Fort Caroline — Smugglers' Conspiracy
Decipher the smugglers' hidden network that secretly supplied Fort Caroline's starving Huguenots in 1565, evading Spanish patrols along the St. Johns River bluffs.
📱 1 to 10 phones · 1 team per phone · Independent codes
In 1564, French Huguenots under René de Laudonnière built Fort Caroline on the strategic bluffs of the St
Fort Caroline — Smugglers' Conspiracy
You are a clandestine courier for the French smuggling network, arriving in late 1565 near the ruins of Fort Caroline, Jacksonville, USA.
Your network once defied Spanish claims to Florida, establishing
French Florida — six months before the Spanish massacre
« Les Indiens nous apportent du maïs, des haricots et de la courge en abondance, mais nos arquebuses manquent de poudre et nos navires de voiles neuves. »— René de Laudonnière, Histoire notable de la Floride, 1586
Fort Caroline: Ephemeral French Florida
In 1564, Admiral Gaspard de Coligny sent René de Laudonnière to establish a Huguenot colony in Florida. Fort Caroline, built near the mouth of the St. Johns River (then called the May River), became the first permanent Protestant settlement in North America. The 300 French colonists forged alliances with Timucua chief Saturiwa against his rivals, creating a fragile geopolitical balance.
But isolation and supply difficulties weakened the colony. In September 1565, Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, commissioned by Philip II of Spain, attacked Fort Caroline by surprise. The massacre killed 140 French settlers. Only 50 survivors fled to Europe, taking with them the secret of trade networks established with indigenous peoples. Jacksonville today preserves traces of this French attempt at settlement in America.
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
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?
Historical navigation
Follow the river routes of French corsairs and Timucua merchants along the St. Johns River
Secret cartography
Reconstruct the lost map of smuggling caches established between Fort Caroline and Indian villages
Colonial espionage
Outwit Spanish surveillance that tracked Huguenot networks in 16th-century Florida
« Following the trail of America's Huguenots »
A historical investigation at the heart of the first French Florida
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
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Your turn to play
Reconstruct the lost map of Fort Caroline's smugglers, last witnesses of the French adventure in North America. Between the St. Johns River and colonial vestiges, solve the mystery of a trade network that defied the Spanish empire.
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 St. Johns River and historic downtown, Jacksonville
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Fort Caroline — Menéndez's Secret Map
Decipher Pedro Menéndez de Avilés's secret map to uncover the hidden French codes and thwart the Spanish conspiracy that doomed Fort Caroline in 1565.
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