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Puzzles Caches


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Hello everyone

I live in a small country town in western NSW in Australia

There were only about 10 to 12 Caches in and around town that were all traditional Caches until i have just added another 10.

I'm interested in creating a Puzzle Cache but i have never found another one to know what i should be doing.

I have a puzzle box (one of the ones that you can only open in a certain way) that i wanted to use as the container. Would this be considered a Puzzle Cache or just a traditional with a twist.

Any advice on this or some examples of Puzzles Caches would be really great.

Thanks all

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Puzzle Caches are "The "catch-all" of geocache types, this type may involve complicated puzzles that you will first need to solve to determine the correct coordinates. Mystery/Puzzle Caches often become the staging ground for new and unique geocaches that do not fit in another category." From https://www.geocaching.com/about/cache_types.aspx

See GC4QRCC GC2V07Y GC28VAV GC10KZM GC3X1G7 :)

 

Go to the geocaching map page and un-tick every type except the ? and all the puzzel caches will be shown to give you an idea :)

Edited by kharga
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If the cache is at the posted coordinates, and the only "puzzle" is opening the box itself, I would list it as a Traditional and give it the "Field Puzzle" attribute. Though I've also seen ones like this listed as a "puzzle" (mystery/unknown) cache type.

 

Many puzzle caches require you to solve a puzzle to get the coordinates; i.e. the cache is not at the posted coordinates. These puzzles can require data from the field; though often the initial puzzle can be solved at home. There could be further puzzles to do in the field as well.

 

You could look at puzzle caches in a built up area - e.g. in Sydney, for examples.

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Thank You so much everyone, i honestly wasn't expecting a response so quickly. I will go and have a look at a few Puzzle Caches around built up areas like Sydney to get some ideas and maybe just put this one as a mystery.

My biggest concern was that someone would force it and break it so thank you all for the advice

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If the cache is at the posted coordinates, and the only "puzzle" is opening the box itself, I would list it as a Traditional and give it the "Field Puzzle" attribute. Though I've also seen ones like this listed as a "puzzle" (mystery/unknown) cache type.
I would list a puzzle-box cache as a mystery/puzzle cache. Consider the types of caches expected by someone who is searching only for traditional caches. Consider the types of caches expected by someone who is searching only for mystery/puzzle caches. Now consider the experience presented by a puzzle-box cache, and consider which person's expectations it matches.

 

I've found a number of puzzle caches that were located at the posted coordinates, including some puzzle-box caches. In addition to the wear and tear of rough handling from clueless seekers, weather can be rough on them, especially the ones made of wood. But in a sheltered location, with the puzzle box inside a weatherproof container, and with clear labels explaining that the cache container is the puzzle box, which must be solved to sign the log, it should do okay as a mystery/puzzle cache.

 

Any advice on this or some examples of Puzzles Caches would be really great.
Here are some resources that I include in my reply to "How do I solve puzzle caches?" questions. You can learn a lot about the typical "solve at home to get coordinates" puzzles by working through some of them.

 

Puzzle Solving 101 Series (bookmark list)

Calgary Puzzle Solving 101 (bookmark list)

Puzzle Shortcuts Series (bookmark list)

Solving Puzzle Caches (online article)

How Do I Solve All These $@! Puzzle Caches? (tutorial-style puzzle cache)

Puzzle FUNdamentals (archived event cache) and the Puzzle FUNdamentals resources on the GeocacheAlaska! education page

The GBA's Puzzle Cache FAQ (for puzzle designers, but useful for understanding how puzzle caches work)

LANAKI's Classical Cryptography Course

How to Puzzle Cache (book)

 

Field puzzles are harder to learn about without actually seeing a few. My advice would be to keep it simple and durable. As you gain experience, both with creating and with maintaining field puzzles, you'll have a better idea of what might be both practical and fun for others.

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I would post that it is what it is in the listing. Also if it is in any way difficult to close, it wont be. Most people cant handle closing tupperware let alone a ten minute struggle with a puzzlebox. I would make a difficult to solve coordinate finding challenge first to keep the iq level of potential finders on the high side.

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If the cache is at the posted coordinates, and the only "puzzle" is opening the box itself, I would list it as a Traditional and give it the "Field Puzzle" attribute. Though I've also seen ones like this listed as a "puzzle" (mystery/unknown) cache type.
I would list a puzzle-box cache as a mystery/puzzle cache. Consider the types of caches expected by someone who is searching only for traditional caches. Consider the types of caches expected by someone who is searching only for mystery/puzzle caches. Now consider the experience presented by a puzzle-box cache, and consider which person's expectations it matches.

