From the Phoenicians to Picasso
Three thousand years of history on the same hill
📱 1 to 10 phones · 1 team per phone · Independent codes
Málaga was founded by the Phoenicians, fortified by the Moors, conquered by the Catholic Monarchs — and gave the world Pablo Picasso. Under the Costa del Sol sun, thirty centuries of memory wait to be deciphered.
Long before beach tourism, Málaga was already a metropolis
Visitors to the Costa del Sol often forget that Málaga is one of the oldest cities in Western Europe. The Phoenicians founded a trading post there around 770 BC. The Romans built a theatre. The Moors built a double fortress — the Alcazaba and the Gibralfaro — from which they dominated the Mediterranean for eight centuries. And on 25 October 1881, a child was born on Plaza de la Merced: Pablo Ruiz Picasso.
« "Málaga is the city that never closes its eyes. The Phoenicians founded it to watch the sea, and it has never stopped looking." »— — From the ramparts of the Gibralfaro, you can see all the way to Africa
Malaka, Malaqa, Málaga: thirty centuries in one name
The Phoenicians of Tyre founded Malaka around 770 BC as a stop on the tin route. The city prospered under Carthage, then under Rome, which built a theatre there in the 1st century BC, a garum factory and a network of roads connecting the coast to the interior. The Roman theatre's columns were later reused by the Moors in the construction of the Alcazaba.
The Islamic period (711-1487) left the deepest mark on the city. The Alcazaba, a palatial fortress built in the 11th century by the Hammudids, was enlarged by the Nasrids of Granada. The Gibralfaro, connected to the Alcazaba by a fortified walkway, offered total control over the port and the city. The fall of Málaga in 1487, after a brutal siege by the Catholic Monarchs, was one of the bloodiest stages of the Reconquista.
Modern Málaga was born in the 19th century with the sugar and steel industries. And on 25 October 1881, in a building on Plaza de la Merced, the child who would revolutionise 20th-century art was born. Picasso left Málaga at ten, but the city's Mediterranean light never left his canvases.
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
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?
Three thousand years in one route
From the Phoenicians to contemporary museums, each stage crosses a different layer of Málaga's history.
Double fortress
The Alcazaba and the Gibralfaro form a defensive ensemble unique in Spain. The game lets you discover them from the inside.
Picasso before Picasso
Discover the city that shaped the gaze of the 20th century's most famous painter, long before Paris and Cubism.
Mediterranean views
From the Gibralfaro, the view over the port, the bay and the African coast is one of the most spectacular in Andalusia.
Three thousand years of Mediterranean light.
From the Phoenicians to Picasso, Málaga has never stopped creating.
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 this an outdoor escape game in Málaga · From the Alcazaba to the historic centre or a classic scavenger hunt?
Both at once: it's an outdoor escape game — team puzzles, narration, clues, final code — but in the streets of Málaga · From the Alcazaba to the historic centre, at your pace. The classic scavenger hunt mechanic plus augmented reality through the camera.
Q02How long does it take to finish From the Phoenicians to Picasso?
Plan 1 h 30 to 2 h 30 depending on your pace. Some finish in 1 h 10, others take 3 h in slow-mode. No pressure: the clock only counts for the leaderboard, you play at your tempo.
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.
Q04Is From the Phoenicians to Picasso stroller-accessible?
Depends on the exact route in Málaga · From the Alcazaba to the historic centre. The vast majority of stops are downtown, on sidewalks or squares. If a stair or narrow passage is involved, it's flagged on the product page. Generally: yes, doable with a standard urban stroller.
Avis des aventuriers
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Your turn to play
From the Phoenicians lighting a beacon on the Gibralfaro to young Pablo learning to draw on the Merced — three thousand years of Mediterranean light in a single investigation.
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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