Perm — Ghosts of the Cold War
Uncover the forbidden secrets of Cold War Perm, once Molotov, sealed from foreigners. Decode hidden messages from gulag survivors and KGB agents to expose a conspiracy that could rewrite Soviet history.
📱 1 to 10 phones · 1 team per phone · Independent codes
In the heart of Perm, once ominously renamed Molotov during the Cold War, a veil of secrecy shrouded the city from 1940 to 1957
Perm — Ghosts of the Cold War
You are a freelance investigative journalist, specializing in Cold War disappearances, arriving in Perm in the early 2000s.
In the city's heart, once ominously renamed Molotov
Perm, city under surveillance: unravel state secrets
« Violence cannot exist by itself; it is always intertwined with lies. And lies are always intertwined with violence. »— Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Nobel Prize in Literature, former Gulag prisoner.
Perm, a secret bastion of the USSR
During the Soviet era, Perm, nestled at the foot of the Ural Mountains, held crucial strategic importance for the USSR. Officially named Molotov from 1940 to 1957, it was a major industrial center, producing aircraft engines, armaments, and components for space exploration. This position made it a 'closed city,' inaccessible to foreigners and even many Soviet citizens without special authorization. This veil of secrecy was even thicker because the region housed the Perm-36 camp, one of the last and harshest political prisons of the Gulag, where dissidents were incarcerated until the late 1980s.
The Cold War exacerbated this climate of surveillance and repression. Perm's industries were vital for the Soviet military effort, and the regime exercised strict control over the population and information. Perm-36, opened in 1972, became a symbol of the struggle against all forms of dissent. Prisoners there were subjected to extreme conditions for their 'anti-Soviet crimes,' often writings or words critical of the regime. The history of Perm is thus inextricably linked to state secrets, political repression, and human resilience in the face of a totalitarian system.
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?
Spy Hunt
Dive into the paranoid atmosphere of the Cold War and uncover the secrets of a Soviet agent.
Classified Document
Reconstruct a coded logbook to reveal hidden truths about Perm and the Gulag.
Heart of the Urals
Explore Perm, a strategic industrial city and symbol of Soviet repression in the Urals.
Walls have ears, but streets keep secrets.
Unravel the thread of a forbidden history.
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 fantomes de la guerre froide? Check the email you received after your game to leave a verified review.
Your turn to play
Prepare for an intense immersion into Perm's past. Each clue will bring you closer to the truth about Cold War machinations and the fate of oppressed souls. The logbook awaits decryption. Will you be clever enough to unravel its mysteries?
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 Perm, Russia
See all games in Perm, Russia→More ideas for self-guided walking tours, scavenger hunts & city quests in the same city
Perm-36 — Decipher the Dissident's Code
Uncover the hidden messages left by Soviet political prisoners. Decipher coded letters, expose the truth behind state repression, and solve the mystery of a dissident's final testimony before the guards discover your investigation.
Perm-36 — The Forgotten Register
Uncover the Forgotten Register of Perm-36, a secret ledger hidden by guards listing executed dissidents. Decipher clues across the camp to expose the final truth before it's erased forever.
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