How a mission works
Quest the City is a self-guided outdoor puzzle adventure: part escape room, part scavenger hunt, part local history extraction. You walk real streets, read the built environment, and unlock the next stop on your phone — no app install, no guide trailing you.
Each mission is an outdoor route built around landmarks you can actually see: plaques, inscriptions, architecture, public art. Clues live in your phone's browser. Answers come from the real world, not a trivia app. Every puzzle has three hints, and the third gives the answer, so a stalled stop never ends the mission. Operations Center calls between stops. Finish the route for the final transmission and your badge.
Built for date nights, families, tourists, and small teams who want something sharper than a generic walking tour — and less staged than a ticketed escape room.
Pick a mission
Choose a mission and how many phones. One phone runs a team of about 5; add phones if you'd like to split up. Your play link arrives on screen and by email.
Open it once with signal
Open the link on any modern phone browser. No app store. When it says "Ready for offline play", the mission keeps working if cell service drops mid-route. Got extra phones? Tap Share to send the link to your team.
Find the landmark
Walk the public route. Each stop points you toward something you can observe in person — not a QR scavenger of private property.
Solve and advance
Enter what you see. Operations Center calls between stops. Hints are there if you stall; using them still completes the mission.
Earn your badge
Final transmission, your badge, and a bonus for the sharp-eyed. Leave the city the way you found it.
Do I need an app?
No. Any modern smartphone browser is enough. There is nothing to install from an app store.
What about bad cell service?
Open your mission link once with signal before you go. When it says "Ready for offline play", the whole mission (map, clues, calls) is on your phone and keeps working with no signal. Your progress is saved on the phone. The optional photo bonuses need signal and skip themselves without it.
How do I buy a mission?
On the mission's page: Operation Liberty Tree (Annapolis) or Operation Long Shadow (Washington, DC). $20 for the first phone and $5 for each extra phone. Your link arrives on screen and by email, it's good for one year, and refunds are full within 30 days. Booked through Viator? Use the link in your Viator confirmation.
I lost my link.
Go to play.questthecity.com/lost and enter the email you used to buy. We'll send your links again.
Is this the same as Sioux Falls Quest?
Same family, separate missions. Sioux Falls Quest proved the idea; Quest the City takes it to more cities.
Who is it for?
Date nights, families with kids and teens, visitors who want more than a list of top sights, school and youth groups, and small teams looking for an outdoor bonding op.
How long is a mission?
Operation Liberty Tree is about a mile with five objectives; Operation Long Shadow is about 1.6 miles with six. Most teams take one to two hours, depending on pace and stops along the way.
Do kids or mixed-age groups work?
Yes. Puzzles are about looking closely at what's in front of you, and hints keep everyone moving. One phone leads while the whole group plays; for bigger groups, add phones and split into teams. See Groups.
Is GPS required for every clue?
Missions are landmark- and observation-led. You navigate like a local walk, not a pure GPS treasure hunt. Bring normal map sense and common sense.
- Stay on public paths. Obey local law and posted rules.
- Do not trespass, climb unsafe structures, or disturb others.
- One device can lead; whole group plays together.
- Hints are optional — using them still completes the mission.
- Leave no trace. Take only photos and clearance.
- If stuck for real safety reasons, stop the op.
Two missions are in the field: Annapolis and the National Mall.
See the missions Notify me about new cities