Beta Testing Puzzle Caches

[+TheLimeCat]

Hey guys, I apologize if this topic has been mentioned before, but a bit of google searching didn't get me the information I wanted. 

I just had a somewhat convoluted idea for a puzzle cache, but one that I've personally never seen before. I think it's the sort of thing that I'd like to have tested before I actually implement it, not only to see how difficult others find it but how enjoyable it is to complete. That being said, the idea has come together and the puzzle is all but complete apart from a set of coordinates. I know that some people beta test these things with friends and family, but I'm not sure if that's the route I want to go. I want to get as close to the real experience as possible, foisting my puzzle onto anonymous cachers. With that in mind, how would you guys go about beta testing a puzzle with an online group? It doesn't have to be cachers but is there some group of people with whom I could share this puzzle to get a reasonable number of individual results?

[+noncentric]

I was just wondering the same thing, having recently created a puzzle myself. Still trying to decide on how to rate it, and to go out and place the cache, before submitting it for review. I think it's relatively simple, especially compared to some of the local puzzles, but puzzles often seem simple when one is the puzzle creator.

[+mimaef]

For an online group, you could post a set of pictures of the puzzle from all angles that will be accessible when you place it (Or video of it unsolved to show how things move if they do), give the same information you would put on your cache page, then ask how people would try to figure it out with maybe a little video on how to open it in a spoiler.

Alternatively, if you have a geocachers organization or facebook group for your local area you could always request there or attend an event that's far from home. The issue is that if they visit your cache, then they'll know how to open it and lose the magic. This is why I believe they go for the friends and family option.

[+arisoft]

I would ask some geocacher I know to test the idea. I have also tested some puzzles for other geocachers.

I see that you want your puzzle to be tested by a group which makes thing more complicated if you want to keep the puzzle secret from public before publishing your cache.

Maybe you should start with one test player and then ask some more after you get the feedback from the alpha tester.

 

[+MartyBartfast]

Join one of the facebook puzzle solving groups where there are a mix of very experienced puzzle solvers and newbies looking for advice/inspiration, and ask on there for a couple of cachers from out of your area....

[+NYPaddleCacher]

2 hours ago, arisoft said:

I would ask some geocacher I know to test the idea. I have also tested some puzzles for other geocachers.

I see that you want your puzzle to be tested by a group which makes thing more complicated if you want to keep the puzzle secret from public before publishing your cache.

Maybe you should start with one test player and then ask some more after you get the feedback from the alpha tester.

 

Assuming it isn't a field puzzle,  a geocacher that lives far away could serve as a beta-tester and would not likely find it before it's published.  

[+GeoElmo6000]

7 hours ago, TheLimeCat said:

I just had a somewhat convoluted idea for a puzzle cache, but one that I've personally never seen before.

I suggest populating your puzzle cache listing with as much information as possible, and then sending the link to your local reviewer before you get too far.  I've had (what I thought were) wonderful new cutting edge puzzle cache ideas, that my local reviewer nixed for rules I didn't realize existed (my own fault).  Hopefully while you are getting your puzzle beta tested, you also get approval from your reviewer.

One more suggestion: make sure you have a final location approved before you go and create a puzzle around it.  Usually my puzzles require the final coordinates before I can start the final details of the puzzle, and finding out a puzzle final location is no good ahead of time saves the time of a puzzle redo.

Hope this helps.

[+TriciaG]

I suppose part of it depends on the type of puzzle. If it's "on the surface" - solvable by the text, normal view of the pictures, etc. - you could save the draft cache page as a PDF and share it in, say, a Facebook Geocaching group that is not in your area. By personal experience, COG is an active group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/centralontariogeocachers/

If your puzzle has to do with embedded data (hidden in the metadata of the picture, or otherwise not solvable from a screenshot), this won't work.

[+TheLimeCat]

2 hours ago, GeoElmo6000 said:

I suggest populating your puzzle cache listing with as much information as possible, and then sending the link to your local reviewer before you get too far.  I've had (what I thought were) wonderful new cutting edge puzzle cache ideas, that my local reviewer nixed for rules I didn't realize existed (my own fault).  Hopefully while you are getting your puzzle beta tested, you also get approval from your reviewer.

