Sitka — The Forgotten Protocol
Uncover the secret protocol buried during the 1867 Alaska Purchase handover. Decode clues across Sitka's landmarks to expose the hidden terms that could rewrite history.
📱 1 to 10 phones · 1 team per phone · Independent codes
In October 1867, as the Russian flag lowered over New Archangel (now Sitka) and the Stars and Stripes rose, a clandestine protocol was drafted in the shadows of the governor's residence
Dive into the last secret of Russian Alaska, where the Tsar's Empire ceded America to the United States on October 18, 1867 on Castle Hill.
Step into the shoes of a Russian government archivist on a secret mission in Sitka, capital of Russian Alaska until 1867. You arrive at Castle Hill, a 30-meter promontory where Alexander Baranof governed from 1808 to 1818, to find a diplomatic protocol lost during Alaska's transfer. At each stop, open your phone: augmented reality documents appear on Saint Michael's Cathedral facades, 18th-century icons reveal themselves in the Russian Bishop's House, a 1804 Tlingit totem whispers its secrets in Sitka National Historical Park. Over ~165 minutes of walking through 1.5 km, you trace your own Russian Alaska — history textbooks merged into Sitka's landscape. More than an outdoor escape game: an interactive visit immersed in 150 years of Russian-American history, with anecdotes revealed at each stop and hidden sites that classic guides forget.
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
Castle Hill welcomes you to this 30-meter promontory where Russia officially transferred Alaska to the United States on October 18, 1867. Alexander Baranof, governor of Russian Alaska from 1808 to 1818, established his residence here and directed from this strategic point a commercial empire extending to California. Designated National Historic Landmark in 1967 for Alaska's purchase centennial, this site offers stunning views of Sitka harbor where Russian-American Company ships loaded with sea otter furs once docked.
Saint Michael's Cathedral raises its Orthodox domes since 1848, rebuilt identically in 1976 after the 1966 fire that destroyed the original. You'll discover the largest collection of Russian icons outside Russia, including the Virgin of Kazan icon from 1700. Dedicated to Saint Michael, archbishop of Sitka from 1840 to 1867, this cathedral witnesses the continuity of Russian Orthodox worship in Alaska for over 175 years, surviving the sovereignty change.
The Russian Bishop's House, built in 1842, served as residence for Bishop Innocent Veniaminov, Russian missionary canonized in 1977 as Saint Innocent of Alaska. Restored in 1972 by the National Park Service to reflect its 1880 appearance, this 557 m² two-story dwelling houses period Russian furniture and Tlingit artifacts. Designated National Historic Landmark in 1972, it illustrates the complex cultural cohabitation between Russian colonizers and indigenous populations.
Sitka National Historical Park, established in 1910 as America's first national park dedicated to culture, preserves the 1804 Battle of Sitka site between Russians and Tlingit Kiks.ádi. Across its 113 acres, a 1.2 km trail leads you among Tlingit totems carved between 1804 and 1940, the oldest directly witnessing the founding conflict. The Sheldon Jackson Museum, founded in 1888 by the eponymous Presbyterian missionary, preserves 6000 indigenous artifacts in Alaska's first museum, an 1894 building classified National Historic Landmark.
Your investigation concludes at Sitka Pioneer Home, opened in 1913 as Alaska's first public senior facility, built on Russian orphanage models with integrated Orthodox chapel. This 120-resident facility, expanded in 1937 and 1969, symbolizes the transition between Russian and American Alaska. You leave with intimate understanding of a territory where three cultures - Russian, American, and Tlingit - shaped Sitka's unique identity, former capital of a forgotten empire.
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?
Diplomatic Documents
Uncover the secrets of a historic agreement that redefined an entire nation.
Tlingit Heritage
Immerse yourself in the culture and resilience of the Tlingit people, masters of these lands.
Russian Colonial Remains
Russian Colonial Remains
Explore the traces of the Russian Empire, from its Orthodox churches to its mercantile strongholds.
Truth is never sold, only forgotten.
Find the page that changed history.
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
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Your turn to play
Dive into the last secret of Russian Alaska, where the Tsar's Empire ceded America to the United States on October 18, 1867 on Castle Hill.
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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