Underground Railroad — Decode the Network of Freedom
Decipher the hidden routes and secret signals of Cincinnati's Underground Railroad network. Uncover the coded messages that guided enslaved people to freedom along the Ohio River.
📱 1 to 10 phones · 1 team per phone · Independent codes
Cincinnati was a crucial hub on the Underground Railroad, a clandestine network that spirited thousands of enslaved people toward freedom in the North and Canada
Underground Railroad — Decode the Network of Freedom
You are a newly recruited agent for the clandestine network, Cincinnati, 1853.
This city is a crucial hub on the Underground Railroad, a system that spirited thousands toward freedom in the North
Cincinnati: The Gateway to the North, the Threshold of Freedom
« Je n'ai jamais vu de nuit aussi sombre qu'une nuit sans liberté. »— Harriet Tubman
Cincinnati's Crucial Role in the Underground Railroad
Located directly across from Kentucky, a slave state, Cincinnati was a vital crossing point for escaping slaves heading North. The city was home to a diverse population, including many fervent abolitionists, whether Quakers, free African Americans, or German immigrants. These 'conductors' and 'agents' of the Underground Railroad organized safe houses ('stations') and secret routes, using codes and signals to evade slave catchers and pro-slavery laws.
Iconic figures like Levi Coffin, a Quaker originally from North Carolina, dubbed the 'President of the Underground Railroad,' operated in Cincinnati, helping over 3,000 enslaved people find freedom. Harriet Beecher Stowe, after living in the city and witnessing the horrors of slavery from across the river, was inspired to write 'Uncle Tom's Cabin,' a novel that ignited abolitionist passions and played a major role in preparing for the American Civil War.
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?
Decipher a conductor's journal
Reconstruct the secret route and contacts of an unsung hero of the Underground Railroad.
Dive into the history of resistance
Explore iconic locations where the fight for freedom shaped Cincinnati and the nation.
Cross symbolic borders
Discover how the Ohio River became a powerful symbol of hope and danger.
Dare to be free, defy the darkness.
The past reaches out to you. Freedom does not wait.
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 ombres de la liberte cincinnati? Check the email you received after your game to leave a verified review.
Your turn to play
Join this historic quest and help preserve the legacy of those who fought for freedom.
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 Historic Center of Cincinnati, United States
See all games in Historic Center of Cincinnati, United States→More ideas for self-guided walking tours, scavenger hunts & city quests in the same city
Over-the-Rhine — Lost Brewery Secrets
Uncover the hidden tunnels and caverns beneath Over-the-Rhine where Cincinnati's brewing barons buried their Prohibition-era fortunes and darkest secrets. Solve riddles to decipher their coded legacy before it's lost forever.
Cincinnati — Underground Railroad Secrets
Uncover the hidden codes and secret routes of the Underground Railroad in downtown Cincinnati. Decode clues from safe houses and abolitionist hideouts to expose a lost freedom cipher before it's silenced forever.
Other escape games in États-Unis
View États-Unis→More destinations, tours & urban treasure hunts across the country
Gettysburg — Orphanage of Shadows
Three Mile Island — Uncover the Cover-Up
Dealey Plaza — Decode the November Conspiracy
Hell's Half Acre — Uncover the Haunting Curse
Explore other cities in États-Unis
Lexington
World Capital of Horses and Bourbon
Chillicothe
Ohio's first capital, rich in history and mysteries
Columbus
Columbus, a metropolis where innovation meets the art of living.
Bardstown
Heart of the Bourbon Trail and Kentucky's history
New Harmony
Where American utopias took root
Cleveland
Rock, history, and the shores of Lake Erie
