Pasadena Spy Quest: Stop the Bomb (Einstein & Caltech)
Description
It's your first day as a janitor at Caltech when you stumble into an abandoned lab and press a large red button. A handwritten note appears: a nuclear bomb has been armed and eight devices are hidden across Pasadena to disarm it. You have no choice but to run. This self-guided spy mission takes you on an 86-minute adventure through Old Town Pasadena. Using the Questo app on your smartphone, you decode secret messages, crack clues at historic landmarks, and follow a conspiracy connecting Caltech physicists, the Manhattan Project, and Albert Einstein. Chase the trail from Vroman's Bookstore to the Pasadena Playhouse, through hidden cobblestone alleys and past City Hall, all the way to a famous mural of Einstein on his bicycle. Start whenever you like and play entirely at your own pace across 3 kilometres of Pasadena's most storied streets. Perfect for curious explorers, couples, and families. No prior knowledge of history needed, just a sharp mind and a sense of urgency.
Tour Options
Itinerary
You will begin at Vroman’s Bookstore. Here you will be given your first clue to solve the challenge that awaits you, which will unlock the next part of the story and give you the directions to the next stop.
You will be given a new clue to solve the challenge that awaits you at Pasadena Star-News Building. You can stop for as long as you like and continue exploring at your own pace.
You will be given a new clue to solve the challenge that awaits you at Pacific Asia Museum. You can stop for as long as you like and continue exploring at your own pace.
You will be given a new clue to solve the challenge that awaits you at Pasadena City Hall. You can stop for as long as you like and continue exploring at your own pace.
You will be given a new clue to solve the challenge that awaits you at Legge Alley. You can stop for as long as you like and continue exploring at your own pace.
You will be given a new clue to solve the challenge that awaits you at Russell’s. You can stop for as long as you like and continue exploring at your own pace.
You will finish at Pasadena Memorial Park. Here is where both the story and the city exploration games end.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(5)
This was a tough one! You'll need hints. But it's worth it. I learned a TON about Pasadena history, and the puzzles were clever and led to some of the most interesting stops in the city. In the end, I was very glad I did it. Bravo again, Questo!
Glad to hear you enjoyed the challenge! It sounds like the hard work paid off with some great history lessons about Pasadena. Thanks for playing with us again—hope to see you on the next one!
The game was mostly fun. Once we figured out the level of the puzzles/clues (easier than we had been making it), they were quick solves. (Seriously, we're talking on the level of "look and spot the answer," made to look slightly more challenging by having a couple words in the clue upside-down or scrambled.) I enjoyed a clock one, because it actually involved a tiny bit of thought. The good news: I've played other scavenger hunts where things are not there anymore. This is not the case; this hunt depends on historic things that aren't going to move. The bad news: Two maps are wrong. Like, objectively wrong. One directs you to an address on the wrong street (a couple blocks from your actual destination); another sends to the current site for a particular structure when the quest wants you to go to the historic site blocks away. (Also, one puzzle is wrong, asking for the number of "rows" of a certain thing, when the answer is the number of things.) I sent both of these complaints to the company (in response to their request for a review). Several days went by, but no response. I had expected a "thanks for your input; we'll look into that" - none of these things would've been a difficult fix. But I guess they'd rather have future players running in the wrong direction and getting angry when their correct answer is rejected than actually fix the game.
Thanks for your detailed feedback! 😊🧩 We're glad you enjoyed parts of the game but are really sorry about the incorrect maps and puzzle errors—that’s definitely not the experience we want for our players. We take reports like this seriously and will review these issues ASAP. 🚀 If you didn’t get a response, that’s on us—we truly appreciate players like you who help us improve!
I googled looking for a tour of city hall and didn't realize that's not what the image represented. I didn't use the tickets
Thank you for sharing your experience with us. I understand there was some confusion regarding the tour representation, and it’s unfortunate you didn’t get to use your tickets. If you have any further details or questions, please feel free to reach out at care@questoapp.com. We're here to assist you!
We found ourselves with extra time in a city we didnt know anything about. The game showed us places we never would have seen and added a lot of historical information.
I’m so glad to hear that you had such a great time exploring a new city with us! It’s wonderful to know our game led you to hidden treasures and enriched your experience with historical insights. Your adventure sounds like a memorable one, and we’d love to be a part of your next exploration!
The app was buggy. It was fun but frustrating at times. The point on the map was not the actual location. This frustrated my family and took away from the fun.
We appreciate your feedback and apologize for any frustrations caused by the app's inaccuracies. We're constantly working to improve to ensure a smoother experience for all users. Please send us an email at care@questoapp.com so that we can better understand what has happened.Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us.
