Yerevan — Oath of the Shadows
Uncover the hidden Soviet-era conspiracy that silenced Yerevan's dissidents. Decode clues from Republic Square to the Opera House to thwart the oath of shadows before it claims another victim.
📱 1 to 10 phones · 1 team per phone · Independent codes
In the heart of Yerevan's Kentron District, during the oppressive Soviet 1930s, a secret cabal of KGB operatives swore the 'Oath of the Shadows'—a blood pact to crush Armenian intellectuals and bury t
Yerevan — Oath of the Shadows
You are a Royal Chronicler of ancient Erebuni, tasked in 782 BC with uncovering a hidden truth that could secure the future of a nascent Armenia.
Your quest begins on
Dive into the heart of Yerevan, the eternal pink city, to uncover millennia-old secrets carved into tufa stone, from the Kingdom of Urartu to the whispers of Armenian independence.
« Armenia is the cradle of civilization, where mountains guard the secrets of ancient kingdoms. »— Official inscription at the History Museum of Yerevan
The story that haunts this land
Your journey in Yerevan first leads you to Saint Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral, a 54-meter-high edifice completed in 2001, dedicated to the 1700th anniversary of Armenia's conversion to Christianity in 301 AD. The pink tufa stones come from Armenia's historic quarries, a millennia-old construction technique visible in every detail of its traditional architecture. Here, interior mosaics depict 50 Armenian saints and modern stained-glass windows illustrate Armenian religious history, while an underground crypt houses relics of Saint Gregory the Illuminator and Saint John the Baptist, grounding this visit in Eastern Christian heritage.
Continue your tour to Erebuni Fortress, founded in 782 BC by King Argishti I of the Kingdom of Urartu. An original cuneiform inscription attests to its power: 'Argishti, son of Menua, built this mighty fortress and named it Erebuni.' With enclosing walls 3 to 5 meters thick and preserved heights of 6-8 meters, this 390m × 340m archaeological site reveals a 2,700m³ underground grain storage system discovered during 1968-1970 excavations, proving ancient logistical sophistication. The on-site archaeological museum displays artifacts from the 8th century BC, including ceramics and royal seals, essential for understanding Urartu archaeological museums and the history of Yerevan as a historic capital.
The route then takes you to the Komitas Pantheon, a circular edifice inaugurated in 1985, dedicated to the musicologist Komitas Vartabed (1869-1935), repatriated from Paris in 1936. This memorial site, with its 35-meter diameter dome adorned with mosaics depicting 8 major figures of Armenian culture, houses 5,000 original manuscript scores. Komitas collected over 3,500 Armenian folk songs between 1900-1915, safeguarding intangible heritage before the 1915 Armenian Genocide. This site, though more recent than Erebuni Fortress, testifies to Armenian cultural continuity and resilience in the face of adversity.
Your exploration of Yerevan continues at Yerevan State University, founded in 1919 and reorganized in 1921. Its 58-meter-high main building, constructed between 1926 and 1940 in a Stalinist style, educated the intellectuals of the Armenian independence movement from 1988-1991. Its central library, boasting 3 million volumes, includes Armenian manuscripts dating from the 5th century, copies from the Mesrop Mashtots school. Charles Aznavour Square, renamed in 2003 in homage to the singer-songwriter (1924-2018), with its 2.5-meter bronze statue, marks another milestone in Armenian history, celebrating a cultural ambassador who first sang in Armenia in 1960. These locations illustrate the rich heritage of Yerevan and its evolution.
Finally, Lovers' Park, developed in the 1960s and renovated in 2008, offers a panoramic view of Mount Ararat (5,137m), an Armenian national symbol. The park contains a monument dedicated to lovers who died during the Siege of Yerevan (1918-1921), highlighting the city's ability to commemorate its history even in its recreational spaces. Your journey concludes at the Statue of David of Sassoun, a monumental 16-meter pink granite sculpture created in 1959 by Sergei Merkurov, representing the legendary Armenian hero. This monument on Mesrop Mashtots Avenue, which survived the 1988 earthquakes, symbolizes Armenian resistance and national pride, concluding your interactive Yerevan tour with a powerful testament to the historical continuity of the Caucasus.
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?
Encrypted journal
Decipher a historian's journal to uncover a well-kept secret.
Hidden revelations
Uncover unprecedented truths about the denial of the Armenian Genocide.
Legacy to protect
Protect 'The Oath of Shadows' from the forces of oblivion and denial.
The past is a lantern, not a signpost.
Illuminate the paths of truth.
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
Dive into the heart of Yerevan, the eternal pink city, to uncover millennia-old secrets carved into tufa stone, from the Kingdom of Urartu to the whispers of Armenian independence.
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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