Project Description

"A puzzlehunt is a puzzle game where teams compete to solve a series of puzzles..." -Wikipedia

After months of preparation, the puzzle hunt is officially scheduled to take place starting August 17th! Unfortunately that's past the deadline of the D.O., so no pictures of people carefully concentrating on cleverly crafted conundrums (yay for gratuitous alliteration!).

Puzzle Hunt is a long running event where students at my school attempt to solve baffling puzzles. I was lucky enough to be the creator of all the puzzles for this event, which would not have gone ahead were it not for the skillful administration and all-round-awesome efforts of the other listed collaborators.

Unfortunately, because Puzzle Hunt has not started and is a competition occuring in the very near future, I can't publically disclose any puzzles here... However, if you email me at harry.sl.lee@gmail.com asking for puzzles, I will happily oblige :) After all, puzzles are meant to be shared and solved. Kind of the point of this whole project, really. [NOTICE: NOW NOT APPLICABLE]

Apart from puzzles which I will gladly send via email, there is a website originally designed to host the Puzzle Hunt. Ultimately, however, we found it easier to use a physical drop-box for answer checking and team registration, so the website remains unused. It was designed in TextEdit and Textpad; Adrian wrote all php code while I wrote the (rather messy) html.

Inspiration

The Melbourne University Puzzle Hunt, an annual event involving puzzles, plot, and prizes, inspired us to create our own puzzle hunt aimed at a younger audience (we're targeting students from Years 7 to 12). A large group of us have participated in the Melbourne University version twice, and we immensely enjoyed the challenge, coming in 18th place in 2008.

Also, puzzles are just plain fun for everyone, and we wanted to spread the joy to our own school. Puzzles are also an important form of innovation and play, incorporating team work, creative thinking, and of course intellect!

Who will enjoy this the most?

Our puzzle hunt is aimed at a high school demographic (roughly). Students with interests in intellectual pursuits will certainly enjoy solving the perplexities we've made just for them.

The Project

Alas, no pictures or videos are available because the event has been scheduled for August 17, past the due date for the D.O. - however, if you email me at the address given above and ask for puzzles, I will send you some choice stumpers. :) Also, here is the (now defunct) website created for Puzzle Hunt: http://harry-lee.com/puzzlehunt

I think I had a puzzle among my notes hosted here. Hmm. Cookies to whoever solves it first!

UPDATE

Puzzle Hunt is up and running, and progressing excellently. Here are some photos of the Puzzle Hunt board: PHOTOS

Over 80 people are participating in the Puzzle Hunt, ranging from Year 7 to 12 (and apparently some teachers).

Here are some puzzles that have already been released: 

(Errata: the bottom left dance image, Ouvrir L'Esprit, should be flipped horizontally).

All in all, a lot of work was put in by several people to make Puzzle Hunt, and we're glad it's now a reality.