Cool puzzle cache ideas

[+Bo_Jack]

Just wondering if anyone had some cool puzzle cache ideas. Like maybe a cool way to find the final coordinates or something.

[+kunarion]

My cache “Stranger Finds” has a birdhouse with a puzzle that leads to the nearby container. I think it's cool!   My first plan was too ambitious. I wanted a peep-hole inside a locked, dark birdhouse, where there's a “clue” that appears when a light shines on it... AND another clue that glows once the light is shut off. I settled on only the clue that you illuminate once you figure out that's what you're supposed to do and where to point the light (a phone's “flashlight App” is fine). Now you'll have the combination for the lock, and inside is a wireless doorbell button. Press that, and hear the doorbell in the direction of the cache.

 

I had a problem with those pieces of ideas, because of fragile stages, high maintenance, and muggle susceptibility, all were a challenge to address.  Even the finished cache is visited about 10x more by me to keep it viable, than by cachers, because when the puzzle breaks, it's then not much of a puzzle cache.  Not sure if you want all cool ideas, or only “puzzles” that you can place everywhere. Because some of mine might only work in one or two places in my town. Maybe you can adapt a fun idea, especially if you find caches yourself and get a feel for what works well in the wilds.

 

More Threads on this subject:

https://forums.geocaching.com/GC/index.php?/topic/332791-good-ideas-for-puzzlemystery-caches/

 

https://forums.geocaching.com/GC/index.php?/topic/223332-puzzle-cache-ideas/

 

https://forums.geocaching.com/GC/index.php?/topic/294631-ideas-for-a-multipuzzle-cache/

 

 

 

 

Edited March 19, 2020 by kunarion

[+Bo_Jack]

Thanks for the reply, and for posting those other threads. Im just looking for any cool ideas doesnt matter what.

[+Ragnemalm]

There are many answers to your question. Really, anything beyond a plain regular with a standard container in an ordinary location.

My most popular caches have various bonus problems to solve, either trad with a trick to find the log book, or a multi with a field puzzle at the start/intermediate stages.

My two most popular ones are 4-stage multis with rather easy but often very special field puzzles in each stage, including a stage where you need to use a flashlight to illuminate some sensors. The next after them is a birdhouse with a hidden log book. Then, a Wherigo with hidden locations so you need to search for the zones according to clues, and then a somewhat special final. But my personal favourite is not as often found, it is a rather tricky electronic cache in a tree, so you need to climb up (just a few meters) in order to reach it and then solve it up there.

In my search for ways to make fun caches, I have very much turned to multi caches with field puzzles. They are not found as often but they are much more popular than traditionals in terms of  of FPs. Of course, you need to figure out different puzzles for each.

[+OusKonNé & Cétyla]

I like this one on red navigation beacons:
https://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GCYWDQ

[+Bo_Jack]

5 hours ago, OusKonNé & Cétyla said:

I like this one on red navigation beacons:
https://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GCYWDQ

Pretty good idea.

[+TmdAndGG]

There are many different websites out there(which I probably can't link..) that contain many different codes and ciphers, which can usually make some pretty cool puzzles.

[+kunarion]

On 3/19/2020 at 1:11 PM, Bo_Jack said:

Thanks for the reply, and for posting those other threads. Im just looking for any cool ideas doesnt matter what.

 

There are many ways to have a code create "Final Waypoints".  Sometimes I have people solve for just the last 5 digits for Lat/Lon, because they may just guess the "Degrees" portion.  So they solve to get numbers like the ones in bold here:  N 33° 25.874 W 084° 27.552

 

Have you seen this post?  There's a page of links to a huge mass of codes, encryption, and symbols.  Pick something that looks cool and run with it.  Also in that thread I mentioned the "CODEBOEK", a massive PDF file of stuff.

 

All of that could keep you occupied for a while. 

