Bukhara — The Forgotten Ledger
Uncover the Forgotten Ledger of a Silk Road merchant, hidden amid Bukhara's ancient monuments. Decipher clues from minarets and madrasas to expose a deadly conspiracy before its secrets are lost forever.
📱 1 to 10 phones · 1 team per phone · Independent codes
In the bustling heart of 10th-century Bukhara, a wealthy Silk Road merchant named Alim Bey kept a secret ledger recording illicit trades, bribes to Samanid rulers, and a map to a hidden treasure vault
Bukhara — The Forgotten Ledger
You are Nadir Divan-Beghi, the enlightened vizier of the Emirate of Bukhara around 1620, tasked with recording the commercial secrets and forgotten legends of the medieval
Step into the centuries-old alleys of Bukhara, where every cobblestone in the UNESCO-listed historic center holds the whispers of Silk Road merchants.
The story that haunts this land
Your quest for Bukhara's forgotten ledger begins in Lyab-i Hauz Square, the beating heart of the old city since the 17th century. Built in 1620 around a historic pond measuring 40m x 36m where fishing for sacred fish was forbidden, this lively square has been the social gathering point par excellence. Facing you stands the Khanaka Nadir Divan-Beghi, erected in 1622 by Vizier Nadir Divan, and its mirrored madrasa completed in 1623. It is here, in the heart of Bukhara's historic center, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1993, that the pond reflects the madrasa architecture, inviting you to decipher the first signs of your mission.
A short walk from Lyab-i Hauz, your journey takes you to the Sayfuddin Caravanserai, a compact and well-preserved example of Silk Road architecture. Built between 1311 and 1312 by Sayf al-Din, this caravanserai, restored in the 20th century, served as a crucial stop for merchants and their animals. Its iwans and chambers bear witness to the commercial exchanges that brought wealth to Bukhara. By exploring this site, you decipher past transactions, the cargoes of silks and spices that passed through this historic commercial district, thus integrating medieval trade into your quest for the ledger.
Continue your exploration towards Toki Sarrafon, one of the iconic 17th-century commercial domes, formerly dedicated to money changers (sarrafon). These covered bazaars are essential remnants of the Silk Road markets. Now transformed into the State Museum of Bukhara, a few hundred meters from Lyab-i Hauz, this site allows you to understand the importance of financial transactions in the city's economy. The secrets of exchange rates and ancient currencies are inscribed within these walls, indispensable elements for unlocking the next stages of your historical investigation in Bukhara.
Your itinerary then leads you to the Bolo-Hauz Mosque, built in 1712, approximately 500m from Lyab-i Hauz in the Registan district. This royal court mosque, used by the emirs until the 20th century, is famous for its 20 carved wooden pillars reflected in the nearby pond. The elegance of its architecture and its function as a place of worship for royalty give you insight into the lives of Bukhara's rulers. The carved motifs on the pillars hide symbols that you must interpret, revealing crucial information about the lineage of the emirs and their role in preserving the city's archives.
Finally, your journey takes you to the Chashma-Ayyub Mausoleum, a 14th-century edifice linked to the legend of the prophet Job (Ayyub) and its sacred spring. This cubic structure topped with a blue dome, near Bolo-Hauz and about 1 km from Lyab-i Hauz, is part of the ancient urban landscape. The Ark Citadel, a 5th-century fortress rebuilt several times and residence of the emirs until 1920, dominates the city with its 4 hectares, visible from the old quarter. Legend has it that the last emir, Alim Khan, blew up parts of the palace in 1920 to avoid capture. Your journey through Bukhara allows you to piece together fragments of history, faith, and power, and to reconstruct the timeline to this forgotten ledger, revealing the hidden truths of this legendary Silk Road city.
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?
Ancient Routes
Follow the paths traced by caravans through the trade domes.
Trade Secrets
Uncover the strategies and goods that made Bukhara's merchants rich.
Islamic Architecture
Let the ornamental details of centuries-old madrasahs and mosques guide you.
Uncover the secrets of a forgotten merchant empire.
Bukhara's fate rests in your hands.
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.
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Your turn to play
Step into the centuries-old alleys of Bukhara, where every cobblestone in the UNESCO-listed historic center holds the whispers of Silk Road merchants.
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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