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Introduction to Writing Good Puzzle Hunt Puzzles
Version 1.0 - 2014-02-24 - cleanup, add metapuzzle and solving tools sections Version 0.9 - 2014-02-18 This document is advice for writing puzzles. It is specifically geared toward the MIT Mystery Hunt, though the techniques and ideas will likely be useful in other puzzle-writing.
One member of [Alice Shrugged], Quinn Mahoney, greatly enjoyed solving Whoa -- I Know Drawing(2003), a puzzle which involved figuring out what was being drawn on an Etch-A-Sketch based on video of someone's hands turning the knobs. Oyster Card came from realizing that the circular signs indicating London Tube stops were reminiscent of the white and black circles in a Masyu (a type of logic puzzle). A lot of the general advice for metapuzzles is the same as for regular puzzles, except "more so"--metas are the usually the main vehicle for advancing the overall story and establishing the theme and "feel" of a Hunt, so it's important to make sure that they contribute in those ways.
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