Linnaeus's Lost Nomenclature — Decode the Father of Taxonomy
Decipher Carl Linnaeus's hidden botanical code scattered across Uppsala's gardens and landmarks. Uncover the secret system that revolutionized science—before his rival claims the discovery.
📱 1 to 10 phones · 1 team per phone · Independent codes
Carl Linnaeus, the father of modern taxonomy, spent decades perfecting a revolutionary classification system that would reshape how humanity understands life itself
Linnaeus's Lost Nomenclature — Decode the Father of Taxonomy
You are a young botanist apprentice, dispatched by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences to Uppsala in the mid-18th century.
Your urgent mission is to recover Carl Linnaeus's lost nomenclature.
Delve into the botanical secrets and 18th-century scientific discoveries in Uppsala, following in the footsteps of Carl Linnaeus, the father of modern taxonomy.
The story that haunts this land
Your journey begins at Svartbäcksgatan 27, in the Linnaeus Garden, Sweden's first botanical garden, founded in 1655 by Olof Rudbeck the Elder. Restored in 1745 by Carl Linnaeus and Carl Hårleman, it houses approximately 1000 species cultivated according to his famous sexual system. This historic site, which opens to the public on May 14 (pre-booked guided tours from May 1), is the ideal starting point to understand the botanist's work. Here you decipher the first clues hidden among the ordered flowerbeds, immersing yourself in the atmosphere where modern science took root in Uppland.
Just 0.2 miles from the garden, the Museum Gustavianum, founded in 1620 as the main building of Uppsala University, welcomes you. This university museum, rated 4.4/5 on TripAdvisor, abounds with collections related to Linnaeus and Swedish scientific history. It is a testament to Uppsala's rich academic heritage. Not far, the Universitetshuset, rebuilt in 1887 in a Neo-Renaissance style, was a central venue for academic ceremonies for Linnaeus, a professor at the university, and continues to honor his legacy in Uppsala's historic university district.
Your investigation then leads you to Carolina Rediviva, Sweden's largest university library, opened in 1841 and home to over 5 million volumes. It carefully preserves Linnaeus's collections, including the original manuscript of Systema Naturae. Located on the central campus, in close proximity to the Linnaeus Garden, this library is an essential landmark for knowledge conservation. You search for clues in the virtual archives, revealing the traceability of Linnaeus's discoveries and the importance of this indirect UNESCO Heritage through the botanist's work.
Continuing your central urban route, you reach Uppsala Cathedral, a Gothic edifice built between 1270 and 1435, the tallest of the Scandinavian churches at 118.7 m. Carl Linnaeus's tomb, installed in 1795 in the south chapel, is an essential place of remembrance. Approximately 1 km from the Linnaeus Garden, this cathedral represents the spiritual anchor of the city. The Linnémuseet, Carl Linnaeus's former home from 1743 to 1778, located in the Linnaeus Garden at Svartbäcksgatan 27, preserves the authentic 18th-century interior, offering a direct immersion into his daily life and herbariums.
Your quest concludes at Stora Torget, Uppsala's central square since the 17th century, approximately 0.8 km from the Linnaeus Garden. This starting point for many urban routes traverses historic streets for 1-3 km. After deciphering the last puzzles in the heart of this lively square, you will head towards Uppsala Slott. This Renaissance castle, built from 1549 under Gustav Vasa, was a royal residence until the 17th century and is linked to Uppsala's university and scientific history. This thematic circuit of Uppsala will have allowed you to reconstruct the lost nomenclature, understanding Linnaeus's contribution and the evolution of Swedish science, thus enriching your visit to Uppsala and the Uppland heritage.
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?
Botany and Nature
Immerse yourself in the abundant world of Carl Linnaeus, father of life's classification, through the gardens and places that shaped his vision.
Scientific Mystery
Uncover a forgotten secret of the "Prince of Botanists", a classification so avant-garde it was hidden from humanity.
Hidden Expeditions
Follow the footsteps of Linnaeus's 'Apostles' and their discoveries, which inspired a new vision of natural order.
Nature does not make leaps.
Carl Linnaeus
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
Delve into the botanical secrets and 18th-century scientific discoveries in Uppsala, following in the footsteps of Carl Linnaeus, the father of modern taxonomy.
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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