Taos — The Hidden Canvases Conspiracy
Uncover the secret cache of lost canvases hidden by Taos artists and spies. Decode clues across 8 landmarks to expose the ancient conspiracy before it's lost forever.
📱 1 to 10 phones · 1 team per phone · Independent codes
In the shadow of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, the Taos art colony of the early 20th century harbored more than modernist masterpieces
Taos — The Hidden Canvases Conspiracy
You are Mabel Dodge Luhan, the famous patron and salonnière, returning to Taos in 1928, in search of a lost work by the Taos Society of Artists
Immerse yourself in the history-laden streets of Taos, New Mexico, where the forgotten canvases of art masters conceal unsuspected secrets.
The story that haunts this land
Your quest begins in the heart of Taos Plaza, the historic central square of Taos, a site for markets and gatherings since the 18th century. Lined with adobe buildings dating from the 1800s, it hosted traditional festivities like Taos Plaza Live, an annual event since 2010. It is here, amidst the bustle, that a first message hidden in the architecture directs you towards a key figure in local history. The visit to Taos starts with this emblem of the Taos Historic District, an ideal starting point for a thematic circuit in New Mexico.
Just 0.2 km, or a 3-minute walk from Taos Plaza, you reach the John Dunn Shops. This former home of John Dunn, sheriff of Taos from 1820 to 1886, was built around 1850. Transformed into artisan shops in the 1970s, it retains the imprint of its eventful past. A clue related to the sheriff's legacy awaits you, guiding you towards the military figures of Taos. This stage of your journey reveals another facet of New Mexico's heritage, blending history and local commerce.
Continue your visit to Taos to Kit Carson Park, a site commemorating the American explorer and military man Kit Carson (1809-1868). Inaugurated in 1913, this park of approximately 0.5 hectare houses a 3-meter-high statue of Kit Carson erected in 1909. The park is a place for reflection on the influence of 19th-century figures on the region. Your scavenger hunt in Taos invites you to decipher a message inscribed near the statue, a key to the next stage of your investigation into the hidden canvases.
The Harwood Museum of Art, founded in 1923 by Lucy Harwood, is your next destination. This historic building from 1916, with its 1,115 m² exhibition space, houses a collection of 20th-century regional art, including works by artists of the Taos Society of Artists (1915-1927). The museum plunges you into the heart of the Taos Art Colony, an artistic movement that left its mark on the National Register of Historic Places. A detail in one of the rooms will provide you with an essential fragment of the enigma, linking art and the history of Taos.
Your exploration of New Mexico's monuments leads you to the Couse-Sharp Historic Site, the home and studio of Eanger Irving Couse (1866-1936), president of the Taos Society of Artists. Built in 1909, it was the first property of the Taos art colony and has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 2012. Here you will uncover the final pieces of information about the artistic treasure, before concluding your thematic circuit. This GPS treasure hunt will leave you with a deep understanding of Taos's history and the artistic movement that shaped its identity, a truly interactive visit.
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?
Artistic Legacy
Explore Taos through the eyes of the artists who made it famous, from D.H. Lawrence to members of the Taos Society of Artists.
Wartime Secrets
Dive into the WWII espionage plot, linked to Taos' proximity to the mysterious Manhattan Project.
Ancient Wisdom
Discover how the millennia-old traditions and symbols of Taos Pueblo may have been used to conceal crucial messages.
Unravel the Riddle of the Hidden Canvases
Your paintbrush is your key to 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.
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Your turn to play
Immerse yourself in the history-laden streets of Taos, New Mexico, where the forgotten canvases of art masters conceal unsuspected secrets.
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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