Redu's Hidden Codex — Decrypt the Resistance Library
Uncover a clandestine wartime library where banned books were smuggled and coded messages hidden. Decipher the resistance network's literary dead drops across Redu's bookshops and unearth the truth behind a forbidden collection.
📱 1 to 10 phones · 1 team per phone · Independent codes
April 1944: Nazi occupation forces tightened their grip on Belgium, burning 'degenerate' literature and hunting resistance cells
Redu's Hidden Codex — Decrypt the Resistance Library
You are a clandestine resistance operative, urgently dispatched to Redu, Belgium, in September 1944.
Your mission: decipher "The Hidden Codex," a network of coded messages concealed within Red
Uncover the buried secrets of Redu's Book Village, where pages still whisper tales of the Resistance.
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 story that haunts this land
Your quest for the Hidden Codex begins at Redu's Saint-Georges Church. Built in 1763 in Walloon Baroque style, with its 32-meter bell tower, it served as a gathering place for the local population during World War II. The 18th-century frescoes depicting the life of Saint-Georges, restored in 1985, may conceal the first clues. This edifice, classified as a monumental heritage site of the Walloon Region in 1959, is a key stop on your literary walking tour through Redu's history, a place where faith and resistance intertwined.
The Place de l'Esro, Redu's beating heart, is your next destination. Surrounded by 18th-century stone houses typical of Ardennes architecture, this square was a communal market place recorded as early as 1670. Since 1982, it has hosted the annual book fair, attracting over 50,000 visitors. It is here, amidst the literary buzz of the Walloon Book Village, that you will need to observe the most subtle details to decipher the messages. The communal archives may hold traces of your predecessors.
Redu's Old Printworks, an industrial building constructed around 1920, testifies to the importance of the written word. Used for printing until 1975 with its typographic presses imported from Germany in 1922, it was converted into a cultural center in 1995 and houses exhibitions on printing history. This site, linked to the rise of the Book Village after its closure, preserves archives that may contain fragments of the Codex. The spirit of the Resistance often found refuge in places where information was produced, even clandestinely.
The Redu Cemetery, established in 1795 and surrounded by 19th-century stone walls, is a historical place of remembrance. It contains the graves of Belgian soldiers who died between 1940 and 1945, commemorated by a 1946 stele. The monumental 5-meter cross erected in 1850 dominates this site linked to the events of the Liberation in September 1944. It is here that the most delicate and personal messages of the Hidden Codex might be inscribed, recalling the sacrifice of resistance fighters and the importance of memory in Walloon heritage.
Your journey through the monumental heritage of the Walloon Region leads you to the Redu Bridge, dating from 1832. Built after the destructive flood of 1829 and reinforced in 1950, this stone bridge with its unique 12-meter arch, classified as a monument since 1998, offers a viewpoint over the Ardennes valley. It has been crossed daily by residents since its construction, without major interruption. It is by contemplating this passage that you will assemble the last pieces of the puzzle, understanding how the Resistance used every element of Redu's landscape to preserve freedom. This walking tour will have introduced you to Redu's history, far beyond the books.
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?
Evade Censorship
Dive into the history of the Belgian resistance and save literary works threatened by Nazi obscurantism.
Historical Investigation
Decipher codes and follow the tracks of a clandestine network through Redu's streets and iconic places.
Heart of the Ardennes
Explore the charming village of Redu and its wooded surroundings, an ideal setting for a secret mission.
Words are weapons.
In the shadow of occupation, every page counted for freedom.
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
Uncover the buried secrets of Redu's Book Village, where pages still whisper tales of the Resistance.
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
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