This puzzle event took place at once location over the course of an afternoon. There were plenty of puzzles that could be completed in a non-linear order, and they were combined with a number of interactive elements – including competitive challenges between teams!
The below will attempt to match the flow of the day.
Materials:
–Code Book
–House Rules
–Party Map
–Progress Map
Orientation:
After all teams were assembled, teams were segregated – Blue Groups were given a few logic puzzles early to start, while the Red Groups did a group activity together. Once the Red Groups all finished the group activity and received all logic puzzles, the Blue Group did the group activity (after they finished, they received the remaining 3 logic puzzles).
Group activity: This was a group activity where they were piecing a jigsaw puzzle together, but they each had different pieces, and pieces from several different puzzles, and could trade the pieces they had with pieces in the bank. Eventually, if they worked together they could solve the jigsaw puzzle (which had an answer on the back of the pieces: “Say cheers to man on third floor”). It was possible for some teams to betray their fellow reds and run away with the answer if they garnered it early.
After the group activity, teams could proceed in any order. This included finishing logic puzzles and following their ‘breadcrumb’ trails (5 separate parallel paths), and also competing with other teams.
Competitions:
By the end of the day, each team was required to face off against another team of the opposing color in a variety of party events. These included the following:
-A rock paper scissors competition
-A ‘bean counting’ challenge
-A ‘ryoketto’ japanese drinking game challenge
-Playing Street Fighter 2 against each other
-Facing off in a quizbowl style trivia competition, complete with buzzers (curious what the trivia was? click HERE for the full question set)
Winners of each event earned themselves bonus points, and points for their Color group overall. By doing each challenge, they earned CODEWORDS. The following were the codewords:
MAN, AYE, DIN, EARTH, and MEANT
Puzzle Paths:
On each puzzle ‘track’, the instruction revealed in the first logic puzzle would lead to a number of ‘bread crumb’ mini-puzzles. These instructions and crumb results involved location-specific scavenging to find each next part of the sequence. Ultimately they would lead to another full puzzle at the end of the track which solved to a one-word solution. So each track ended in one solution. Also, each logic puzzle would provide a ‘key’ letter.
Track 1:
– Logic Puzzle (masyu) – Hint – Solution
– Crumb A
– Crumb B
– Puzzle (party invitation)
Track 1 Puzzle Hints
Track 1 Hint 1
If you’re having trouble wrapping your head around the messages here, go past how it’s being presented and come back to the beginning
Track 1 Hint 2
All 4 borders seem like they match up on opposite sides. But why are there three points of interest in each row? Can we make them uniform? What an interesting, bumpy turn this has taken
Track 2:
– Logic Puzzle (stardoku) – Hint – Solution
– Crumb A
– Crumb B
– Puzzle (spider web)
Track 2 Puzzle Hints
Track 2 Hint 1
There must be a predictable way to traverse these webs that also results in a message from the letters – flag this problem as ‘solvable’
Track 2 Hint 2
Always turning corners and arriving at more complications! If I’m inspecting these bugs, I should probably go about them in a consistent order, and have all of my numbers on track
Track 3:
– Logic Puzzle (waterfill) – Hint – Solution
– Crumb A
-‘Rules’ posters that were posted around the premises: one two three four five
– Crumb B
– Puzzle (videogames) *Special credit to Brett Klooster who did the bulk of the work on the games
Track 3 Puzzle Hints
Track 3 Stacks Hint
The relentless pieces only seem to stop when you run out, it can be a brain OVERload to keep the points coming. But go with the FLOW and earn pieces more efficiently with strategic placement and larger matches, and you’ll be reaching the top score
Track 3 Fish Game hint
Dashing is a good way to avoid enemies. But don’t get ahead of yourself!
Track 3 Pacman Game hint
You may not have to work very hard finding an efficient route to the high score. But have you looked AROUND for what you are missing?
Track 4:
– Logic Puzzle (wordskeleton) – Hint
– Crumb A (was attached to a party blower containing a message when ‘blown’ that suggested they ‘tickle’ a host)
– Crumb B
– Puzzle (photo) *Special credit to Kenny Schweiger who provided art for the photo
Track 4 Puzzle Hints
Track 4 Hint 1
There’s so many different things going on in this picture! But maybe some things are not so different. Direct yourself to those and you’ll see exactly what I am aiming at.
Track 4 Hint 2
Be sure to cut to just the photograph itself. When you’re delving into the folds of this mystery, you may find that your answer lies behind these stories you make out with your naked eyes.
Track 5:
– Logic Puzzle (abchitori) – Hint – Solution
– Music Room (the following tracks were played in the music room on repeat: one two three four five) *Special credit to Matheatre for track mixes
– Crumb A
– Crumb B
– Puzzle (boardgames)
Track 5 Puzzle Hints
Track 5 Hint 1
These games aren’t all legitimate. But what’s wrong with them? Are they unfair? Missing pieces? Extra pieces?
Track 5 Hint 2
Check your property names, look where you’re spinning, see what numbers you’re rolling, and count your letters, and you should be fine.
Once a team had obtained all of the answers, code words, and key letters, they could obtain one final clue puzzle – and a Final Hint Puzzle was also available if teams wanted to spend time on it (but it was not strictly necessary).
Final Puzzle
Final Hint