Thames — Unearth the Prospector's Final Secret
1867: A gold prospector vanishes in the Coromandel mines. Decipher cryptic claims, hidden ore markers, and a lost fortune buried beneath Thames to expose what really happened that fateful night.
📱 1 to 10 phones · 1 team per phone · Independent codes
Albert Hunt struck gold in 1867 near Thames, but within weeks he disappeared without a trace
Thames — Unearth the Prospector's Final Secret
You are a fellow prospector, arriving in Thames in the year 1870, drawn by the lingering whispers of Albert Hunt's fate.
Albert Hunt struck gold in 18
The Lost Journal of a Solitary Prospector
« "The discovery of gold at Shortland created a feverish excitement, drawing men from all corners of the world, eager to try their luck." »— The Thames Advertiser, 1867
Coromandel's Fleeting Shine
In August 1867, the discovery of gold deposits in Shortland, near present-day Thames, triggered a rush that attracted thousands of prospectors. These pioneers, often coming from the Otago goldfields, sought a new opportunity in this promising region. The town of Thames, born from the merger of Shortland and Grahamstown, quickly became a vibrant, yet chaotic, center of mining activity. Miners dug complex tunnels and galleries, transforming the landscape and giving rise to tales of fortunes made and lost in an instant.
Unlike the Otago rush, dominated by easy alluvial discoveries, the Coromandel rush was characterized by the extraction of quartz veins, requiring heavier investments and more sophisticated technologies. This specificity, along with access difficulties and the more dispersed nature of the deposits, contributed to the image of a rush sometimes 'forgotten' compared to its major rivals, despite the immense wealth it generated and its profound impact on the region's development.
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
5-10 curated sites across the territory
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 · 14,90€No calendar booking. Code sent immediately by email.
🔒 Secure payment · Code in 5 min · Free cancellation
Practical info
Why this route?
The Gold Fever
Dive into the heart of the 1867 Coromandel gold rush excitement.
The Buried Journal
Reconstruct the story of a solitary prospector and his extraordinary discovery.
The Forgotten Map
Follow the trail of a hidden map, revealing a historical treasure.
Unravel the mystery of an overshadowed fortune.
Thames' destiny is in your hands.
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
Q01Is Thames — Unearth the Prospector's Final Secret similar to a treasure hunt?
Same spirit: search, deduce, find. But here the "treasure" is a full story to piece together in eight stops. Each stop gives you a fragment of the final code. Eight fragments later, you've cracked it.
Q02Can we split Thames — Unearth the Prospector's Final Secret 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 play Thames — Unearth the Prospector's Final Secret as a couple?
Great two-person format. Narration is dramatic without overdoing it, puzzles are designed to spark conversation. Ideal for new relationships or anniversaries — you discover the city and coordinate on puzzles simultaneously.
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
Decipher the journal's riddles and unearth the secret that could rewrite the history of the Coromandel gold rush.
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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