The Hornets' Nest
Saint-Malo, city of corsairs
📱 1 to 10 phones · 1 team per phone · Independent codes
The English called Saint-Malo "the hornets' nest" — an impregnable fortress from which three of history's most fearsome corsairs set sail to terrorize enemy fleets.
Three corsairs, one fortress, a treasure the English could never seize
Behind Saint-Malo's granite ramparts, corsairs Surcouf, Duguay-Trouin, and Jacques Cartier forged the legend of a city that never bowed to anyone — neither the English nor the King of France. Their motto? "Neither French nor Breton, I am Malouin." Your mission begins at Porte Saint-Vincent, where every visitor enters a world where the sea is a weapon and courage is currency.
« "Neither French, nor Breton — Malouin I am." »— — Historic motto of the Malouins
Saint-Malo — the corsair city no one ever conquered
Perched on its granite rock, Saint-Malo was born rebellious. In the 12th century, the city declared itself an independent Republic for four years, refusing to submit to either the Duke of Brittany or the King of France. This fierce pride never left it.
It was from this hornets' nest — the nickname given by the furious English — that the most feared corsairs of the seas set sail. Robert Surcouf captured East India Company ships in the Indian Ocean. Duguay-Trouin seized Rio de Janeiro with a makeshift squadron. Jacques Cartier discovered Canada in the name of the King of France.
Bombed and nearly destroyed in 1944, Saint-Malo was rebuilt stone by stone. Today, when you walk its ramparts facing the open sea, you can still feel the spirit of those men who preferred the storm to submission.
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.
The game downloads to your phone on start. Once the "✓ Downloaded" indicator appears, everything works without data — narration, AR, GPS and puzzles. Perfect abroad without a data plan.
The Route
5 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?
Three legendary corsairs
Follow in the footsteps of Surcouf, Duguay-Trouin, and Jacques Cartier through the city that raised them.
Ramparts and fortifications
Walk Vauban's walls with stunning views of the sea, forts, and islands.
Tidal gameplay
Europe's greatest tides are both your ally and your enemy — some puzzles depend on the sea.
Corsair codes
Decipher messages inspired by the real communication techniques of Malouin corsairs.
Neither French, nor Breton — Malouin I am.
Uncover the secrets of Europe's most fearsome corsair city.
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
Q01The Hornets' Nest — is it a guided trail or a free-form hunt?
It's a semi-guided trail: GPS points you to the next stop, but you find the camera clue and solve the puzzle yourself. No app to install, everything runs in your browser.
Q02How many stops are in The Hornets' Nest?
Eight stops total. At each stop you find a camera clue, solve the puzzle, collect a fragment of the final code. With all eight, you've got the answer.
Q03Can we play The Hornets' Nest as a couple?
Great two-person format. Narration is dramatic without overdoing it, puzzles are designed to spark conversation. Ideal for new relationships or anniversaries — you discover the city and coordinate on puzzles simultaneously.
Q04Do we need 4G data to play?
Intermittent 4G is plenty. Maps are cached at startup. Narration and clues load per stop, so a so-so signal between stops is fine. GPS itself uses no data.
Avis des aventuriers
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Your turn to play
From the ramparts to the cathedral, from Fort National to Surcouf's statue — dive into the golden age of privateering in an escape game where every alley hides a corsair's secret.
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
🪙+15 TripCoins granted with your booking
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