Mitla — Decipher the Codices of the Underworld
Uncover the hidden prophecy encoded in Mitla's sacred mosaics and painted lintels before the Spanish conquest erases the last Zapotec secrets forever.
📱 1 to 10 phones · 1 team per phone · Independent codes
In the 15th century, as Monte Albán's power faded, Mitla rose as the spiritual heart of Zapotec civilization—a place where the boundary between the living and the dead grew thin
Mitla — Decipher the Codices of the Underworld
You are a Zapotec apprentice scribe, in Mitla, 1521.
In the 15th century, as Monte Albán's power faded, Mitla rose
1521 — The ultimate refuge of Zapotec wisdom
« Mitla is a burial place so revered that even kings come here to die »— Francisco de Burgoa, Palestra Historial (1670)
Mitla — The City of the Dead
Mitla (from the Nahuatl Mictlan, 'place of the dead') was for centuries the most sacred religious center of Zapotec civilization. Built between 100 and 1521 CE, this city was ruled by a hereditary high priest who consulted oracles and presided over funeral rites for nobles throughout Oaxaca. Its palaces adorned with geometric mosaics unique in the world testify to extraordinary architectural mastery.
The arrival of Spanish conquistadors in 1521 marked the brutal end of this millennial tradition. The Dominicans built the church of San Pablo directly on the main palace, a symbol of forced Christianization. Yet the underground monuments preserved their secrets: in the Palace of Columns and the Church Group, more than 100,000 stone tesserae form cosmological patterns that encoded the Zapotec calendar and sacred astronomical cycles.
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 sites to explore by car within the day
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?
Sacred Architecture
Explore Zapotec palaces adorned with 100,000 geometric mosaics unique in the world
Lost Codices
Reconstruct the pictographic manuscripts that priests hid before the conquest
Zapotec Astronomy
Decipher the cosmological cycles carved into the monuments of the City of the Dead
Eight glyphs for the ultimate prophecy
Archaeological and astronomical journey in Mitla
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 les codices de mitla? Check the email you received after your game to leave a verified review.
Your turn to play
Unravel the astronomical mysteries that Zapotec priests carved into their mosaic palaces. Between sacred geometry and cosmic prophecies, reconstruct the last codex of Mitla before the conquistadors forever sealed the secrets of the City of the Dead.
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 Mitla, Tlacolula Valley
See all games in Mitla, Tlacolula Valley→More ideas for self-guided walking tours, scavenger hunts & city quests in the same city
Mitla — Decipher the Entrance to Lyobaa
Uncover the sealed chambers beneath Mitla's ancient stones. Decode Zapotec glyphs and geophysical clues to locate the true entrance to Lyobaa, the Land of the Dead, before the underground labyrinth is lost forever.
Oaxaca — Zapotec Codex Conspiracy
Uncover the conspiracy behind the Zapotec codices hidden by Monte Albán scribes. Decipher colonial secrets, expose traitors, and reclaim the lost indigenous legacy before it's erased forever.
Monte Albán — The Scribes' Lost Code
Uncover the scribes' hidden glyphs revealing why the Zapotecs abandoned their empire. Decode the Danzantes' secrets across ancient temples and tombs before the curse claims you.
Monte Albán — The Eighth Tomb Secret
Uncover the lost Eighth Tomb hinted at in Alfonso Caso's secret notes from 1932. Follow his cryptic clues across Monte Albán's ancient ruins to reveal the greatest pre-Columbian treasure ever hidden.
Oaxaca — Juana Catarina's Cochineal Secret
Uncover the 18th-century formula of Juana Catarina Romero, the Zapotec dye master whose cochineal red was worth three times gold. Outwit European spies and decode clues hidden in eight colonial dye workshops.
Other escape games in Mexique
View Mexique→More destinations, tours & urban treasure hunts across the country
Explore other cities in Mexique
Oaxaca Coast
Wild beaches and Zapotec traditions
Veracruz
First port of the New World
Puebla
City of angels and colonial ceramics
Tlaxcala
Birthplace of the alliance that conquered the Aztecs
Guerrero
Land of Aztec warriors and golden beaches
Mexico City
Aztec capital of a thousand faces