Seodaemun Prison — Decrypt the Resistance
Decipher coded messages left by Korean independence activists imprisoned at Seodaemun during Japanese occupation. Uncover the truth behind their sacrifice.
📱 1 to 10 phones · 1 team per phone · Independent codes
Between 1910 and 1945, Seodaemun Prison held thousands of Korean patriots fighting for liberation from Japanese colonial rule
Dark Seoul: At the heart of Korean resistance
Between 1910 and 1945, Seodaemun Prison held thousands of Korean patriots fighting for liberation from Japanese colonial rule. Tortured, interrogated, and executed in secret, these resistance fighters left behind hidden messages—scratched into cell walls, encoded in personal effects, buried in the prison grounds. You are a descendant tasked with decrypting their final testimonies before the historical record is lost forever. The prison's seven preserved buildings, the execution ground, and the underground women's detention cells hold the keys to a conspiracy of silence: which independence leaders were betrayed? What coded network connected prisoners across the facility? And what truth did the Japanese authorities try to erase? Walk the grounds where martyrs were held, piece together fragmented confessions, and expose the network of resistance that ultimately liberated Korea. Time is running out—the archives are being sealed.
« Even if my nails are torn off, my ears and nose ripped off, my arms and legs broken, I will not compromise. May my last breath be for the freedom of my homeland. »— Yu Gwan-sun, heroine of the March 1st Movement
Seodaemun Prison: The Echo of History
Built in 1908 under the name Gyeongseong Prison by Japanese imperialists, Seodaemun Prison became the stage for one of the darkest periods in Korean history. It imprisoned thousands of independence activists, including the young icon Yu Gwan-sun, who was tortured and executed at just 17 after playing a major role in the March 1st Movement in 1919. Detention conditions were inhumane, with brutal tortures such as 'water torture' and confinement in nail-studded boxes.
After Korea's liberation in 1945, the prison unfortunately did not find peace. It continued to serve as a detention center for political dissidents under South Korean authoritarian regimes until 1987. It was only in 1998 that this place of suffering was transformed into a museum, the Seodaemun Prison History Hall, dedicated to the memory of sacrifices made for freedom and democracy. Seodaemun Independence Park, where the prison is located, is also a powerful symbol of this struggle.
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 · 15€No calendar booking. Code sent immediately by email.
🔒 Secure payment · Code in 5 min · Free cancellation
Practical info
Why this route?
Traces of the Past
Explore haunted places Seoul full of history and encounter AR apparitions of figures from the past who will guide you.
Forgotten Epitaph
Gather the fragments of a secret epitaph to honor the silent heroes of Korean resistance.
Living Memory
Help keep alive the memory of the sacrifices made for freedom and democracy in Korea, a true dark tourism Seoul.
Memory is a weapon, its oblivion a defeat.
Honor the voices of the past, sculpt the future.
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
Track the whispers of Seoul's courageous spirits. Each fragment of their story brings you closer to the truth. Will you be the guardian of their memory? A spooky Seoul adventure awaits.
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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