Need Multi-cache/Mystery cache Ideas

[+Coolie2]

I have recently started hiding geocaches, and I have decided to make most, if not all of them mystery or multicaches, as I think geocaches are generally better when someone has to work to get the final coordinates. The problem is I'm having trouble thinking of ways to make mystery or multicaches aside from bringing someone to a sign, or asking them to research answers to questions. Suggestions on how I could make my geocaches more creative would be greatly appreciated.

[+niraD]

I recommend that you find more multi-caches and mystery/puzzle caches, to see how others have done it, and to let that inspire your own ideas.

 

Some multi-caches actually have physical stages where you have to find a container or tag or other object placed by the cache owner. Others take you to existing objects other than signs. Some of my favorites have involved public sculptures, where the final coordinates were derived in part by observing details of the sculptures.

 

And there are a lot of ways to solve puzzles, other than researching answers to questions. Some of my favorites were placed by an amateur cryptographer who would teach you the basics of a particular cipher technique, and would then let you use that cipher technique to decode the coordinate information.

[+WarNinjas]

Around here some of us try and make our mystery caches a theme.  So the location, container and puzzle all kind of go together. A random example, You find a beach full of sea shells.  You make a cache out of a sea shell and make a puzzle you have to solve about sea shells. So we often first find a cool spot.  Then we will make a puzzle to go along with something about the location and then make a container that goes along with the puzzle and location.  Or I make a cool container I like then I will find a location it will fit with and make a puzzle that will go along with it.

  I find it fun to do a puzzle about something,  Then I learned something about it from the puzzle and it makes it cooler to find that thing in a spot about what you were learning about.

[+WarNinjas]

Also when making a puzzle or multi it can be nice to add a checker.  Often someone will come up with a number different then you did when making it.  Then they will be looking in the wrong place.  Most like me like to know they are going to the right spot.  It can be as simple as a checksum where you give them the number if they add up all the coords that they will add up to.  Or put a checker in that they can check.  on these you can often add a hint after they are right.

https://www.certitudes.org/certitude?wp=GC6GHEB

[Blue Square Thing]

Wait until the ideas come would be my advice. If there's a cool place where a multi-cache fits then use it - but if it would be better with a traditional then do that instead. When the puzzle suddenly grabs you, use it - I happened to look a map in my hometown with a grid on it and suddenly realised that it was Battleships and that that would would really well to use as a puzzle for coordinates.

At the same time, don't do it for the sake of it. There is a series of 50+ mystery caches to the south of here, almost all of which have exactly the same theme involving very similar research. 10 might have been cool. 50, to me, gets boring.

[+redsox_mark]

5 hours ago, WarNinjas said:

Around here some of us try and make our mystery caches a theme.  So the location, container and puzzle all kind of go together. A random example, You find a beach full of sea shells.  You make a cache out of a sea shell and make a puzzle you have to solve about sea shells. So we often first find a cool spot.  Then we will make a puzzle to go along with something about the location and then make a container that goes along with the puzzle and location.  Or I make a cool container I like then I will find a location it will fit with and make a puzzle that will go along with it.

  I find it fun to do a puzzle about something,  Then I learned something about it from the puzzle and it makes it cooler to find that thing in a spot about what you were learning about.

I agree with the above.   A theme can really make a puzzle and field stages come together.    And intermediate stages don't need to be "containers" so you can get more creative.   Example of one I've done and enjoyed, the cache theme is a geocacher disappeared, seemingly chased by some creature.    Solve a puzzle first to get the starting point and some "evidence", then there are stages with things like a lost shoe (with coordinates for the next stage under the insole), etc.     Once you have a theme, I find ideas for creative stages and final containers come.  

You can also take advantage of something interesting (and or obscure)  you have discovered about an area.    This cache of mine does that.   

Edited July 19, 2017 by redsox_mark

[+geocat_]

Think creatively about how to get a set of numbers from something/somewhere.  For example, I have a cache called "Canadian Rainbow" which has 6 plastic sticks inside stage one.  The sticks correspond to the colors of the rainbow and, when put in order, have lengths in centimeters which correspond to the N and W coords.  

[+NYPaddleCacher]

On 7/19/2017 at 8:10 PM, geocat_ said:

Think creatively about how to get a set of numbers from something/somewhere.  For example, I have a cache called "Canadian Rainbow" which has 6 plastic sticks inside stage one.  The sticks correspond to the colors of the rainbow and, when put in order, have lengths in centimeters which correspond to the N and W coords.  

That's a clever idea for a puzzle, but I have to ask,  are the colors in a rainbow different in Canada than they are in other countries? 

Did you piece a section of ruler in the cache to measure the length or did you write the length on the sticks?

[+geocat_]

On 7/21/2017 at 7:52 AM, NYPaddleCacher said:

That's a clever idea for a puzzle, but I have to ask,  are the colors in a rainbow different in Canada than they are in other countries? 

Did you piece a section of ruler in the cache to measure the length or did you write the length on the sticks?

Rainbow looked the same in Canada except it always ended each sentence with "eh" 

There is no ruler or measuring device in the cache nor is the length written on anything.  It depends on finders recognizing the "Canadian" reference as a hint to use centimeters.  Seems like everyone is figuring it out and enjoying it.  http://coord.info/GC6ZXTG

[+skramble]

57 minutes ago, geocat_ said:

Rainbow looked the same in Canada except it always ended each sentence with "eh" 

Well, it is how we spell our country, eh?

C... eh... N... eh... D... eh...   

[+RufusClupea]

2 hours ago, geocat_ said:

Seems like everyone is figuring it out and enjoying it.

Could that mean it's too easy? 

[+geocat_]

On 8/2/2017 at 11:44 PM, RufusClupea said:

Could that mean it's too easy? 

Perhaps.  But that's OK.  I have others that make people scowl at me 

[+jellis]

Also use virtual stages as they last longer then physical as they may go missing and frustrate finders.

[+Gromla19]

I have recently put out my first Multi. It is based on maths/logic riddles in which you need to figure out and each time you gain a number that goes towards opening the final cache and log! (4 digit passcode).

 

https://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC88C4F