New Westminster — Royal Engineers’ Secret Map
Uncover a hidden map left by the Royal Engineers that reveals a lost fort, a buried time capsule, and a forgotten treaty with the Coast Salish people.
📱 1 to 10 phones · 1 team per phone · Independent codes
In 1859, the Royal Engineers arrived on the Fraser River to lay out the first capital of British Columbia
New Westminster — Royal Engineers’ Secret Map
You are a British Crown cartographer in 1859, tasked with deciphering the secrets of a forgotten Royal Engineers' map.
Your mission leads you to New Westminster, the "Royal City
Dive into the founding epic of New Westminster, British Columbia's first colonial capital, following in the footsteps of the Royal Engineers.
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 story that haunts this land
Your Royal Engineers quest begins at the Irving House Historic Centre, located at 302 Royal Avenue, a preserved Victorian-style wooden house built in 1865. This residence of Captain William Irving, a merchant and entrepreneur, was a privileged witness to the life of British Columbia's 19th-century pioneers. It is here that the first clues to the secret map are revealed, immersing you in the atmosphere of that era. You'll understand how New Westminster became a commercial and administrative hub, established according to the plans of Colonel Richard Clement Moody, commander of the Royal Engineers.
Continue towards the Royal Engineers Memorial, situated in the heart of New Westminster's central district. This monument commemorates the arrival of the British military detachment in 1858 and the city's founding. A colonial-era commemorative plaque offers a direct perspective on the crucial role of these soldier-engineers. Nearby, the Columbia Street Historic District, the main thoroughfare developed from 1859, reveals its Victorian and Edwardian commercial buildings dating from 1880-1920, testifying to the economic dynamism that the Royal Engineers helped structure over its 1.2 km length.
The itinerary then leads you to the former New Westminster Courthouse, a judicial building constructed in the 1860s, which served as the seat of colonial administration. Its Second Empire architectural style represents the civil power established by British authorities after 1858. Following the Fraser River, you'll reach Westminster Quay, a strategic trading point since 1859 and the landing site for the Royal Engineers. Rebuilt in 1989, it provides access to the river and maritime heritage, essential to the logistics of these colonial builders in British Columbia.
Your exploration continues towards the Holy Trinity Cathedral, British Columbia's first Anglican cathedral, built by architect James Crossin in 1865-1866 at 10 Church Street. This Victorian Gothic gem, restored in 1994 after a fire and featuring a copper roof, embodies the religious and cultural presence that pioneers, guided by the Royal Engineers, established. Fraser Cemetery, established in 1859 south of the central district, holds the graves of many pioneers and Royal Engineers, offering a glimpse into local historical figures.
The journey concludes at Moody Park, a 6.5-hectare urban park established in 1891 and named after Colonel Richard Clement Moody. Its historic trails and wooded areas offer views of the Fraser River, recalling the vast territories the Royal Engineers surveyed and developed. This community gathering place since the late 19th century symbolizes the lasting legacy of these men who shaped New Westminster and the British historical heritage in British Columbia. Your "Royal Engineers' Secret Map" is now complete, revealing the profound imprint of these builders on the "Royal City" of New Westminster Canada.
The journey concludes at Moody Park, a 6.5-hectare urban park established in 1891 and named after Colonel Richard Clement Moody. Its historic trails and wooded areas offer views of the Fraser River, recalling the vast territories the Royal Engineers surveyed and developed. This community gathering place since the late 19th century symbolizes the lasting legacy of these men who shaped New Westminster and the British historical heritage in British Columbia. Your "Royal Engineers' Secret Map" is now complete, revealing the profound imprint of these builders on the "Royal City" of New Westminster Canada.
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?
Imperial military fort
Following the traces of the Royal Engineers' fortified camp, bastions of the first British Pacific capital
Great historical flood
Relive the May 1894 catastrophe that engulfed the royal city and its precious colonial archives
British colonial urban planning
Decrypt Colonel Moody's geometric plans to build the London of the New World on the Fraser
Ubique — wherever the Empire needs its engineers
Royal Engineers motto
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.
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Your turn to play
Dive into the founding epic of New Westminster, British Columbia's first colonial capital, following in the footsteps of the Royal Engineers.
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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