades.
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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