 

According to one of the reviewers at GeoWoodstock this year, a puzzle box/gadget cache should be listed as an Unknown type, since you can't just open the container, sign the log, and move on. You have to solve a field puzzle to get at the log. (I don't think all the reviewers on the panel were necessarily in agreement with her, but I'm leaning that way.)

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At one time I'd have said trad with a field puzzle attribute.

 

Taking on board the thoughts of other contributors here - especially around the concept of target audience - I'd now probably say mystery cache with field puzzle attribute as I think that probably best conveys what's required / expected of the potential finder.

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At one time I'd have said trad with a field puzzle attribute.

 

That's because it is. It's a traditional as the cache is at the posted coordinates. It's a field puzzle as you can't just grab the logbook.

 

I do see regional difference though. So far the special boxes I've seen here are traditionals but while looking at caches in Australia I came across several mysteries where the cache was at the posted coordinates. Several of the listings were unclear if coordinates had to be found somewhere or not. After e-mailing a few CO's it seems normal that fieldpuzzles are listed as mysteries there.

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At one time I'd have said trad with a field puzzle attribute.

 

Taking on board the thoughts of other contributors here - especially around the concept of target audience - I'd now probably say mystery cache with field puzzle attribute as I think that probably best conveys what's required / expected of the potential finder.

 

Yeah, I'm coming around to this too. Whilst I think traditional with field puzzle is "correct", cachers don't always look at attributes. With a mystery icon, cachers will read the description as they know there is more to it.

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At one time I'd have said trad with a field puzzle attribute.

 

Taking on board the thoughts of other contributors here - especially around the concept of target audience - I'd now probably say mystery cache with field puzzle attribute as I think that probably best conveys what's required / expected of the potential finder.

 

Yeah, I'm coming around to this too. Whilst I think traditional with field puzzle is "correct", cachers don't always look at attributes. With a mystery icon, cachers will read the description as they know there is more to it.

 

+1 :)

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It's a traditional as the cache is at the posted coordinates.

 

Just to pour oil on water... <_<

 

I've found mystery caches that were at the published coordinates too :)

 

Me too. They were called challenges :lol: . Another one let you solve a puzzle where surprisingly the solution were the posted coordinates B)

I found a multi once at the posed coordinates (by coincidence, we were supposed to do 8 stages before finding the micro at the same spot as the first tag).

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Whilst I think traditional with field puzzle is "correct", cachers don't always look at attributes.

 

So?

 

Not looking at attributes or listings could have "cost" me a few finds. Not looking at this info you wouldn't know if you need 2L of water, a rope and magnet, tape measure.. or whatever is needed.

 

Should there really be a workaround for people not using available information?

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Whilst I think traditional with field puzzle is "correct", cachers don't always look at attributes.

 

So?

 

Not looking at attributes or listings could have "cost" me a few finds. Not looking at this info you wouldn't know if you need 2L of water, a rope and magnet, tape measure.. or whatever is needed.

 

Should there really be a workaround for people not using available information?

 

I expect that the pro-active cacher, having invested time/money/other resources to provide a cache above the level of a fungible filmpot would see the taking of reasonable steps to prolong the life of said creation for as long as possible at the least possible expense as basic common sense and a worthwhile investment.

 

YMMV.

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Whilst I think traditional with field puzzle is "correct", cachers don't always look at attributes.

 

So?

 

Not looking at attributes or listings could have "cost" me a few finds. Not looking at this info you wouldn't know if you need 2L of water, a rope and magnet, tape measure.. or whatever is needed.

 

Should there really be a workaround for people not using available information?

 

When the outcome is that your container gets busted open by someone who doesn't understand the field puzzle thing, then it might be prudent to work around that.

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When the outcome is that your container gets busted open by someone who doesn't understand the field puzzle thing, then it might be prudent to work around that.

 

You can try to make stuff foolproof but then along comes a bigger fool. :mad:

Common sense should be NOT to break things but then again common sense is beginning to be a scarce commodity these days. It took years, since we started in 2006, to see the first deliberately damaged container but it happens more and more now. :mad:

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When the outcome is that your container gets busted open by someone who doesn't understand the field puzzle thing, then it might be prudent to work around that.

 

You can try to make stuff foolproof but then along comes a bigger fool. :mad:

Common sense should be NOT to break things but then again common sense is beginning to be a scarce commodity these days. It took years, since we started in 2006, to see the first deliberately damaged container but it happens more and more now. :mad:

 

The first time I found a puzzle box was probably in 06 or 07, and it was busted long before I got to it. It's just the way it goes. Perhaps it isn't "common sense" to put a delicate wooden puzzle box outside for dozens of strangers to handle.

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