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THE QUAKE

San Francisco
SOMA

$54.99

THE QUAKE

San Francisco
SOMA

$54.99

Rated 4.96 out of 5 based on 25 customer ratings

(25 reviews)

STARTING LOCATION: Anywhere near Lotta’s Fountain on Kearny St

You’re just on the verge of completing your revolutionary anti-earthquake device…when you feel a tremor. Fate is in your hands and you must work as quickly as possible. Can you finish your invention in time to save the city? Search for clues, solve puzzles, and explore San Francisco on this unforgettable outdoor escape room adventure!

Open your clue box anywhere near Lotta’s Fountain on Kearny Street to start your adventure.
Begin solving using anything you see in the box. Scan the QR code to input your solution and find out where to go.
Search for real-world clues hidden around San Francisco and use them to solve puzzles. When you input the correct code, the app will tell you where to go and what to do!
If you get stuck, the no-download app has as many hints as you need. It also has storyline, videos, and more.
Play at your own pace. There's no penalty for hints and no one gets timed out.

Inside the escape room box, you will find:

Lockbox with a real lock
Clue envelopes that are locked until you're told otherwise!
Other fun clue items, like magnets and a scanner
QR codes to access the web-based app (no download required)
A pen

Everything you need to know about this San Francisco escape room game:

PLAYING TIME: 1.5-3 hours depending on experience level and how much you eat, drink, and explore along the way
WALKING DISTANCE: About 2 miles around SOMA, ending at the Embarcadero (mostly downhill route)
PLAYERS PER BOX: We suggest 2-6 so that everyone can share the clues, but it's completely up to you. You can even play alone!
DIFFICULTY LEVEL: Adjustable. There's no penalty for hints, so you can take them frequently or challenge yourself.
WHO CAN PLAY: Fun for all ages. Perfect for date nights, family outings, friend groups, tourists, and anyone looking for a fun outdoor escape room in San Francisco.

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Christopher Kusek

Rated 5 out of 5

THERE’S A LOCK IN THE BOX? OMG ESCAPE ROOM!

I love me an escape room in a box and this set being thematic based on different cities is really cool. I opted for San Francisco and when I saw the lock in the box it immediately floored me!

This kit is pretty cool and something that can make for a really fun game night! Playability can be impacted by opening up the sealed envelopes so that can impact that replay ability, but don’t let that impact you enjoying the moment that you do play with it!
May S

Rated 5 out of 5

Wonderful way to explore a local city!

We are from the area, but enjoyed being able to walk around the areas we normally drive by. It’s great that many of the locations had in-app information about the local landmarks as well. The puzzles in the box were not too difficult and great hints were available if needed. My only disappointment is that I cannot play the box again.

The locations where the box took us to were also great. I think it would be helpful for future if there was a vague start and end location. So situating parking would be easier.
Joey C

Rated 5 out of 5

Fun!

Had a great time
Marcelo C

Rated 5 out of 5

Fun time for a small group of friends or family

I had purchased this game two months ago, looking forward to the time to actually play it. That day finally arrived, and we had a lot of fun!

We live near San Francisco and that is the game we tried. By “we” I mean my wife and I, and a couple of friends. I think four is a great number of people to work collaboratively on solving this game. Two or three would work too. Five or six may be a bit too crowded for effective collaboration, but it should work too. I think anything beyond six would be too much.

The game requires the use of a phone with internet access, the physical clues that come with the game box, and your physical interaction with the city (looking for clues in the real world). I loved how well crafted and clever the clues were. We needed to use a hint for the initial clue, but after that we got the hang of the game and we successfully finished all remaining clues without hints. Working in a group is nice, since one person may have a different perspective on a specific clue and untangle the mystery. And it is not always the same person figuring it out.

Since solving each clue requires that you interact with a specific physical feature of the city, this is a somewhat temporary game, in the sense that in a few months or years one of those physical features will change and the game would not work. I don’t know how the authors are planning to address that issue.

The San Francisco game centers in the financial district/Embarcadero area–roughly the rectangle bounded by Market, Embarcadero, Howard, and 3rd street. I didn’t measure the distance we walked, but it was probably 3 miles total, and it took us close to three hours to finish the game. One of our friends couldn’t quite believe it had been three hours–he thought it was much less time. The time seemed to move quickly as we were having fun and talking while walking in between the different stages of the game.

Since we live near San Francisco, my wife and I have explored the city many times. This game allowed us to focus on some details that we had not quite observed before. So if you know the city, you will still learn new things. Actually, I think this game is better for someone who has already visited a city before. I would not quite recommend it for a first visit to a city, since the game tends to be hyper focused on specific aspects within a small physical area of the city.
Celeste Bean

Rated 5 out of 5

Exceeded all expectations

Completed this with three adult friends, all of whom enjoy escape rooms. Extraordinary attention to detail. Great was to see San Francisco!

