Stuck on the Steeple
The night a paratrooper became a legend
📱 1 to 10 phones · 1 team per phone · Independent codes
Sainte-Mère-Église is burning when the 82nd Airborne falls from the sky. Paratroopers land in the full light of the flames, under German fire — some directly into the village square. One of them, John Steele, hangs from the steeple for two hours, playing dead above the battle.
A mannequin on a steeple — and behind it, an entire story
When you look up at the steeple of Sainte-Mère-Église, you see a mannequin hanging from a parachute. It is John Steele. Or rather his fabric ghost, suspended there for decades to recall that night of madness when the 82nd Airborne fell from the sky onto a village in flames. Paratroopers were landing everywhere: on rooftops, in trees, in the market square. The village was sleeping — then suddenly, war.
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
« "I was hanging up there and I didn't dare move. The church bell was ringing so loud I went half deaf." »— — John Steele, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne
Sainte-Mère-Église — the first liberated village in France
On the night of June 5-6, 1944, a barn catches fire in the village of Sainte-Mère-Église. Mayor Alexandre Renaud orders the inhabitants to form a human chain to fight the blaze. It is into this chaos that the first paratroopers of the 82nd Airborne arrive — directly above the village lit by flames, a perfectly visible target for the Germans.
The paratroopers land in hell. Some fall into the fire. Others are shot in mid-air. Private John Steele, of the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, gets caught on the church steeple, his parachute snagged on a gargoyle. For two hours, he plays dead while battle rages in the square below. Captured by the Germans, he will escape a few days later.
Despite this chaos, Lieutenant Colonel Edward "Cannonball" Krause and his men manage to secure the village around 4 AM. An American flag is hung from the town hall — Sainte-Mère-Église becomes the first liberated village in France. Today, the John Steele mannequin on the steeple and the church's stained glass window depicting the Virgin surrounded by paratroopers have become global symbols of D-Day.
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?
The legendary steeple
John Steele's mannequin hanging from the steeple is D-Day's most iconic image — and the starting point of your adventure.
Night scenario
The game's atmosphere recreates the chaotic night of June 5-6 — light signals, patrols, shadows.
Movie setting
Sainte-Mère-Église is the real setting of "The Longest Day" — walk in John Wayne's footsteps.
Accessible to all
Difficulty 2/5 and entirely flat route — ideal for families and younger players.
He fell from the sky. He liberated the land.
The first free village in France awaits you.
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, WhatsApp, 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
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Your turn to play
From the church steeple to Milestone 0 of the Liberty Road, decipher the light signals of D-Day night in a family-friendly outdoor escape game in the heart of the first liberated village in France.
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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