Nara — Uncover the Imperial Seal
In 8th-century Nara, Emperor Shomu's imperial seal vanished amid palace intrigue and Buddhist rivalries. Decode monk codes, decipher shrine symbols, and outwit ancient guardians to reclaim it before its curse engulfs the city.
📱 1 to 10 phones · 1 team per phone · Independent codes
Nara, Japan's capital from 710 to 784, pulsed with power as Emperor Shomu forged the nation's unity through Buddhism
Nara — Uncover the Imperial Seal
You are a Kōshō (imperial scribe) serving the Imperial Court in Heijō-kyō, Nara, in 770 AD.
Emperor Kōnin has entrusted you with a
Follow the traces of Japan's first unified empire, from the imperial capital Heijō-kyō to millennial sanctuaries where Emperor Shōmu's prayers still resonate.
The story that haunts this land
Nara welcomes you through Suzaku-mon gate, main entrance to Heijō Palace built in 710 during the founding of Japan's first planned capital. This 25-meter wooden structure, restored in 1998, guarded access to the imperial complex where Emperor Shōmu established Japan's first centralized government based on the Chinese model. Excavations still reveal building remains from the 8th century, witnesses to a palatial area of 1.3 km² that housed the 78 by 28 meter audience hall.
Your route then leads to Tōdai-ji through the Great South Gate, Nandaimon, rebuilt in 1194 after a fire. This gate, classified as National Treasure, houses two 8.5-meter tall Kongōrikishi statues sculpted by masters Unkei and Kaikei. These guardians protect access to the complex founded in 728, symbol of state Buddhism desired by Emperor Shōmu to spiritually unify the archipelago under his imperial authority.
The Great Buddha Hall, Daibutsuden, reveals the world's largest wooden building: 48 meters long and 50 meters high, rebuilt in 1709. The 14.98-meter Vairocana statue, cast in 749 by Shōmu's order, could accommodate 3000 faithful in the original edifice. This titanic work materializes the imperial will to create a spiritual center capable of radiating throughout nascent Japan.
Kōfuku-ji's five-story pagoda, 50.1 meters high and dating from 1426, marks the influence of the Fujiwara clan who patronized the temple since 710. This National Treasure, restored in 1992, symbolizes the alliance between imperial power and aristocratic families. Nearby, Kasuga Taisha shrine founded in 768 by the same Fujiwara clan displays its 3000 stone and bronze lanterns, illuminated during Setsubun Mantoro since the 8th century.
Your quest ends at Shin-Yakushi-ji temple, founded in 747 by Empress Kōmyō for her husband Shōmu's healing. The 3.5-meter Yakushi Nyorai statue, an 11th-century National Treasure, guards the last secrets of this era when Nara concentrated all powers. Among the sacred deer of the park created in 1880 and the 1998 UNESCO sites, you take away the vision of a Japan unified for the first time under a builder emperor's authority.
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?
Imperial Decrees
Uncover the hidden secrets of Nara's emperors, facing the rising power of Buddhist monasteries.
Intriguing Monks
Dive into the political and spiritual rivalries that pitted the imperial court against influential monastic orders.
Sacred Architecture
Use the grand architecture of Nara's temples and palaces as a key to unlock a millennium-old message.
The balance of power is an ancient enigma.
Find the Imperial Seal before it is broken forever.
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
Follow the traces of Japan's first unified empire, from the imperial capital Heijō-kyō to millennial sanctuaries where Emperor Shōmu's prayers still resonate.
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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