Current Hunt Information and FAQ

The Hunt

The 2016 Puzzle Hunt will begin Monday, March 21, 2016, and will stretch across the following two weeks. In addition to the opening event, there are other events scheduled throughout the first week that will relate to some puzzles. The second week will have no events, being entirely devoted to solving the puzzles.

The hunt will consist of 5 metapuzzles, one released each day of the first week. The difficulty of each release will increase as the week progresses: the easiest puzzles released on that Monday, and the hardest puzzles will be released that Friday.

Registration

Registration for this year has closed.

General Information

What is a puzzle hunt?

As stated by 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."

Okay, so what's a metapuzzle?

Once again, as stated by 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." Likewise, a "meta-meta" links together several metapuzzles.

Do all members have to be USC Students?

Remote teams and members are still welcomed in this Hunt. On the registration form, please indicate that you are playing remotely, and more information will be provided to you.

I'm not good with crossword puzzles (etc.), how can I help?

That's no problem. The puzzles fall in many different categories, both conventional and non-conventional. In addition, they rely on a wide berth of information. Undoubtedly, you have a particular niche, whether it's math, literature, movies, music, or something very specialized such as all of the facial expressions used by Alex Trebek on the annual Geography Bee or minor characters in lame CBS comedies.