Sally Forth!

Guide

A reason to go somewhere. Proof that you did.

What is Sally Forth?

Sally Forth! gives you a reason to go somewhere and proof that you did.

Someone creates a quest — a challenge tied to a real place. Maybe it’s a coffee shop, a trailhead, a park bench, a bookstore. You physically go there. Your phone confirms you showed up. You earn a credential — a tamper-proof digital stamp that says “I was here, on this day.”

That’s the whole idea. No feeds, no likes, no followers. Just: go somewhere real, and have something to show for it that no one can fake.


Real Examples

Here are things people actually do with Sally Forth!:

“Visit my coffee shop 7 days in a row”

A local shop creates a recurring quest. Customers who show up every day for a week earn a credential proving their streak. No punch card needed — your phone is the proof.

“Hike these 5 trails this month”

A friend group creates a multi-stop quest with five trailheads. Visit all five in any order. Everyone who finishes has a credential to prove they actually did it — not just said they would.

“Walk to the park every morning this week”

You create a quest for yourself. Daily, 7 visits. It’s a commitment device — a reason to put on shoes and get outside instead of scrolling. When you finish, you have proof you kept the promise.

“Come to trivia night every Tuesday”

A bar creates a weekly recurring quest. Regulars who show up every Tuesday for 6 weeks earn a credential. It rewards the people who actually come, not the people who say they will.

“Visit 3 bookstores downtown”

A neighborhood association creates a walking tour. Three independent bookstores, any order. It gets people into shops they’d normally walk past, and the credential is a souvenir of the afternoon.

“Sit in this garden for 30 minutes”

A timed-stay quest. You have to be at the location for half an hour — not just pass through. Put your phone away. Read. Watch the birds. Earn the credential when the time is up.


Why This Exists

Sally Forth! was built by Gen X for Gen Z — by a generation that remembers life before the screen, for a generation that’s never known anything else.

We’re more connected than ever and lonelier than ever. Constant online interaction hasn’t brought us closer — it’s replaced real connection with curated performances. We scroll, we compare, we feel worse. The solutions to how we feel inside are not on a screen. They never were.

The answers are in the real world. In small, unscripted moments. In keeping a promise to yourself — even a tiny one, like walking to the end of the block. In showing up for someone. In putting yourself at the center of a story that isn’t curated or filtered or performed for an audience of strangers.

The Power of a Quest

A quest is a promise you make and keep. That’s it. It doesn’t have to be grand. Visit a park. Sit on a bench for thirty minutes. Walk to a coffee shop every morning for a week. The act of deciding to go somewhere, going there, and proving you did it — that builds something real. Grit. Confidence. The habit of following through.

Each quest is a micro-win. Small actions that teach you your choices matter, that you can influence outcomes, that showing up counts. Miss a day and the streak breaks — that’s real too. Success and failure, felt in your body, not algorithmically softened on a screen.

Over time, quests move you from isolation toward purpose. From self-gazing toward family, friends, and community. From scrolling toward doing. Not because an app told you to, but because you made a promise and your legs carried you there.

The Incarnate

The places you visit are real. The people you’re with are real. The things you can touch are real. In a world drowning in synthetic content, the incarnate matters. A quest is your compass back to what’s real.

Gustave Doré — Don Quixote convinces Sancho Panza to sally forth (1863)Gustave Doré, Don Quixote (1863)

sally (v.) — to leap forth boldly. From Latin salire, “to leap.”


Quick Start

Four steps. The whole thing takes about two minutes.

  1. 1Create a quest — pick a place on the map, give it a name, optionally add a time rule.
  2. 2Share it — send the link to a friend, post it, print the QR code, or just keep it for yourself.
  3. 3Go there — physically walk to the location. Your phone’s GPS confirms you’re within range.
  4. 4Earn your credential — a signed, verifiable proof that you were there. It lives in your wallet. Nobody can fake it.

Creating Quests

Go to Create a Quest from the menu. The form has two sections:

Quest Setup

Give your quest a name and optional description. Then choose a location mode and optionally add a time rule. This is the “what” and “when” of your quest.

Location & Map

Search for a place by name (like a restaurant or park) or tap the map to drop a pin. You can set the radius for how close visitors need to be. The default is 200 meters.


Location Modes

Choose how many places are involved and whether order matters:

Single Location

One place to visit. The simplest quest type. Great for a specific shop, landmark, or event venue.

