Magadan — Shadows of Kolyma
Uncover the hidden codes etched by Gulag prisoners in Magadan's monuments. Decipher their final messages before the shadows of Kolyma claim another secret forever.
📱 1 to 10 phones · 1 team per phone · Independent codes
In the frozen hell of 1930s Kolyma, Magadan was the gateway to death for tens of thousands of Gulag prisoners
Magadan — Shadows of Kolyma
You are an independent investigator, arriving in present-day Magadan, tasked with unearthing a dark chapter of 1930s Kolyma.
In that frozen hell, Magadan
Magadan: The forgotten testament of Kolyma's tales
« Un homme peut vivre vingt-cinq ans en camp et rester un homme. »— Varlam Chalamov, Récits de la Kolyma
Kolyma: The Gulag Archipelago and the Gold of Sacrifice
Kolyma, a vast region in the Russian Far East, became infamously known in the 20th century as the heart of one of the Soviet Union's most brutal forced labor camp systems. Under the direction of Dalstroy (Trust for Road and Industrial Construction in the Upper Kolyma Region), millions of political prisoners and common criminals were sent there to extract gold and other precious minerals, in extreme and inhumane climatic conditions. Between the 1930s and 1950s, Kolyma was the scene of massive mortality, with victims succumbing to cold, hunger, disease, and exhaustion.
Among the survivors, Varlam Shalamov (1907-1982) is one of the most poignant voices. Having spent nearly seventeen years in the Kolyma camps, his 'Kolyma Tales' (published posthumously in the USSR, but first clandestinely abroad) offer a chilling testimony and a profound analysis of dehumanization and the struggle for survival. Magadan, founded in 1939, served as the main port of entry and administrative center for this vast 'archipelago' of suffering, whose legacy still haunts Russian and global collective memory.
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.
The game downloads to your phone on start. Once the "✓ Downloaded" indicator appears, everything works without data — narration, AR, GPS and puzzles. Perfect abroad without a data plan.
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?
Land of Frost and Gold
Explore Magadan, a city forged by Kolyma's relentless climate and the insatiable quest for its gold riches, at the cost of human lives.
The Forgotten Tales
Follow the thread of silent testimonies and Varlam Shalamov's writings to reconstruct a truth long buried.
Memory and Resilience
Delve into the poignant history of the Kolyma Gulag, honoring the memory of millions of victims while discovering the strength of the human spirit.
Never forget, to never repeat.
The past, a frozen lesson.
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
Q01Is Magadan — Shadows of Kolyma similar to a treasure hunt?
Same spirit: search, deduce, find. But here the "treasure" is a full story to piece together in eight stops. Each stop gives you a fragment of the final code. Eight fragments later, you've cracked it.
Q02Can we split Magadan — Shadows of Kolyma across two days?
Yes — your code stays active and progress is saved. You can start Saturday afternoon, finish Sunday morning. Some players actually prefer this format to make the most of a full weekend on site.
Q03Can we play Magadan — Shadows of Kolyma as a couple?
Great two-person format. Narration is dramatic without overdoing it, puzzles are designed to spark conversation. Ideal for new relationships or anniversaries — you discover the city and coordinate on puzzles simultaneously.
Q04Do we need 4G data to play?
Intermittent 4G is plenty. Maps are cached at startup. Narration and clues load per stop, so a so-so signal between stops is fine. GPS itself uses no data.
Avis des aventuriers
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Your turn to play
Uncover Kolyma's hidden testimonies and ensure the memory of victims is never extinguished. Your investigation starts now.
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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