 

 

Edited March 21, 2020 by kunarion

[+Bo_Jack]

13 hours ago, kunarion said:

 

There are many ways to have a code create "Final Waypoints".  Sometimes I have people solve for just the last 5 digits for Lat/Lon, because they may just guess the "Degrees" portion.  So they solve to get numbers like the ones in bold here:  N 33° 25.874 W 084° 27.552

 

Have you seen this post?  There's a page of links to a huge mass of codes, encryption, and symbols.  Pick something that looks cool and run with it.  Also in that thread I mentioned the "CODEBOEK", a massive PDF file of stuff.

 

All of that could keep you occupied for a while. 

 

 

Thanks, very helpful.

[+frostengel]

On 3/21/2020 at 5:38 AM, kunarion said:

There's a page of links to a huge mass of codes, encryption, and symbols.  Pick something that looks cool and run with it.

 

My suggestion would be otherwise: do not do that. A mystery cache with any exisiting symbol code is very easy to create, may be really hard to solve and is quite boring in fact. It's just "find the right cipher" (easy to find or hard to find) and you are done. Creativity - zero. And the solvers won't like it too much either.

 

If it is some decryption standard where you have to learn something, perhaps mixed up with a historic lesson (how Enigma decryption works for example) that might be something different. But simple "find the right cipher" and translate one symbol after the other is very disappointing.

 

In fact I prefer not to find the cipher but figure it out myself by finding letter after letter. So maybe an own thought out code with some easy to find letters (the solution might start with "North" or the text starts with "The cache is listed at ...") might be more interesting.

 

Creating good (?) mystery caches is about creativity. And if you don't feel creative enough (at the moment) then don't place a mystery cache (now). Place it as soon as you have a good idea which often comes from trying to solve other mystery caches - that's not the solution but it would be fun....

 

These are just subjective thoughts, of course.

 

By the way I like mysteries with consecutive riddles, mysteries where I learn something interesting (not just any google it riddle but with an interesting background), mysteries with games, ...

[+kunarion]

1 hour ago, frostengel said:

 

My suggestion would be otherwise: do not do that. A mystery cache with any exisiting symbol code is very easy to create, may be really hard to solve and is quite boring in fact. It's just "find the right cipher" (easy to find or hard to find) and you are done. Creativity - zero. And the solvers won't like it too much either.

 

If it is some decryption standard where you have to learn something, perhaps mixed up with a historic lesson (how Enigma decryption works for example) that might be something different. But simple "find the right cipher" and translate one symbol after the other is very disappointing.

 

In fact I prefer not to find the cipher but figure it out myself by finding letter after letter. So maybe an own thought out code with some easy to find letters (the solution might start with "North" or the text starts with "The cache is listed at ...") might be more interesting.

 

Creating good (?) mystery caches is about creativity. And if you don't feel creative enough (at the moment) then don't place a mystery cache (now). Place it as soon as you have a good idea which often comes from trying to solve other mystery caches - that's not the solution but it would be fun....

 

These are just subjective thoughts, of course.

 

By the way I like mysteries with consecutive riddles, mysteries where I learn something interesting (not just any google it riddle but with an interesting background), mysteries with games, ...

 

I like unique puzzles.  My Mystery caches have puzzles I've never seen, but might enjoy finding.  But mine aren't found or apparently even attempted often... people don't know what to do because these aren't the "find the right cipher" kind.  That's what the cachers wanted... an established kind of puzzle that has a defined solution process. 

[+Ragnemalm]

5 hours ago, frostengel said:

My suggestion would be otherwise: do not do that. A mystery cache with any exisiting symbol code is very easy to create, may be really hard to solve and is quite boring in fact. It's just "find the right cipher" (easy to find or hard to find) and you are done. Creativity - zero. And the solvers won't like it too much either.

 

I totally agree, but "quick to make and time consuming but easy to solve" are surprisingly popular (although not in FPs). Existing chiphers off a specific web page (impossible without the page, trivial with it but tedious), jigsaw puzzles... you make one in minutes. Thus, there are entirely too many of them.

 

I prefer something more original. I can't make dozens of them, one at a time, but hopefully they are more memorable.

[+frostengel]

13 hours ago, kunarion said:

But mine aren't found or apparently even attempted often... people don't know what to do because these aren't the "find the right cipher" kind.  That's what the cachers wanted..

