Imagine a world where walls whisper secrets and every corner becomes a portal to the past thanks to interactive street art. Cryptors in the City introduces the first AI-powered cultural app, turning cities into interactive and immersive playgrounds where historical figures serve as guides and companions. Cryptors—street art creations by comic artist Guillaume Mazurage (Mazu)—are pixelated ceramic artworks installed near significant landmarks. A simple scan with your smartphone brings these figures to life, letting them guide, challenge, and engage you. At CES 2025, the app will showcase exclusive characters, including the spirit of CES. With Cryptors in the City, your phone becomes the starting point for exploring the world around you in a whole new way.
Step Into the Future of History: A Cultural and Interactive Treasure Hunt
Cryptors in the City ushers in a new era of personalized adventures, turning users into heroes of their own cultural journey. With just a smartphone, history comes alive around every corner. Each walk becomes a treasure hunt where past and present intertwine, transforming iconic locations into starting points for immersive quests.
Cryptors are at the heart of this experience. These pixelated artworks, inspired by street art, are crafted on ceramic and reinterpret historical figures through a modern and playful lens, aligned with the retro-gaming codes of 1980s video games. Once scanned and captured, a Cryptor brings history to life through enriched conversational AI.
The historical figure offers quizzes, anecdotes, and fun challenges to make each interaction unique. Depending on the score achieved, users can unlock unlimited conversational AI access, programmed with the character’s personality and historical knowledge. Imagine chatting freely with Louis XIV in front of Versailles or exchanging stories with Edith Piaf in the streets of Montmartre!
“With Cryptors in the City, History and heritage become an interactive and visual playground,” says Guillaume Mazurage, aka Mazu, Artistic Director and co-founder of Cryptors in the City. “By reimagining these historical figures through a fresh lens, my goal was to break them out of their traditional frames and make them accessible through codes familiar to younger generations. For CES in the USA, Sacajawea was a natural choice for us.”
Making Culture and Heritage Accessible to All
Cryptors in the City was born from three ambitions: to address the challenge of passing down heritage and culture; to engage younger audiences and create intergenerational bonds; and to promote immersive tourism experiences throughout the year. The rise of digital technologies and the development of AI offer new opportunities. By combining street art, video game aesthetics, and AI, Cryptors in the City offers a unique universe that achieves these goals.
“Our unique approach brings together all forms of heritage—cultural, historical, artistic, natural, and sports-related—to captivate an intergenerational audience and transform tourism into a truly connected adventure. Our app acts as a bridge between heritage and digital innovation, turning smartphones into tools for exploring and discovering sites, monuments, and cities. It’s an experience to be enjoyed solo, with friends, or as a family, transforming visits into truly educational and entertaining adventures,” explains Louis de Carolis, President and co-founder of Cryptors in the City.
Cryptors in the City is based on two key observations: the world of video gaming is a powerful tool for blending learning and entertainment, bringing together a vast community:
- Globally, there are approximately3.09 billion active video game players.
- By 2024, there are expected to be3.32 billion gamers worldwide.
- The US hasover 3,000 esports players[1].
Reconnecting Audiences with Heritage and Revitalizing Cities
Cryptors in the City works closely with municipalities, tourism offices, and cultural institutions, all of which recognize its potential for showcasing local and national heritage to both residents and visitors.
The app promotes on-site mobility, revitalizes tourist sites and cities by attracting a younger, highly connected audience, and offers a new way to blend tradition with modernity, turning every exploration into an unforgettable adventure to take home.
A Future Fundraising Campaign to Propel Cryptors in the City into Augmented Reality
Cryptors in the City is preparing a fundraising campaign to accelerate its development. The objectives are threefold:
- Enhance the user experience with augmented reality;
- Expand the app to new French cities;
- Explore international markets.
This innovation will overlay interactive and immersive elements onto real-world settings, transforming streets and monuments into dynamic 3D playgrounds.
With this campaign, Cryptors in the City aims to become a leading player at the intersection of video gaming, heritage, and immersive technologies.
