THE WORLD’S MOST EXPENSIVE GAME

 

 

This fall, Paris will become the stage for The Queen’s Lost Diamonds — a first-of-its-kind, player-led, live-action game dreamed up by Ariodante, the discreet travel creation agency known for crafting impossible experiences for ultra-high-net-worth clients (centi-millionaires and billionaires). 

 

Rooted in a centuries-old royal scandal, the three-day immersive challenge will enlist expert historians, hundreds of actors, and unprecedented access to hidden chambers of iconic monuments, creating an adventure that blurs history and fiction. Designed for just a handful of participants — like, how many people can afford this anyway? — the game promises to push the boundaries of both experiential travel and immersive entertainment, offering players the chance to step into a mystery that has eluded historians for centuries.

 

Ariodante founder Ricardo Araujo, often described as a “Travel Alchemist”, has built a reputation for creating impossible one-off journeys. Since founding the agency in 2015, Araujo has orchestrated experiences that weave together art, history, and culture on a scale that rivals film productions. With The Queen’s Lost Diamonds, he raises the stakes — part cultural investigation, part adrenaline-fueled game, it’s an experiment in storytelling that may redefine luxury travel. 

 

I interviewed Ricardo.

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is so much choice in the world, and if you have money you can almost have whatever you want. How is what you offer different from that?

You’re right. The whole luxury industry wants wealthy people to believe they can access everything. But look closer — what can they really access beyond what’s already on offer? The truth is, the wealthier you are, the more you’re trapped inside an invisible bubble defined by the limitations of your staff, travel advisors, concierges, and all the people who are supposed to open doors, no matter how skilled they are. After all, how can you ask for something you don’t even know exists?

 

 

Is this where you come in?

Exactly. Let me illustrate. Think about AI. If you ask, “What can I do in Paris?” it searches, ranks results, and gives you the Louvre, Notre-Dame, the Eiffel Tower — the obvious. But when am I feeding AI the real data it needs? If I say, “I’ve been to Paris many times. I’m passionate about A, B, C, and D. I don’t care about X or Y,” the result changes. 

 

Most travel advisors work like basic AI — they think in destinations, not experiences or aspirations. They’re selling places, not meaning.  I go way beyond by finding and creating from scratch what AI doesn’t even know exists.

 

 

 

 

How did this latest project start?

 

Honestly, I don’t even remember exactly — it began over three years ago. I’ve always been obsessed with what some call “crazy ideas.” Not crazy as in irrational, but as in flipping things upside down. How do you create something that truly matters — not just a bragging-rights moment, but something that changes you? 

 

And how do you achieve something where you are the one writing your own story? Every game goes from A to Z, step by step. I always thought that was boring. Then I remembered Julio Cortázar’s novel Rayuela. It has a fixed order, but you can also read it in different sequences and get different stories. That inspired me to create an “anti-game”.

 

My obsession is culture, art, and meaning in human history. History is action, but there are always gaps between the official story and hidden truths. What I do in this “anti-game” is a real historical investigation, not a fake one. I fill those gaps with clues, twists, decisions. You, the player, decide what matters. I may plant an object, but you give it meaning.

It took me more than three years to build the concept and structure, then another ten months of production with a full movie-level team — actors, special effects, story writers, researchers. It’s a whole world.

 

 

What can players expect?

 

Everything and nothing at the same time. They are creating their own stories.  Meaning no two players will ever experience the same game. That’s the beauty, and the logistical nightmare.

 

 

Are there comparisons? Movies Glass Onion or The Game, or Punchdrunk’s immersive live show Sleep No More?

Not really. From my research, nothing like this has ever been even attempted. Fifty years ago, no one had the mindset to imagine it. Today, people are thirsty not just to go somewhere, but to be inside the story.

 

 

 

 

And how do people join in? Can they just write a check?

No, they apply. It all starts with a conversation so the psychological build-up becomes part of the experience. That’s one of the reasons no one has done this before—it’s too complex and goes against all marketing logic. The wealthy can’t just buy in. They have to apply themselves, not their PA or their family office, then show why they are the right fit.

 

 

Ha! Bet they love that! Who are Ariodante clients? 

 

I call them “dream seekers.” Yes, they’re ultra wealthy, and capable of giving me a creative blank check, but that’s not what matters to them. 

 

Each project starts with a conversation to really understand the person and create a genuine connection. Then I propose ideas and refine them until we have a direction. Then I spend months researching to create everything from scratch and pushing myself to make these often impossible ideas real. 

 

It’s a journey —because at the start, no one, not even me, knows what the outcome will be. Creating something might take a few weeks or a year. They pay me hundreds of thousands of dollars to create these ideas and turn them into real projects. Then we present a proposal—maybe $3 million to bring it to life. These are people for whom money is secondary. They’re seeking dreams, not possessions.

 

 

 

 

And who are clients for this specific game? 

 

Ricardo: They’re dream seekers because they come for something that goes way beyond luxury travel. Yes they can afford trips worth millions, but what matters goes beyond the price. For The Queen’s Lost Diamonds game, they are also thrill seekers because, even though the game has already been created, they have to be ready to embark on an adventure with real stakes that they know nothing about. 

 

The players of this game will solve a historical mystery scholars haven’t yet cracked. After the game, all of our research will go to museums with many cultural institutions benefiting financially, too. The money creates knowledge, preserves national treasures, and fuels the arts. It’s making history.

 

 

What other projects have you done?

 

Too many to count. We traced the Spanish conquistadors, but through the legends of the cultures they destroyed — not the victors. 

 

We explored the Tudor dynasty through Shakespeare’s eyes. We staged a Van Gogh psychological treasure hunt: was it really him who cut his ear? We created a project where a family met the “real” Tintin and followed him around the world to dismantle a criminal empire. We staged a full 1920s murder mystery on the historical Orient Express. 

 

And now, I’m dreaming of a journey to discover the Cyclopes.

 

 

Tell us more about the Orient Express.

 

In a way, this was the starting point for The Queen’s Lost Diamonds. We revived the mythical Blue Train and the roaring twenties by using the historical Orient Express for an immersive murder mystery inspired by Agatha Christie. Unlike immersive theatre, this was a full player-led game involving many actors for a group, all dressed in 1920s costumes. They had to solve a murder as the train was heading towards the French Riviera.

 

 

Let’s talk cost and value.

 

Some may say the price is insane. In fact, it’s less than chartering many superyachts. When you walk into Patek Philippe and see watches priced at half a million, one million and more, you are in fact seeing pieces that take months and years of unique craftsmanship.

 

My projects, and this game in particular, are the same — three years in the making. Ultra-luxury isn’t about price or processions; it’s about meaning. It’s about the stories you experience and the memories that stay with you forever. That’s the real value.