Medan — The Forgotten Ledger of Deli
Uncover the Deli tobacco barons' forgotten ledger exposing embezzlement, betrayal, and a hidden fortune buried in Kesawan's colonial shadows. Solve the coded clues before the secret vanishes forever.
📱 1 to 10 phones · 1 team per phone · Independent codes
In the late 19th century, Kesawan was the beating heart of the Deli tobacco empire, where Dutch planters and Chinese merchants amassed fortunes from the 'green gold' plantations
Medan — The Forgotten Ledger of Deli
You are a determined investigative journalist for a rival newspaper, arriving in Medan in 1899, hot on the trail of a scandal.
Kesawan, once the vibrant center of the Deli tobacco
Medan, tobacco capital – glory and suffering of a colonial era
« Deli tobacco was our gold, but for many, it was an invisible chain. »— Jacob Nienhuys, founder of the Deli Maatschappij (apocryphal quote)
The Tobacco Era and the Weight of Progress
The history of Medan is inextricably linked to that of tobacco. In 1863, Jacob Nienhuys, a young Dutch planter, discovered the incredible potential of the volcanic lands of Deli, in northeastern Sumatra. He founded the Deli Maatschappij, which would become a colossal economic power thanks to the exceptional quality of its tobacco, prized for luxury cigars in Europe. The city of Medan then experienced rapid growth, attracting capital and Dutch settlers, transforming the jungle into vast plantations and a modern city.
This expansion, however, was built on a system of forced labor. The labor needs were immense, and thousands of Chinese and Javanese coolies were recruited under draconian contracts. The infamous 'Koelieordonnantie' (Coolie Ordinance) of 1880, with its penal sanction clause, allowed planters to imprison or subject to corporal punishment workers who attempted to escape or break their contracts. Despite the city's outward prosperity, this era is marked by brutal exploitation and the suffering endured by these workers under colonial rule.
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.
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?
Forgotten Narrative
Dive into the little-known history of contract laborers who built the tobacco fortune of Deli.
Colonial Plantations
Discover the economic and social impact of the vast tobacco plantations that shaped Medan.
Penal Contract Labor
Investigate the harsh living conditions and injustices faced by Asian coolies.
The truth hidden behind every leaf.
The echoes of complaints traverse time.
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 an app or a paper guide?
Neither. Everything plays in your browser (Safari, Chrome) after you tap your activation link. No PDF to print, no download. The trail lives in your phone, that's it.
Q02Can we split Medan — The Forgotten Ledger of Deli across two days?
Yes — your code stays active and progress is saved. You can start Saturday afternoon, finish Sunday morning. Some players actually prefer this format to make the most of a full weekend on site.
Q03Can we do Medan — The Forgotten Ledger of Deli as a family with kids?
Yes, from age 6 with an adult reading puzzles aloud, and from age 12 on their own. Kids love the "find the camera clue" part — it's very visual, gets them genuinely involved.
Q04What if we get stuck on a puzzle?
Three hint levels per puzzle, with a small increasing time penalty. If truly stuck after level 3, you can skip the step (45-min penalty). The point: nobody stays blocked and goes home frustrated.
Avis des aventuriers
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Your turn to play
Uncover Medan's secrets and bring justice to the forgotten voices of colonial history.
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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