how to make a good puzzle cache

[TheCacheSeeker]

how does someone make a good puzzle cache?

 

Thanks

[+shadowmib]

how does someone make a good puzzle cache?

 

Thanks

 

I've seen a few and they all seem to be much different. Some math ones where you have to find some obscure number, or calculate intersecting bearings from given waypoints. Others where you had to literally print out a puzzle and re arrange it to find the coords. Some are literary puzzles that you might have to research to find answers. Others are cyphers and codes you need to figure you..

 

I would say go with what you are good at.. If you are a math nerd, come up with some complicated math puzzle to get the coords.

 

I recently solved one where the coords were listed correct, but the cache is locked and you have to find a number from the puzzle to get the combination for the lock.

 

If you like science, maybe tell a story that includes the names of elements, and the atomic number of the element is part of the needed coords for the cache.

 

In summary, I think any "good" puzzle cache is one that is a bit difficult, but not impossible for someone to figure out. Something too easy and you might as well just put a traditional cache out thats a little hard to find and put in an obscure hint. Use too hard of a puzzle and no one will solve it, and your cache will not see any visitors.

[+niraD]

You might consider The GBA's Puzzle Cache FAQ, which is written for puzzle designers, not puzzle solvers.

[+briansnat]

You can't force a good puzzle cache. Either you are good at making them or you aren't.

 

If you are like me and have no talent or time for puzzles, just steal them from other cachers. A puzzle type that might be popular in one area might be the most

ingenious thing going in your area.

[+DanOCan]

There's no one answer since everyone who loves puzzles loves different rypes of puzzles. Some people get their enjoyment from puzzles that take weeks of agonizing to come up with an answer and some don't, as one example. Some people will love math or physics while some will like biology, all of which I have seen used as puzzle ideas.

 

For me I like puzzles that take a little time to come up with the "A ha!" moment. Once I get the gist of the puzzle though I don't want the actual solution/decryption to be tedious.

[+popokiiti]

We recently found a cache that I had solved the puzzle for. I was sweating, just hoping I was on the right track! I counted the letters in certain words to get the coords - just a lucky guess. Make up a story and there you have it! Normally I see a puzzle and it's game over. Another puzzle involved airport runways...I got that one too. I want to do some more to exercise the brain a bit....

[+fizzymagic]

Read that GBA link posted by niraD. It has some good advice.

 

Things that make for good puzzles:

• No "moon logic." That is, don't make the finder read your mind in order to solve the puzzle. There should be some logical thread that leads from the page to the solution.
  
• Do something original or interesting. Puzzles where you can learn something new are great.
  
• Have good feedback built in: make it so the solver feels some sense of progress as they solve the puzzle.
  
• Don't put in useless red herrings just to "make the puzzle harder." Red herrings are OK, but they should serve some purpose.
  

To my mind, those are the most common failings of puzzle caches. I have violated all of them myself at one time or another, and I've learned a lot from my mistakes.

Edited March 26, 2011 by fizzymagic

[+Sol seaker]

WORK PUZZLE CACHES!!! That's how to learn how to make a good one.

 

You've only found 2. At least figure out (even if you don't go find the cache) 20 or more. Then you'll begin to have an idea how to make a good one.

 

I'm designing some puzzle caches now.

I'm taking my ideas from what I have or haven't liked about the 71 puzzle caches I've done (actually I've worked a whole lot more than that but have only gone out and gotten 71 of them).

 

A lot of people don't do puzzle caches. Why? Because so many of them are hard and obscure.

When I first started caching I looked at a few and said, "Forget it." and didn't look at any for a long time.

 

Now I've been doing them for a while, and what I appreciate is a puzzle that CAN be solved. Nothing so outrageous only the very best at puzzle caches can figure them out.

I think there need to be a lot more caches that most people can do, so people learn how to do them.

 

Also, I don't like puzzles that take me hours to figure out on Google. I like learning new things, but something that I have to look up obscure facts that I don't really care about for five hours is awful. I don't want to hate your puzzle.

 

There is a series of puzzles in Seattle called the Peace puzzle series. I suggest doing as many puzzles as you can to learn more about puzzles. Even if you don't ever come here to get these, you can still work them to learn about puzzles.

 

This series was done to get more people involved in puzzles. It is some of the easier puzzle tricks people use. I've used what I learned from this series on many other puzzles.

 

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?wp=GC241QM

 

This is the first in the series. It's GC241QM

Peace series #1; Can you feel the peace?

Work all of these puzzles and you will have an idea of how to make a good puzzle cache.