 

9 hours ago, Ragnemalm said:

but "quick to make and time consuming but easy to solve" are surprisingly popular (although not in FPs)

 

I think that is the important part - and it is sad.

 

- The inventive puzzle ideas usually get much lesser find numbers but the cachers (who find it regularly, not getting coordinates from any lists...) tend to make long and positive logs and award favourite points to show that they liked the puzzle very much.

- Any "find this unknown cipher and I won't help you" usually don't get too many attention also but "find this cipher and it is easy to do - here is a list" gets many finds. But reading the short logs you'll notice that those are not the puzzles that are fun.

 

So maybe my

 

15 hours ago, frostengel said:

And the solvers won't like it too much either.

 

was wrong and I correct it to: The solvers will like it for getting another mystery cache point but not for the riddle itself.

 

I prefer five (or less) cachers per year happily finding my caches to 100 (or more) cachers finding it, "plus 1", next one and forgotten.

That's why my caches usually need a little bit more time, more time for me to make it, more time for the cachers to find it. I have some bigger multi caches, some unknown caches with different exercises to do and most of my unknown caches are multi caches outside with one or two more stages. I own 35 caches (excluding events) and considering the time it took me to pruduce and maintain (!) those I could easily be owner of 200 or more caches. But in fact I do not want to....

 

So to close the circle back to the topic:

If you want an easy to create puzzle cache that gets many found it logs use a simple symbol encryption as suggested.

If you want an easy to create high difficulty cache do the same but use unknown symbols. Cut them in half and mix it up and you have your own D5 cache. (Some of the little finders will give favourite points just as it is a D5 that others can't solve.)

If you want a puzzle cache that gives fun to those trying it: do something else. (This one is the hardest but way.)

 

Best wishes

Jochen

[+Ragnemalm]

4 hours ago, frostengel said:

I prefer five (or less) cachers per year happily finding my caches to 100 (or more) cachers finding it, "plus 1", next one and forgotten.

 

 

If you want a puzzle cache that gives fun to those trying it: do something else. (This one is the hardest but way.)

 

We are very much on the same track here. I want FPs, FPs is my measure of an enjoyable cache. However, for our cache to make it to the 10% best, there have to be the 90% below, so I guess some quantity caches are kind of wanted. But what I want for those are simply the less worked caches in nice places, not big areas packed with puzzle mysteries. I want to get out, not sit and work on uninteresting digital jigsaws or cryptos for hours and hours. For higher D, I prefer managable field puzzles.

 

I will keep working on figuring out that "something else". But they are hardest, so I won't fill entire areas with 100-cache-bombs with them. No, one at a time.

[+Mausebiber]

Just to give you an idea, here is one of my favorite:

https://coord.info/GC74F17

 

Click on the second Stickman and start drawing  :o)

 

 

 

[+Harry Dolphin]

1 hour ago, Mausebiber said:

Just to give you an idea, here is one of my favorite:

https://coord.info/GC74F17

 

Click on the second Stickman and start drawing  :o)

 

That's great!!!!

[+barefootjeff]

An enjoyable (and educational) series of puzzles I did recently is the Atom series produced by lee737 and his son. They aren't too difficult but require a bit of thinking, a bit of research and bit of pencil-and-paper work.

[+frostengel]

 

19 hours ago, Mausebiber said:

Just to give you an idea, here is one of my favorite:

https://coord.info/GC74F17

 

Click on the second Stickman and start drawing  :o)

 

Did you link this before? I am sure I have played the game or something similar before. The time for writing down the coordinates was too short in the end but if I ever go to the island I will be pleased to play it again (and again). That's a sign of a good mystery. :-)

 

But I'll have to improve my drawing skills....

[+Bo_Jack]

On 3/29/2020 at 10:55 AM, Mausebiber said:

Just to give you an idea, here is one of my favorite:

https://coord.info/GC74F17

 

Click on the second Stickman and start drawing  :o)

 

 

 

Wow, that may be the best one ive ever seen!