Christchurch CBD — Echoes of Resilience
Uncover the hidden codes and survivor secrets etched into Christchurch CBD's rebuilt landmarks after the 2011 quake. Decode the echoes of resilience to expose the untold conspiracy behind the disaster's darkest cover-up.
📱 1 to 10 phones · 1 team per phone · Independent codes
On February 22, 2011, a 6
Christchurch CBD — Echoes of Resilience
You are an urban planner, newly arrived in Christchurch in 2012, tasked with contributing to the city's reconstruction.
You begin your mission at Cathedral Square, the epicenter of
Walk in the footsteps of the February 2011 earthquake that transformed Christchurch into an urban renaissance laboratory, from the collapsed cathedral to new districts redefining contemporary New Zealand.
« We are not rebuilding the city of before. We are building the city of tomorrow. »— Lianne Dalziel, Mayor of Christchurch, reconstruction speech, 2014
The story that haunts this land
Christchurch Cathedral stands before you as a symbol broken then rebuilt. This Anglican cathedral from 1881, designed by George Gilbert Scott, lost its 63-meter spire in the 2011 earthquake. You discover the passionate debates that divided the city for years: should it be demolished or restored? Residents fought to save their neo-Gothic heritage, while engineers pointed to irreparable cracks. Today, the NZ$104 million restoration project brings this Cathedral Square icon back to life, first stop in your investigation of urban resilience.
Bridge of Remembrance transports you into Canterbury's military history. Built in 1924 to honor New Zealand soldiers of World War I, this stone bridge survived the 2011 earthquake intact. Architect William Gummer designed it as a triumphal arch spanning the Avon River. Bronze plaques bear the names of 629 Canterbury men who fell at Gallipoli, in France and Belgium. This war memorial becomes a symbol of continuity: when everything collapses, some stones stand firm to remind us that Christchurch has overcome tragedies before.
Latimer Square reveals the first post-earthquake decisions that shaped the new Christchurch. This square created in 1850 by the first British settlers was the city's commercial heart. On February 22, 2011, the office buildings surrounding it collapsed, killing dozens. Rather than rebuild identically, the municipality chose to transform this area into temporary green space, then dense residential quarter. You walk on old Christchurch's foundations, where urban planners decided to reinvent a more human and safer city.
Cardboard Cathedral materializes architectural innovation born from emergency. When the historic cathedral collapses, Japanese architect Shigeru Ban proposes a revolutionary solution: a temporary cathedral made of cardboard tubes and shipping containers. Inaugurated in August 2013, this triangular 700-seat structure can withstand a magnitude 7 earthquake. Ban, 2014 Pritzker Prize winner, had already experimented with this emergency architecture in Japan and Haiti. The Cardboard Cathedral becomes the global symbol of post-disaster architecture.
Your journey through Christchurch leaves you with a lesson on urban resilience that few cities worldwide can teach. In 165 minutes, you've crossed 13 years of reconstruction, from total destruction to creative renaissance. Each site tells a different chapter: heritage conservation, collective memory, architectural innovation, participatory urbanism. Canterbury Earthquake National Memorial, your final stop, engraves the 185 victims' names in white marble, but also the hope of a city that chose to reinvent rather than simply rebuild.
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?
Thoughtful Urban Exploration
Wander through the transformed city center, from remnants of the past to symbols of renewal.
Memorial Pilgrimage
Pay tribute to the victims and discover the stories of courage and solidarity that shaped the city.
Symbols of Resilience
Decipher clues hidden in public art and architecture that tell the story of rebuilding.
Christchurch, strong and united, so that oblivion never prevails.
A memorial pilgrimage in the heart of a city that rises again.
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
Walk in the footsteps of the February 2011 earthquake that transformed Christchurch into an urban renaissance laboratory, from the collapsed cathedral to new districts redefining contemporary New Zealand.
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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