Have fun to all the teams!
What is a puzzle hunt?
From Wikipedia: A puzzlehunt is a puzzle game where teams compete to solve a series of puzzles at a particular site, in multiple sites and/or via the internet. Groups of puzzles in a puzzle hunt are often connected by a metapuzzle, leading to answers which combine into a final set of solutions.
What is a metapuzzle?
Again, from Wikipedia: A metapuzzle is a puzzle that unites several puzzles that feed into it. For example, five puzzles that had the answers BLACK, HAMMER, FROST, KNIFE, and UNION would lead to the metapuzzle answer JACK, which combines with all of those words to make new words and phrases.
A "meta-meta" unites several metapuzzles. So if that metapuzzle answer JACK was alongside three metapuzzles with the answers TEN, QUEEN, and ACE, the meta-meta answer would be KING, the remaining card in an ace high straight.
What is the purpose of the USC Puzzle Hunt?
Teams will work together to solve individual puzzles. The answers from those puzzles will have a common link of some kind. Those answers will form to a "meta-answer", as described from above. Those "meta-answers" will have other "meta-answers" that will combine for a higher answer. Just imagine the entire puzzlehunt as one large tree diagram. If the tree diagram extended into small branches to the right, you solve the small puzzles on the right to go up one step, then solve those for the next step, until eventually you have one answer.
Eventually, you will have one answer. The way the hunt is designed, is that you will have to find an object hidden on campus. The teams will not know what the object looks like or general direction of where it is hidden. The teams will have to solve the puzzles in order to find the one object at the very end. The first team to find that object will be declared the winner of the Puzzle Hunt
What is the cost of the Puzzle Hunt?
There is no cost. However, we would like for you to let us know you are playing, so we can keep track of all participants. Shoot us an email at uscpuzzlehunt12@gmail.com for registering or questions.
What are the prizes for the winners?
1) The glory of being the first winners of the Puzzle Hunt
2) $100 worth in prizes.
What if I'm no good with crossword puzzles, etc.?
Even though the puzzle hunt revolves around puzzles, there are many types of puzzles with many different varieties. Some of the topics in this hunt go from geography to TV shows to literature to popular music. You have a speciality of some kind, whether its South Carolina football, South African animals, or South Park characters. All knowledge will be useful, and you can help be a part of a team.
How do I play?
Get together an elite team. The team should be around 4-6 players, but you can have a team with 20 or just 1 person in it. Let us know about your team, and we will let you know all the details.
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This page will be updated until the hunt with more information about the Hunt itself. The actual hunt will be revealed on April 6th. Until then, start a team. The hunt is afoot.
Chris King
PuzzleHunt 2012 Coordinator
