Ashland — The Bard's Forgotten Register
Uncover the hidden register of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s founder and expose a century‑old artistic conspiracy buried in Ashland’s historic heart.
📱 1 to 10 phones · 1 team per phone · Independent codes
In the 1930s, a visionary theater director in Ashland dreamed of turning a small Oregon town into a stage for Shakespeare’s greatest works
Angus L. Bowmer: The Mastermind of a Theatrical Utopia
In the 1930s, a visionary theater director in Ashland dreamed of turning a small Oregon town into a stage for Shakespeare’s greatest works. Behind the scenes, he kept a secret register—prompt books, coded notes, and suppressed scripts—hidden among the town’s historic buildings. When the festival took off, the register vanished, and with it, a darker truth about who really shaped the festival’s legacy. Now, decades later, fragments of that register have resurfaced in the Ashland Historic District, tucked inside old theaters, libraries, and Victorian homes listed on the National Register of Historic Places. You are the only one who can follow the clues, decode the founder’s hidden messages, and expose the forgotten story that has shaped Ashland’s artistic soul. Walk the compact streets of the historic district, visit eight real landmarks tied to the festival’s origins, and piece together the bard’s lost register before its secrets are silenced once more.
« Tout le monde est un théâtre, et tous les hommes et femmes ne sont que des acteurs. »— William Shakespeare, Comme il vous plaira
The Rise of a Cultural Beacon
The Oregon Shakespeare Festival, founded by Angus L. Bowmer, began humbly in 1935 with the performance of two Shakespeare plays on a makeshift stage built on the remnants of an old boxing ring. Bowmer, then an English professor at Southern Oregon State Normal School (now Southern Oregon University), dreamed of recreating the Elizabethan theatrical experience. His perseverance, combined with the enthusiasm of the Ashland community, allowed the festival to overcome the initial challenges of the Great Depression and World War II.
Over the decades, the festival grew to become one of the largest and most respected in the United States, attracting thousands of visitors annually. It expanded its repertoire beyond Shakespeare, while maintaining its commitment to artistic excellence and the exploration of universal themes. Bowmer's imprint remains omnipresent, not only in the names of the theaters but also in the spirit of innovation and accessibility that continues to animate the festival and the city of Ashland.
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?
Theatrical Immersion
Discover the history and secrets of the renowned Oregon Shakespeare Festival, from backstage to iconic stages.
Coded Legacy
Decipher the hidden principles of founder Angus L. Bowmer, through architectural and historical clues.
Nature and Culture Trail
Stroll through the magnificent paths of Lithia Park and the university campus, linking nature and knowledge.
The curtain rises on history. Are you ready for the role?
Uncover the secrets that shaped the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.
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
Unravel the mysteries of theatre and Angus L. Bowmer's legacy. Your adventure starts now!
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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