San Juan Chamula — The Hidden Schism
Uncover the secret religious uprising that expelled Catholic priests and fractured a Maya community. Decipher coded messages hidden in sacred spaces to expose the truth behind Chamula's spiritual rebellion.
📱 1 to 10 phones · 1 team per phone · Independent codes
In 1867, the last Catholic priest was driven from San Juan Chamula—a moment that would reshape the spiritual identity of an entire Maya Tzotzil nation
San Juan Chamula — The Hidden Schism
You are an anthropologist researching religious syncretism in Chiapas, Mexico, in the early 2000s.
In 1867, the last Catholic priest was driven
Nueva Esperanza — refuge of the Chamula outcasts
« We can no longer live in Chamula. They burn our houses, destroy our milpas and chase us like dogs because we believe in Jesus. »— Testimony of Miguel Gómez Hernández, expelled from Chamula in 1974
The Chamula Evangelical Exodus (1970-2000)
The arrival of evangelical Protestantism in San Juan Chamula in the 1960s disrupts the social balance of this Tzotzil community. Traditional authorities, fearing challenges to the religious cargo system that structures Chamula society, begin persecuting converts. In 1970, the first mass expulsions begin: entire families are driven out, their goods confiscated, their houses burned. Pastor Domingo López Ángel, the first converted Chamula, becomes the spiritual leader of this forced exodus.
The expelled find refuge in San Cristóbal de las Casas' periphery, creating new neighborhoods like Nueva Esperanza, La Hormiga, or Betania. They rebuild their communities around evangelical temples, develop mutual aid networks and maintain their Tzotzil traditions while practicing their new faith. This religious diaspora profoundly transforms San Cristóbal: from 120,000 inhabitants in 1990, the city grows to over 280,000 in 2020, largely due to the arrival of evangelical Chamulas. Despite persecutions, they create a prosperous parallel society, mixing entrepreneurship, community solidarity and original religious syncretism.
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?
Evangelical Temples
Explore the original religious architecture born from synthesis between Protestant faith and Mayan aesthetics
Exile Urbanism
Discover how the expelled recreated their communities in San Cristóbal's peripheries
Community Communication
Understand indigenous media's role in cultural preservation and resistance
Seven letters for rediscovered hope
In the exile colonies, reconstruct the spiritual testament of the first Chamula evangelical pastor
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.
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Your turn to play
Uncover the little-known history of the religious exodus that transformed San Cristóbal de las Casas. Between evangelical temples and resistance murals, trace the journey of 35,000 Tzotzils expelled from Chamula. An immersive investigation in peripheral neighborhoods where new faith and ancestral traditions forge an unprecedented identity.
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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