Bancroft Gardens — The Playwright's Hidden Manuscript
Decipher Shakespeare's lost scenes hidden within Stratford's monuments. Uncover the playwright's final secret before it vanishes forever.
📱 1 to 10 phones · 1 team per phone · Independent codes
In 1616, William Shakespeare died leaving behind whispers of unfinished plays—scenes too dangerous, too revealing to publish
Bancroft Gardens — The Playwright's Hidden Manuscript
You are a present-day Royal Shakespeare Company researcher, standing in Stratford-upon-Avon, tasked with retrieving a lost literary treasure.
Your mission: locate an unpublished manuscript by William Shakespeare
Delve into the mysteries of Stratford-upon-Avon, where the whispers of Shakespeare's lost plays still echo between the gardens and the banks of the Avon.
The story that haunts this land
Your journey in Stratford-upon-Avon begins at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, located on Waterside and facing Bancroft Gardens. This theatre, home to the Royal Shakespeare Company, attracts over a million annual visitors to its adjacent gardens. Inaugurated in 1932, it is a central landmark on your route, overlooking the River Avon and the Swan Theatre. It is here, at the heart of the theatrical life of the West Midlands, that the first puzzles guide you into the city's literary past and the secrets of William Shakespeare, born in 1564 and died in 1616.
Walking alongside the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, you reach the Swan Theatre, also located on Waterside, an integral part of the RSC complex. This more intimate theatre complements the theatrical experience of Stratford-upon-Avon. It is in this vibrant district that one can imagine the excitement of Shakespearean creations. Bancroft Gardens, formerly pastures and wharfs of the Stratford-Birmingham canal completed in 1816, extend nearby, offering a peaceful setting for the continuation of your exploration of the West Midlands heritage.
Within Bancroft Gardens, your gaze is drawn to the Gower Memorial, a statue of Shakespeare sculpted by Lord Ronald Sutherland Gower and presented to the town in 1888. This work is surrounded by secondary bronze figures representing theatrical genres: Hamlet for philosophy, Lady Macbeth for tragedy, Falstaff for comedy, and Prince Hal for history. Near the canal basin and its lock, this statue is a monumental tribute to the playwright, a key location for deciphering clues related to his work and the lost manuscript.
Your path then leads you to the River Avon and the canal lock adjacent to Bancroft Gardens. This basin of the Stratford-Birmingham canal, whose terminus was completed in 1816, is crossed by two fully accessible bridges. The riverside backdrop offers views of boats and, in the distance, of Holy Trinity Church, located about 500 meters away. It is in this church that William Shakespeare was buried after his death in 1616. The Country Artists' Swan Fountain, a stainless steel and brass sculpture by Christine Lee, unveiled by the Queen in November 1996 for the 800th anniversary of Richard I's market charter in 1196, enhances this landscape, adding a contemporary touch to the history of Stratford-upon-Avon.
Upon completing your journey through Bancroft Gardens, you will have explored a space rich in history and modern amenities, such as the human sundial celebrating the Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service. From the former canal wharfs to the modern fountain, every element of the gardens, once simple pastureland, tells a facet of Stratford-upon-Avon. This exploration of the West Midlands heritage will have allowed you to retrace the footsteps of William Shakespeare, understand the evolution of the city, and immerse yourself in its literary legacy, all while solving the enigma of the hidden manuscript.
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?
Journey into Elizabethan Theatre
Dive into the golden age of English theatre, explore behind the scenes of the Globe and the intricacies of performances in Shakespeare's era.
Decipher a Secret Manuscript
Follow clues left by a historical actor to piece together a forgotten document that could rewrite the history of an iconic play.
Stroll through Shakespeare's Stratford
Explore the streets and places that shaped the life and work of England's greatest playwright, from his birthplace to his final resting place.
The curtain rises on a four-century-old secret.
Dare you explore the Globe's unreleased scenes?
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
Q01Concretely, how does it unfold outdoors?
You arrive in Stratford-upon-Avon, West Midlands, open the link on your phone, the story starts. It's the modern outdoor escape game: audio narration, camera puzzles, final code unlocked as a team. No install. No need to book a time slot.
Q02Can we take a break mid-trail?
Of course. Stop at a café, have lunch, resume later: your progress is saved. Many players bake a meal break into the trail, especially with families.
Q03Does Bancroft Gardens — The Playwright's Hidden Manuscript work for team-building?
Yes — it's actually one of our main use cases. Outdoor escape game format, teams of 4 to 6, live ranking possible between groups. For companies above 12 participants, contact us: we can issue linked codes.
Q04Is Bancroft Gardens — The Playwright's Hidden Manuscript stroller-accessible?
Depends on the exact route in Stratford-upon-Avon, West Midlands. The vast majority of stops are downtown, on sidewalks or squares. If a stair or narrow passage is involved, it's flagged on the product page. Generally: yes, doable with a standard urban stroller.
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Delve into the mysteries of Stratford-upon-Avon, where the whispers of Shakespeare's lost plays still echo between the gardens and the banks of the Avon.
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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