CASE #01
Bella Wanderlust died on a ghost tour. The tour kept going.
San Mateo murder mystery. Solve a case on your own streets
- No booking, start anytime
- 1.8 km · 12 points
★ 4.9 · 10 verified reviews in San Mateo
The case file
Bella Wanderlust died on a ghost tour. The tour kept going.
You know the old saying, “The boyfriend did it”? On an ill-fated night, love goes terribly wrong for Bella Wanderlust and Walter Bridges.
How tonight works
- 1
Unlock now
Pay and the case opens in the Questo app straight away: no guide, no group, no time slot. 30 seconds, not a confirmation email.
- 2
Walk to Point 1
Point 1 · 320 2nd Ave. From there the case runs through 12 stops and finishes at Point 12 · 220 Main St, a 1.8 km route through San Mateo.
- 3
Solve it together
Everyone gets clues on their own phone. Each puzzle you crack unlocks the next location, and the finish puts you on the San Mateo leaderboard.
- Start
- Point 1 · 320 2nd Ave
- Finish
- Point 12 · 220 Main St
Like an escape room. The room is San Mateo.
Escape rooms are genuinely good. They also want a slot booked days ahead and a fixed hour. This is the version you can decide on at 7pm: outdoors, across 1.8 km of San Mateo.
| This case | Escape room | |
|---|---|---|
| Price / person | $8.99 for two, $6.00 in a group of 5 | 2 to 4x more each |
| Party size | 2 or 5 phones | fixed 4–8 |
| Booking | none, play now | slot, days ahead |
| Where | 1.8 km of San Mateo | a windowless room |
What San Mateo players say
★ 4.9
★★★★★
fun to walk around and speak in pretend voices.
★★★★
it was fun! puzzles was a little simple, but had a good time walking around the city! make sure you have good friends and you’ll have a good time!
★★★★★
loved it! we did at night and was so fun for our family of 5! I’d say for kids at least 10 yrs. or older personally (depending on maturity ofc)
Gather your party
Who's playing tonight?
One pass unlocks the whole group’s phones: the Duo covers 2, the Fellowship 5. From $6.00 per person, with no booking and no set time.
Two phones, two versions of the truth. Argue about the prime suspect over drinks afterwards.
A team of detectives, one accusation, live rankings. Cheaper than the escape room you couldn’t get a slot for, and the kids usually crack the puzzles faster than the adults.
Questions locals ask
Multiplayer quest · gather your party
Start the case tonight
It unlocks the moment you pay. Walk to Point 1 · 320 2nd Ave, open the app, and the investigation starts.
Full refund until you start playing.
Giving it to someone?
Gift this case →Choose your pass
- 1 ·Pay. The case unlocks in 30 seconds
- 2 ·Get the free Questo app (2 min, iOS & Android)
- 3 ·Walk to Point 1 whenever, tonight or any night
Outdoor murder mystery in San Mateo
A citywide case for mystery and escape-room fans
Murder Mystery: Death in the Shadows in San Mateo is a self-guided murder mystery you play on foot in San Mateo. A detective game for date nights, friends and families who would rather run the investigation themselves than watch a staged dinner show. No guide, no group, no booking.
Self-guided over 1.8 km with 12 challenge locations, at your own pace, any evening of the week: an outdoor escape room the size of San Mateo, with no slot to book. It's one of the few things to do in San Mateo you can decide on at 7pm without a reservation.
Same case, playing nearby