Example: Visit Hinckley Donut Shop

Multiple Locations (any order)

Two or more places that can be visited in any order. All stops must be completed to earn the credential.

Example: Visit 3 coffee shops in downtown — any order

Sequential (visit in order)

Multiple places that must be visited in a specific sequence. The next stop only unlocks after the previous one is completed.

Example: A walking tour: Museum first, then Bridge, then Park


Time Rules

Time rules add a when dimension to your quest. You can pick one time rule per quest, or none at all. The four options appear as pill buttons — tap one to select it, tap it again to remove it. Switching to a different rule automatically clears the previous one.

Timed Stay

Visitors must stay at the location for a minimum amount of time. Their phone pings GPS periodically to verify they haven't left.

Example: Stay at the park for at least 30 minutes

Date Window

The quest is only available during a specific time period. Before the window opens or after it closes, visitors can't complete it.

Example: Available February 14 through February 16 only

Recurring

Visitors must return multiple times on a regular schedule. Choose from preset patterns (daily, weekdays, weekly, biweekly) or set a custom interval.

Example: Visit every Monday for 6 weeks

Scheduled Dates

Visitors must show up on specific calendar dates that you pick. Similar to recurring, but you choose each date individually.

Example: Show up on March 1, March 15, and April 1

Expiration Date

Separate from time rules, you can set an expiration date. This controls when the quest stops accepting new players entirely. Expiration works independently — you can combine it with any time rule, or use it on its own.


Recurring Quests

Recurring quests ask visitors to come back on a regular schedule. When you select the Recurring pill, you’ll choose a pattern and an ending condition.

Patterns

Five preset patterns cover most real-world scenarios:

Daily

max 30 visits

Visit every single day. Each day has a 24-hour window.

Example: Run a coffee loyalty challenge: visit every morning for 7 days.

Weekdays

max 20 visits

Visit Monday through Friday only. Weekends are automatically skipped.

Example: An office lunch challenge: visit the food truck every workday for 2 weeks.

Weekly

max 12 visits

Visit on a specific day of the week. A day picker appears so you can choose which day. Each visit has a 48-hour grace window.

Example: Trivia night every Tuesday for 6 weeks.

Biweekly

max 12 visits

Visit every other week on a specific day. Same day picker as weekly, but windows are 14 days apart. 48-hour grace window per visit.

Example: A farmers market that runs every other Saturday for 3 months.

Custom

max 30 visits

Set your own interval in days. An input field appears where you enter the number of days between visits. 24-hour grace window.

Example: Return every 3 days for 4 visits (e.g., a medication pickup schedule).

Ending Conditions

Every recurring quest must have a defined end. Choose one:

After N visits

The quest ends after a set number of visits. Enter the count and the form will calculate the end date for you. For example, “Daily for 7 visits” shows that the quest ends 7 days from tomorrow.

Until date

Pick an end date on the calendar and the form will calculate how many visits fit within that range. For example, choosing “Weekly on Friday, until April 10” will count how many Fridays fall in that window.

Partial Credit

Recurring quests follow a “streak” model:

  • Each visit window has a grace period (24 hours for daily patterns, 48 hours for weekly patterns).
  • Missing a visit ends the quest — you can’t skip a week and pick up where you left off.
  • Completed visits still count — if you visited 4 out of 6 times before missing one, your credential records a streak of 4. You still earn credit for the visits you made.

Safety Limits

To keep quests reasonable, each pattern has a maximum number of visits:

PatternMax VisitsGrace Window
Daily3024 hours
Weekdays2024 hours
Weekly1248 hours
Biweekly1248 hours
Custom3024 hours

Scheduled Dates

Scheduled dates work like recurring quests, but instead of a repeating pattern, you pick specific dates from a calendar. This is ideal for events that don’t follow a regular schedule.

How it works

Select the “Scheduled Dates” pill, then tap dates on the mini calendar to add them. Tap a selected date again to remove it. You need at least 2 dates, and can pick up to 20. All dates must fall within a 6-month window.

The same partial credit model applies: missing a scheduled date ends the quest, but visits already completed still count toward your credential.

When to use Scheduled vs. Recurring

Use Recurring when…Use Scheduled when…
Visits follow a regular pattern (every day, every Tuesday, every other week).Dates are irregular or don’t follow a pattern (event series, class schedule, scattered dates).

