Jamestown — The Secret of the Starving Time
Uncover the chilling secret of Jamestown's Starving Time. Decode cryptic clues from desperate colonists to reveal what truly caused the famine that nearly wiped out the first English colony.
📱 1 to 10 phones · 1 team per phone · Independent codes
In the brutal winter of 1609-1610, Jamestown's settlers faced the Starving Time—a horror of famine, betrayal, and whispers of a hidden curse that drove them to cannibalism
Jamestown — The Secret of the Starving Time
You are a historical cryptographer, dispatched to Historic Jamestowne in the present day, tasked with unraveling a 400-year-old enigma.
In the brutal winter of 16
Survival in the New World – Winter 1609
« « Diseases increased and famine afflicted us. Had it not been for the Indians' help, many would have starved. » »— Captain John Smith, 'The General History of Virginia', 1624 (recalling the hardships)
The winter of all perils
After Captain John Smith's departure in October 1609, injured by a gunpowder explosion, the Jamestown colony plunged into chaos. Relations with the Powhatan Confederacy deteriorated, cutting off food supplies. The 'Starving Time' was a devastating winter during which, out of 500 colonists, only 60 survived, subsisting on whatever they could find, including domestic animals and, according to some accounts, cannibalism.
Despair was so great that in May 1610, the survivors decided to abandon Jamestown. As they sailed down the James River, they encountered a fleet commanded by Lord De La Warr, arriving with provisions and new colonists. His providential arrival prevented the abandonment of the colony and infused new momentum, marking a crucial turning point for the future of English Virginia.
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?
Trials of Survival
Delve into the challenges of the 'Starving Time' and the colony's early years.
Fragmented Logbook
Reconstruct the accounts and plans of a desperate colonist.
Unforgiving Nature
Explore the natural environment that so severely tested the first inhabitants.
Despair forges souls, ingenuity saves lives
Uncover a colonist's secret plan to escape Jamestown's 'Starving Time'.
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
Soyez le premier à partager votre expérience.
Did you play le secret du temps creux? Check the email you received after your game to leave a verified review.
Your turn to play
Unearth the message of hope that defied famine and saved the first colony.
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
Other escape games in Historic Jamestowne, Jamestown, Virginia
See all games in Historic Jamestowne, Jamestown, Virginia→More ideas for self-guided walking tours, scavenger hunts & city quests in the same city
Historic Jamestown — The Lost Parchment
Uncover the lost Jamestown parchment containing secret directives from the first colony's founders. Decode clues across the ruins to expose a hidden conspiracy that nearly doomed the settlement.
Historic Jamestowne — The Dark Register
In 1609, during Jamestown's Starving Time, a colonist's secret register hid a chilling truth and forgotten survival plot. Decipher its codes across the ruins to expose the conspiracy that nearly doomed the colony.
Other escape games in États-Unis
View États-Unis→More destinations, tours & urban treasure hunts across the country
Gettysburg — Orphanage of Shadows
Three Mile Island — Uncover the Cover-Up
Dealey Plaza — Decode the November Conspiracy
Hell's Half Acre — Uncover the Haunting Curse
Explore other cities in États-Unis
Williamsburg
Step back into colonial America
Yorktown
Where America won its independence
Richmond
Historic capital, vibrant and river-bound
Roanoke
On the Roanoke River, where history meets nature
Monticello
On the grounds of Thomas Jefferson
Appomattox
Where American history turned a decisive page
