Karnak — Champollion's Hidden Cipher
Decipher Champollion's final field notes hidden within Karnak's sacred walls to unlock the pharaoh's lost decree before rival scholars claim the discovery.
📱 1 to 10 phones · 1 team per phone · Independent codes
In 1828, Jean-François Champollion arrived at Karnak with a singular obsession: to prove his revolutionary decipherment of hieroglyphics was not mere theory, but truth carved in stone
Karnak — Champollion's Hidden Cipher
You are a linguistic scholar, arriving in Luxor, Egypt, today, drawn by a tantalizing whisper concerning Jean-François Champollion.
In 1828, Champollion reached Karn
In the footsteps of the hieroglyph genius in Luxor
« Egypt is a homeland to me, and the Nile is no less mine than the Seine. »— Jean-François Champollion, Letter to his brother, 1829
The Master of Hieroglyphs and the Secret of the Nile
Born in 1790, Jean-François Champollion was a child prodigy fascinated by ancient Egypt. Self-taught, he learned many Oriental languages and took on the challenge of deciphering hieroglyphs, a script lost for over fifteen centuries. After years of relentless research, utilizing the Rosetta Stone, he achieved the unthinkable in 1822, offering the world the key to reading the mysteries of ancient Egypt. This major discovery opened a new field of study: Egyptology.
Six years after his triumph, Champollion undertook the Franco-Tuscan expedition to Egypt (1828-1829). Accompanied by the Italian Ippolito Rosellini, he traveled the country, from the Delta to Sudan, to copy inscriptions and validate his theories. In Thebes, modern-day Luxor, he spent months studying the temples of Karnak and Luxor. It was in this context of frenetic discovery that he is said to have uncovered a detail about an ancient ritual calendar, which he fragmented and left for observation in the public places of Luxor, as a final challenge for future scholars.
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
5-10 curated sites across the territory
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 · 14,90€No calendar booking. Code sent immediately by email.
🔒 Secure payment · Code in 5 min · Free cancellation
Practical info
Why this route?
Decipher the manuscript
Reconstruct Champollion's scattered notes to reveal lost knowledge.
Archaeological investigation
Explore Luxor's streets and Karnak's surroundings with an Egyptologist's eye.
Historical immersion
Immerse yourself in the fascinating era of early Egyptian discoveries.
The secrets of ancient Egypt await your decipherment.
Dare you follow in the footsteps of the great Champollion?
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
Unravel the mysteries of Luxor, where Champollion revealed his own. Every step brings you closer to a forgotten truth, carved in stone and time. Your insight is the key to his legacy.
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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