The Volcanoes of Auvergne
Where Vercingetorix defeated Caesar and the Earth never went cold
📱 1 to 10 phones · 1 team per phone · Independent codes
The Chaîne des Puys, a UNESCO site, lines up 80 dormant volcanoes over 32 kilometers. At their feet, the quarries of Volvic have yielded for centuries a lava that filters France's purest water. And on the plateau of Gergovia, Vercingetorix inflicted on Caesar his only defeat in Gaul — an episode Rome tried to erase.
The volcanoes sleep, but the lava hasn't had its last word
Volvic stone was born of fire. Thirteen thousand years ago, the eruption of the Puy de la Nugère spewed an andesitic lava flow that solidified into a rock of extraordinary hardness. Since the Middle Ages, Volvic quarrymen have extracted this dark stone to build cathedrals and fountains. But the lava has a unique property: it filters rainwater for five years through its successive layers, producing water of remarkable purity. Your quest begins in the bowels of the earth.
« "The victory at Gergovia is proof that the courage of the Gauls was no empty word." »— — after Julius Caesar, De Bello Gallico, Book VII, ~50 BC
The Puys — 80 volcanoes, a Gallic warrior, and ancient water
The Chaîne des Puys is a string of 80 volcanoes aligned on a north-south axis along the Limagne fault. The most famous, the Puy de Dôme (1,465 m), was crowned in antiquity by an immense temple dedicated to Mercury, whose ruins are still visible at the summit. The Romans climbed there on pilgrimage — an irony for conquerors who had just subdued Gaul.
For it was very near here, on the plateau of Gergovia, that Vercingetorix won his most decisive victory over Caesar's legions in 52 BC. The Roman proconsul lost 700 men and was forced to retreat — a humiliation he downplays in his Commentaries but which galvanized Gallic resistance. A few months later, Vercingetorix would be defeated at Alesia, but Gergovia remains the symbol of Arvernian resistance.
At Volvic, the lava that flowed from the Puy de la Nugère 13,000 years ago created a geological treasure. Quarried since the 12th century, Volvic stone has been used to build the cathedral of Clermont, Auvergne's fountains, and countless buildings. As for Volvic water, naturally filtered through six layers of volcanic rock, it has become one of the world's best-known mineral waters.
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.
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 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?
80 UNESCO volcanoes
Discover the Chaîne des Puys, a unique alignment of 80 volcanoes listed as World Heritage.
Gallic victory
Relive the Battle of Gergovia, Caesar's only defeat in Gaul.
Temple of Mercury
Explore the remains of the largest Gallo-Roman sanctuary in Gaul.
Volvic stone & water
Enter the underground quarries and discover the petrifying springs.
Druidic alignments
Decipher the sacred alignments between volcanoes, temples, and battlefields.
The Earth hasn't finished speaking.
From the Volvic quarries to the UNESCO volcanoes, from druids to Caesar's legions.
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
Q01What's the difference with a regular indoor escape room?
Outdoor escape game format: no physical locks, no actor, no fixed time slot. You start when you want, progress through Volvic · Lava quarries & volcano panorama with your phone, and the city itself is the set. More immersive on local history, more flexible in pace.
Q02What walking pace should we expect?
Easy stroll: between stops you walk 3 to 7 minutes. No tough climbs unless flagged on the product page. If you really want to push, you can jog between stops, but that's not the point.
Q03Do we need to be several people to enjoy it?
No, solo works very well. The outdoor escape game format in self-guided mode leaves room for introspection: read the story at your pace, hunt clues like a detective. 2-6 players is more social, solo is more contemplative.
Q04What happens if it rains in Volvic · Lava quarries & volcano panorama?
The game is playable in light rain — just keep your phone under a hood. For heavy thunderstorms, your code stays valid, you can postpone to another day at no cost.
Avis des aventuriers
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Your turn to play
Descend into the lava quarries, gaze at the UNESCO volcanoes, relive Vercingetorix's victory, and decipher Gallo-Roman inscriptions — an outdoor escape game in the heart of the land of volcanoes.
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
🪙+15 TripCoins granted with your booking
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