One more suggestion: make sure you have a final location approved before you go and create a puzzle around it.  Usually my puzzles require the final coordinates before I can start the final details of the puzzle, and finding out a puzzle final location is no good ahead of time saves the time of a puzzle redo.

Hope this helps.

Thank you. My puzzle shouldn't even require cachers to leave the cache page. They'll just need to have a piece of paper handy or extraordinary spacial reasoning. I'm thinking it's probably well within the rules, but I'll give them a read just in case. As for the final location, I don't have one planned, but the solution to the puzzle is a keyword, so I'm thinking I'll be able to adapt it to any coordinates I choose.

1 hour ago, TriciaG said:

I suppose part of it depends on the type of puzzle. If it's "on the surface" - solvable by the text, normal view of the pictures, etc. - you could save the draft cache page as a PDF and share it in, say, a Facebook Geocaching group that is not in your area. By personal experience, COG is an active group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/centralontariogeocachers/

If your puzzle has to do with embedded data (hidden in the metadata of the picture, or otherwise not solvable from a screenshot), this won't work.

It is a surface puzzle, so hopefully, I'll be able to give this a try. Thank you.

 

EDIT: Has anyone ever tried https://www.reddit.com/r/puzzles/?

Edited April 12, 2018 by TheLimeCat

[+hzoi]

11 hours ago, TheLimeCat said:

With that in mind, how would you guys go about beta testing a puzzle with an online group?

 

9 hours ago, noncentric said:

I was just wondering the same thing, having recently created a puzzle myself.

Since I am in neither of your areas, will not be in either of your areas in the foreseeable future, and therefore pose zero threat to being FTF, I'm happy to help if you are looking for volunteers.  On my honor, I'd not share the puzzle or solution with anyone for less than, say, $1000.

[+noncentric]

3 hours ago, hzoi said:

Since I am in neither of your areas, will not be in either of your areas in the foreseeable future, and therefore pose zero threat to being FTF, I'm happy to help if you are looking for volunteers.  On my honor, I'd not share the puzzle or solution with anyone for less than, say, $1000.

I may, will, take you up on that. 

[+fizzymagic]

14 hours ago, TheLimeCat said:

I just had a somewhat convoluted idea for a puzzle cache, but one that I've personally never seen before. I think it's the sort of thing that I'd like to have tested before I actually implement it, not only to see how difficult others find it but how enjoyable it is to complete.

In my opinion, every puzzle should be beta-tested whether it's a new idea or not!  And if it's a new idea, testing can help you determine difficulty and (as you say above) whether it's fun.  And I am always happy to help.

[+TheLimeCat]

4 hours ago, hzoi said:

 

Since I am in neither of your areas, will not be in either of your areas in the foreseeable future, and therefore pose zero threat to being FTF, I'm happy to help if you are looking for volunteers.  On my honor, I'd not share the puzzle or solution with anyone for less than, say, $1000.

 

19 minutes ago, fizzymagic said:

In my opinion, every puzzle should be beta-tested whether it's a new idea or not!  And if it's a new idea, testing can help you determine difficulty and (as you say above) whether it's fun.  And I am always happy to help.

It was very kind of you both to offer to help. I have sent each of you a copy of the puzzle. Let me know how it goes. 

[+fizzymagic]

2 hours ago, TheLimeCat said:

It was very kind of you both to offer to help. I have sent each of you a copy of the puzzle. Let me know how it goes. 

Took me about a half hour; I believe I have the correct solution.  It's a clever puzzle concept, and I haven't seen it done before.  Plus, it should be pretty accessible to everyone. There was one part of the puzzle I didn't understand, though, so I might not have arrived at the final solution.

[+hzoi]

On 4/12/2018 at 4:16 PM, TheLimeCat said:

It was very kind of you both to offer to help. I have sent each of you a copy of the puzzle. Let me know how it goes. 

For me, it did not go well. 

Glad fizzymagic was able to come through for you.