Playing Quests

When you open a quest link, you’ll see a map showing where you need to go. Here’s what to expect depending on the quest type:

Drop-in Quests (no time rule)

Just be at the location. Once your GPS confirms you’re within range, the claim button activates. Tap it to earn your credential.

Timed Stay Quests

A countdown timer appears when you arrive. Stay within range until it reaches zero, then claim your credential. Your phone pings GPS periodically to confirm you haven’t left.

Date Window Quests

The quest page shows whether the window is open, upcoming, or closed. You can only record a visit and claim your credential while the window is open.

Recurring & Scheduled Quests

You’ll see a progress tracker showing all visit windows. Each window shows its status: upcoming, open now, completed, or missed. A countdown timer shows when the next window opens or when the current one closes.

Record a visit during each open window. Once all windows are completed (or the quest ends due to a missed visit), you can claim your credential.

Multi-Stop Quests

The map shows all locations. For “any order” quests, visit them however you like. For “sequential” quests, you must visit them in the designated order — the next stop only appears after completing the current one.


Credentials & Wallet

When you complete a quest, you earn a signed digital credential. This is a cryptographic proof that you were at the right place at the right time. Credentials are:

  • Yours to keep — stored in your Wallet, exportable as files, shareable via QR code.
  • Independently verifiable — anyone can verify a credential at the verify page without needing an account.
  • Privacy-preserving — credentials don’t contain your name, email, or any personal information. They use a pseudonymous identifier that can’t be linked back to your account.
  • Portable — built on the open Quest Protocol, so credentials work across any compatible app.

For recurring and scheduled quests, your credential includes details about your streak — how many visits you completed, whether your record was perfect, and the dates of each visit.


Groups

Groups are how you share quests and experiences with the people who matter — the ones standing next to you, not a follower count on a screen.

How to Join a Group

There are two ways to join a group. Both require you to be physically near the group’s creator or an existing member:

In-App Scanner

Go to the Groups page and tap the Join button. The app will check your location first, then open your camera to scan the group’s QR code. The person sharing the code needs to be nearby — your phone confirms you’re both in the same place before the join goes through.

Phone Camera Scan

Point your phone’s regular camera at a group QR code. It will open a link in your browser. The app asks for your location to verify you’re near the group before joining. If location access is denied, you’ll see step-by-step instructions for enabling it on your device.

Why Co-Location?

Personal groups require both people to be physically in the same place at the same time. This is intentional.

Social media taught us that connection means following someone from a distance — watching curated highlights, performing for an audience, building a version of yourself that isn’t quite real. The result is lonelier than no connection at all.

Sally Forth! works differently. A group isn’t something you join from your couch. You join it because you’re standing next to someone, in the same park, the same coffee shop, the same trail. The relationship starts where it matters — in person.

No fake projections. No algorithmic curation. Just proof that you showed up, together, in the same place. That’s worth more than any follow count.

Group Types

Personal Groups

Small, intimate groups for friends and family. Both the person sharing the QR code and the person scanning it must be at the same location. Think of it like exchanging a handshake — you have to be there.

Organization Groups

For businesses, clubs, or event organizers. Members join by scanning the group’s QR code at the organization’s location. Great for running challenges with your community.


Tips

Start simple

Your first quest doesn't need time rules. Create a drop-in quest at a place you know, visit it yourself, and see how the flow works end to end.

Set a reasonable radius

The default 200m radius works for most places. Make it smaller (50-100m) for precise spots like a specific building entrance, or larger (300-500m) for parks and campuses.

Use descriptions

Add a description to your quest to help visitors know what to expect. Is it a quick stop? A scenic viewpoint? A 30-minute sit-down? Context helps.

Name your markers

For multi-stop quests, give each location a descriptive name. 'Fountain' and 'Gazebo' are better than 'Stop 1' and 'Stop 2'.

Test recurring quests first

Before committing to a 12-week weekly quest, try creating a short one (2-3 visits) to make sure the schedule works the way you expect.

Grace periods are your friend

Daily quests have a 24-hour grace window and weekly quests have 48 hours. Visitors don't have to show up at a specific hour — anytime during the window counts.

Install the app

Sally Forth! works best when installed on your home screen. Go to the Install page from the menu to add it. You'll get a full-screen experience and faster load times.