04-08-2025
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Live out your '80s game show fantasies at this new Bay Area attraction
For 1,000 points: Which Bay Area mall has exploded into a retail, entertainment and foodie multiverse?
If you guessed Westfield Valley Fair, you are correct. The mall located near the 280/880 interchange in Santa Clara has already welcomed Hello Kitty Cafe and Alamo Drafthouse Cinema movie theater this year alongside haute couture storefronts and bustling foodie havens like Ramen Nagi, Baekjeong and Eataly.
With its 'Family Feud'-style podiums, giant spinning wheel, light show and in-person host, it's like stepping into a television set circa 1980 before the soaps come on. But unlike real game shows, there's no money or La-Z-Boy chairs to be won, just a leaderboard position for top performers and smug bragging rights for dominating the competition.
During its soft launch earlier this month, the Great Big Game Show attracted curious mall walkers who got to sample three of its games. There was a physical building block challenge and a trivia game (Sample question: 'The Academy Awards are also known as … what?') to amass points. Then they spun the 'Wheel of Fortune'-like big wheel to add to their point stash or lose it all. A confetti cannon dispersed as the winner was announced.
Kimberley Le of San Jose spotted the 'grand opening' signage on a prior visit and returned with her family to try it out.
'It's fun, especially for groups who like doing competitive things,' said Le. 'The host was really energetic. We already got tickets to come back."
Opening the Great Big Game Show at Valley Fair was a logical choice, said Scott Sauers, the entertainment chain's marketing director who was working the check-in desk on this recent summer day. Its parent company owns and operates the Escape Game, which also has a spot at the mall, so the existing intel on local demographics and demand told them everything they needed to know.
'There's lots to do at Valley Fair — shopping, dining, entertainment. And we just think the Great Big Game Show fits in well,' Sauers said.
Given the Silicon Valley locale, it's a prime option for a tech company 'off-site team building' activity sans trust-falls or awkward small talk with upper management. Sauers said the trivia portion can even be tailored with company-related questions. Or, if it's a special occasion like a marriage proposal, bachelor/ette or gender reveal party, they can host that too — complete with blue or pink confetti.
Here's how to play: Reserve time online or by phone for one of four studios. Three studios can accommodate up to 14 people, while a smaller studio can fit eight. It costs $45.99 per person for an hour-long game session. Individual groups are matched together in a studio like Benihana. If you want a private game all to yourselves — say 2 parents vs. 2 kids — there's a 50% upcharge on the unused podium spots, so keep that in mind when booking.
Up to eight different games from their collection of 18 are played with the hour, with a living, breathing host running the show. There are games of skill, chance and strategy. During 'Blaster Blitz,' for instance, players use Nerf guns to hit targets flashing on the screen. (Don't worry, the individual studios are behind the check-in lobby wall, so mall passerby can't see you fail.)
My smarmy know-it-all self couldn't resist a test drive.
I rushed through the physical 'Build It Up' building block challenge like a grumpy dad putting up a tent without instructions. I got cocky during the 'Blockchain' trivia game by buzzing in early before the host could finish the question. I amassed a razor-thin lead against my opponent but botched the landing, hitting the 'Lose It All' slot in the spinning wheel and never recovered. (Fail horn.)
Overall, the Great Big Game Show was nicely paced, had a good variety of challenges, and the host was fun and upbeat.
While city elites may scoff at heading to a Santa Clara suburban mall or Fisherman's Wharf — where another Great Big Game Show location sits — for escapist jollies, I can comfortably sip a Hello Kitty matcha latte in my new Celine hoodie while spinning a gigantic game show wheel before seeing 'The Naked Gun' remake — all under one roof. Who's the real winner now?
