The Infernal Columns
On the trail of Charette, the last Chouan
📱 1 to 10 phones · 1 team per phone · Independent codes
In 1793, the Convention sent the "infernal columns" to crush the Vendée revolt. 170,000 civilians perished. Charette, the last rebel leader, resisted until 1796. This game traces his pursuit, from the Logis de la Chabotterie where he was captured to the secret paths of the Chouannerie.
Here, the Republic burned its own children
The Logis de la Chabotterie is an 18th-century manor nestled in the Vendée bocage. It is a peaceful place, surrounded by French gardens and silent woods. But on March 23, 1796, it was here that the bloodiest of French civil wars came to an end. François-Athanase de Charette de la Contrie, the last Vendée general, wounded and hunted, was captured in the nearby woods by Republican soldiers. He would be shot six days later in Nantes, refusing the blindfold and commanding the firing squad himself.
« "This is where we began, gentlemen, let us finish it." »— — Charette, pointing to his heart before the firing squad, March 29, 1796
The Vendée War — the forgotten genocide of the Revolution
In March 1793, the mass conscription of 300,000 men decreed by the Convention ignited the Vendée. The peasants, attached to their Catholic faith and refractory priests, refused to fight for a Republic that persecuted their religion. The revolt set the entire west of France ablaze. Charismatic leaders emerged: Cathelineau the "saint of Anjou," the magnanimous Bonchamps, the fiery La Rochejaquelein, and the indomitable Charette.
The Convention, terrified by this insurrection, sent General Turreau and his "infernal columns" in January 1794. The orders were explicit: "destroy the Vendée." For six months, the columns burned villages, massacred populations — men, women, children. In Nantes, the representative Carrier organized mass drownings in the Loire. The toll was horrific: approximately 170,000 dead, a quarter of the Vendée population.
Charette was the last to resist. A former naval officer and elusive fighter, he waged guerrilla war in the bocage for three years. Wounded in the head on March 23, 1796, he was captured in the woods of La Chabotterie. Taken to Nantes, he was shot on March 29 at the Place Viarme. Napoleon would say of him: "He shows flashes of genius." The memory of the Vendée remains an open wound in French history.
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.
The Route
5 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?
Tragic memory
Relive the bloodiest civil war in French history — 170,000 dead in the Vendée.
Secret bocage
Walk the sunken lanes the Chouans used to escape the infernal columns.
Vendée guerrilla
Decipher the Chouan communication codes, transmitted from hedgerow to hedgerow.
Historic site
Start at the Logis de la Chabotterie, the exact site of Charette's capture in 1796.
Little-known history
Discover an episode of the French Revolution long hidden from official History.
Let us finish it.
Follow Charette's trail through the Vendée bocage.
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 this an outdoor escape game in Vendée · From the Logis de la Chabotterie to Charette's trails or a classic scavenger hunt?
Both at once: it's an outdoor escape game — team puzzles, narration, clues, final code — but in the streets of Vendée · From the Logis de la Chabotterie to Charette's trails, at your pace. The classic scavenger hunt mechanic plus augmented reality through the camera.
Q02How long does it take to finish The Infernal Columns?
Plan 1 h 30 to 2 h 30 depending on your pace. Some finish in 1 h 10, others take 3 h in slow-mode. No pressure: the clock only counts for the leaderboard, you play at your tempo.
Q03Does The Infernal Columns 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 The Infernal Columns stroller-accessible?
Depends on the exact route in Vendée · From the Logis de la Chabotterie to Charette's trails. 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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Your turn to play
From the Logis de la Chabotterie to the sunken lanes of the Chouannerie — retrace the hunt for the last Vendée leader in an escape game that crosses the darkest page of the French Revolution.
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
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