The best San Francisco escape room experience

About the escape room game

This outdoor escape room adventure around SOMA and the Embarcadero area takes the best parts of an escape room and the best parts of a scavenger hunt and combines them into the most fun thing to do in San Francisco. You get to search for clues hidden in the real world and then use them to solve the puzzles in this outdoor escape room. When you solve a puzzle and retrieve a code, the app will tell you where to look for your next clue! Instead of trying to escape the room, this Escapely adventure takes you to find clues around SOMA and the Embarcadero.

This real world escape room is the most unique escape room in SF. It takes you on a clue-solving adventure around San Francisco to find clues, solve puzzles, and follow an immersive storyline. If you want to keep the experience a surprise, don't read this next bit - it contains some spoilers about where you'll go on our SF escape room adventure and what you'll see along the way.

Escapely's San Francisco escape room begins with a tremor. Your anti-earthquake device is almost finished, but now it looks like you'll need to scramble to complete it in time before the big quake! We recommend starting near Lotta’s Fountain on Kearny Street, which is close to your first clue. You will travel through SOMA to the beautiful Yerba Buena Gardens and walk right by the SOMA bar Local Edition if you want to stop in for a drink.

You will also find clues at Mission Plaza, Urban Park, and Vaillancourt Fountain. San Francisco is known for being hilly, but we made sure the game route flows downhill so that you can save your energy for the escape room. You will finish up at the SF Ferry Building, where we recommend popping in for a bite to eat. It's right on the Embarcadero if you want to head north and see the seals. If you're playing as a family, there are many things to do in SOMA with kids after the escape room, like the Children's Creativity Museum.

San Francisco escape room FAQ

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Yes, but it is generally not recommended unless you are a dedicated escape room enthusiast. See, playing outdoor escape rooms in different cities is like playing escape room games with the same storyline and similar puzzles. However, the setting is unique! In the San Francisco escape room, the clues are integrated throughout the SOMA area, making them distinct from those found in escape or Whodunnit games in other cities. However, the puzzles will still feel familiar. That said, we do have enthusiasts who play (and enjoy) the same theme across multiple cities!

An outdoor escape room brings the excitement of escape games into the real world. Unlike traditional rooms, which lock you in, this adventure lets you roam freely! In SOMA, San Francisco, you will search for clues while exploring places like Yerba Buena Gardens, admiring the art at SFMOMA, discovering street murals, and visiting cozy local spots like Blue Bottle Coffee. Teams work together to uncover clues, solve puzzles, crack codes, and tackle challenges to complete the game. It is a unique, themed adventure that gets you outside and immersed in the vibrant SOMA neighborhood!

Your game box holds most of the clues you will need to reach the end of the escape room adventure. During the game, you must keep your eyes open and spot the remaining clues hidden throughout SOMA in San Francisco! When you find a real-world clue, think creatively and match it with what is in the box in order to solve the puzzle. Once you have the solution, enter it in the app to move on to the next stage of the outdoor escape room.

SOMA is the perfect place for an outdoor escape room because it is one of the most walkable cities in San Francisco. We designed the adventure route to be mostly downhill so you can get a comfortable experience while roaming the town. Aside from walkability, SOMA makes a great outdoor escape room venue because it features stunning locations, like the Yerba Buena Gardens, which play a key role in the game. This park also features the Martin Luther King, Jr. memorial, a must-visit sight during your adventure. Other than that, art lovers will enjoy its proximity to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Plus, Moscone Center and Oracle Park are also nearby. Finally, Escapely's San Francisco outdoor escape room wraps up at the Embarcadero, which is home to the Ferry Building and its iconic clock tower. If you are playing on a weekend, you can catch the bustling farmer's market, but even without it, the food options in the Ferry Building are plentiful. A bit further north, you can catch a ferry to Alcatraz or visit the Exploratorium, San Francisco's interactive science museum.

Technically, it’s both! In a classic escape room, you need to solve one puzzle to another to escape the room (or a series of rooms). In Escape the City, you do the same thing, except you are not restricted to one room. Instead, you look for clues all around the SOMA and Embarcadero neighborhoods.

This San Francisco outdoor escape room starts near Lotta's Fountain and ends at the Ferry Building, so you can park at either location. Street parking and parking garages are available in the area, though they can be pricey. If public transportation works for you, you can also opt for the San Francisco Caltrain, which has a stop less than a 10-minute rideshare away from the start of the outdoor escape room.

Yes, there is one location that you will need to enter at the end of the game. But you are not required to make a purchase or interact with the staff (though we do recommend grabbing something!). The said location is a publicly accessible building, so you will have no problems entering or leaving. All other clues can be found outside around SOMA.

Anyone can play Escape the City! This self-guided outdoor escape room is perfect for couples, families, friend groups, or any individual looking for a fun activity in SOMA, San Francisco!