Bracara Augusta — The Bracarenses Enigma
Solve the enigma of the Bracarenses: decipher hidden Roman codes left by Bracara Augusta's elite to guard a lost treasure from barbarian invaders. Uncover their secrets across ancient ruins and walls.
📱 1 to 10 phones · 1 team per phone · Independent codes
In the 1st century AD, Bracara Augusta thrived as Rome's northern outpost, its Bracarenses citizens—merchants, priests, and soldiers—forging a prosperous enclave amid Iberian wilds
Bracara Augusta — The Bracarenses Enigma
You are a Roman procurator, sent from Rome to Bracara Augusta, capital of Gallaecia, in 115 AD, to investigate a series of strange disappearances among the local Brac
Walk in the footsteps of Augustus' legions who founded Bracara Augusta in 16 BC, the first Roman capital of northern Portugal.
The story that haunts this land
Your investigation begins beneath the Arco da Porta Nova, an 18-meter baroque masterpiece erected in 1772-1773 by André Soares da Silva. Its allegorical sculptures of Justice and Strength have guarded Braga's entrance for 250 years, but their foundations rest on the ancient Roman Via Principalis. Classified as a National Monument in 1938, this arch marks the starting point of your journey back in time to Bracara Augusta.
The Sé de Braga reveals its millennial secrets: construction began in 1093 under Bishop Pedro de Sousa, making it Portugal's oldest cathedral. Within its Romanesque walls enriched with Gothic and Baroque additions lies the silver shrine of Saint Gerald, first archbishop who died in 1108. Every stone tells the story of the episcopal seat established in 1070, when Braga became the religious capital of the nascent kingdom.
The Fonte do Ídolo, a 6-meter baroque fountain built in 1723 by Carlos Amarante, conceals an archaeological treasure: a 2nd-century pagan statue discovered in 1722. This Christian-pagan syncretism perfectly symbolizes Braga, where Roman traditions still blend with Christian rites. The water flowing today perhaps uses the same channels as Bracara Augusta's aqueducts.
The Termas Romanas do Alto da Cividade plunge you into the heart of the 1st century AD, when Augustus founded Bracara Augusta in 16 BC. These 700 m² baths with hypocaust and heated pools welcomed the elite of the Gallaecian capital. The 1976 excavations revealed mosaics and frescoes testifying to this Rome of the North's refinement. The Domus da Escola Velha completes this journey: this 1st-2nd century urban villa, excavated in 1750, housed a patrician family of Bracara Augusta across 300 m².
Your mission concludes in the Gardens of Santa Bárbara, created in the 17th century with topiary hedges and baroque fountains from 1724, then on Praça da República, paved in 1733 with geometric patterns. This square has hosted markets since 1500, perpetuating the Roman forum tradition. You leave with the certainty of having touched 2000 years of continuous history, from Emperor Augustus to baroque architects, in a city where every stone tells the story of European civilization's evolution.
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 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?
Roman Architecture
Discover the imposing remains of Bracara Augusta.
Ancient Manuscript
Decipher a coded parchment by a Roman governor.
Forgotten City Plan
Reconstruct the layout of an ancient city beneath the modern one.
Braga, the Portuguese Rome
Millennia of history beneath your feet
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
Walk in the footsteps of Augustus' legions who founded Bracara Augusta in 16 BC, the first Roman capital of northern Portugal.
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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