Mystery Caches

1k · June 25, 2004

I created and hid my first mystery cache over Memorial Day weekend. For those of you that have hidden this type of cache, what are your finds per month?

It only has one find thus far (found in the first five days) and I'm concerned that either it's too difficult, or people aren't interested in solving puzzles to find a cache. I was thinking about creating another in the same vein as this one, but I'm not sure now.

It would help if I put a link to the cache wouldn't it?

The Dead Forest?

Edited June 25, 2004 by Webfoot

38.2k · June 25, 2004

It all depends on how difficult the puzzle is and your location. If the area doesn't have a ton of caches, it may get hit more often. If there are a lot of others to choose from, people will skip it and go after the easier ones.

June 25, 2004

I have hidden two mystery/puzzle caches. Baudot was found five times in the firsts two weeks of its existence and hasn't been found in nearly three weeks since. The second cache, Double Cross, took 11 days for the FTF and so far hasn't been found again. However, neither has been in the wild for very long so I'm also just learning. FWIW...

1.8k · June 25, 2004

I think a lot of people aren't interested in solving puzzles, if they're terribly difficult. Our mystery cache find stats (totals):

5/1 placed 5/19/04 - no finds

2.5/1.5 placed 4/4/04 - 10 finds total

3.5/1.5 placed 4/4/04 - 5 finds total

5/3 placed 1/18/04 - 3 finds total

5/1 placed 12/6/03, archived 2/7/04 - 16 finds total

3.5/3 (adopted cache) placed 8/10/02, disabled since 5/8/04 - 65 finds total

1k · June 25, 2004

I was thinking about placing another cache with a similar type of puzzle which is slightly more difficult. There are lots of caches in my area, so I would imagine that only the really experienced cachers will be attempting these right away. That's ok, I just wanted some feedback from others who had done mystery caches of the puzzle type.

June 25, 2004

I like it! The puzzles are alphametics - right? Some of the puzzle caches that I've tried are ambiguous, there just isn't any way to reach a unique solution. I chose alphametics or similar math puzzles for my two puzzle caches because they can be made challenging but unambiguous. The stats on my puzzle caches:

Student's Request, 2 star difficulty: 12 visits since April 13, 2004.

'8' is Enough, 3 star difficulty (also hidden in a poisen oak infested area): 8 visits since April 6, 2004.

I wouldn't worry about the lack of finds on your cache, unless it turns out that there is a problem with the puzzle. A lot of folks just won't attempt a puzzle cache - especially one that involves math - but those that do and accomplish it really enjoy the experience and appreciate you for creating the cache.

edit: corrections

Edited June 25, 2004 by AC Student

1k · June 25, 2004

I like it! The puzzles are alphametics - right?

Yes, the new puzzle I'm working on, I'd have to use a table to set it up, since you'll also need the vertical additions to figure out the entire solution. The next puzzle will be for the entire coordinates, since it has all 10 numbers represented in the puzzle.

24.7k · June 25, 2004

I've got one that has 3 finds. It's listed as a multi but maybe puzzle is more appriate. Those three finds were over a year ago.

June 25, 2004

While I love puzzle caches and would love to do more of them around here, this one looks hard. I don't get this alphametics stuff. I don't know what it is. (I'll be googling here in a bit..lol). A puzzle to a cache are my favorite!

1k · June 25, 2004

While I love puzzle caches and would love to do more of them around here, this one looks hard. I don't get this alphametics stuff. I don't know what it is. (I'll be googling here in a bit..lol). A puzzle to a cache are my favorite!

Letters stand for numbers. You look at the letters and try to figure out what number each letter stands for. There are clues usually in the placement of the letters to help you out.

Edited June 25, 2004 by Webfoot

June 25, 2004

I like it! The puzzles are alphametics - right?

Yes, the new puzzle I'm working on, I'd have to use a table to set it up, since you'll also need the vertical additions to figure out the entire solution. The next puzzle will be for the entire coordinates, since it has all 10 numbers represented in the puzzle.

Reading that hurt my head..lol

June 25, 2004

While I love puzzle caches and would love to do more of them around here, this one looks hard. I don't get this alphametics stuff. I don't know what it is. (I'll be googling here in a bit..lol). A puzzle to a cache are my favorite!

Letters stand for numbers. You look at the letters and try to figure out what number each letter stands for. There are clues usually in the placement of the letters to help you out.

OUCH!

Ok...hang on...I still don't get it. I'm going to go look it up. I get the letters standing for numbers part but don't get that the letter placements are clues.

BRB.

1k · June 25, 2004

While I love puzzle caches and would love to do more of them around here, this one looks hard. I don't get this alphametics stuff. I don't know what it is. (I'll be googling here in a bit..lol). A puzzle to a cache are my favorite!

Letters stand for numbers. You look at the letters and try to figure out what number each letter stands for. There are clues usually in the placement of the letters to help you out.

OUCH!

Ok...hang on...I still don't get it. I'm going to go look it up. I get the letters standing for numbers part but don't get that the letter placements are clues.

BRB.

S H E

+ E E L

---------

E L S E

In this puzzle, you can figure out that E has to equal 1. From there, the puzzle is pretty straightforward as far as figuring out the rest of it. I can't get the SHE to move over to the right, so just mentally move it over and see if you can do this one.

Edited June 25, 2004 by Webfoot

June 25, 2004

AH!!! Very cool!! I love that!

You know, this would have been one that would have drove me mad! I am one of those people that have to know a little about everything and I wouldn't have stopped thinking about this until I figured it out. Very clever for a cache puzzle. You've certainly taught me something tonight. Now I've got to figure out my own puzzles like this. Thanks!

Sometimes I make things alot harder than they really are. You should have seen my trying to figure out the Petals Around The Rose game. ARGH! I gave myself a migraine over that dang puzzle!

June 25, 2004

I can't get the SHE to move over to the right, so just mentally move it over and see if you can do this one.

  S H E
+ E E L
-------
E L S E

Edited June 25, 2004 by Seamus

1k · June 25, 2004

I can't get the SHE to move over to the right, so just mentally move it over and see if you can do this one.
  S H E
+ E E L
---------
E L S E

Showoff.

June 25, 2004

It's ok, Webfoot. I still figured it out without using my mental powers to shift it to the right...lol

Ok...I had to use pen and paper but I still figured it out!

1.3k · June 25, 2004

Can't speak for anyone else but personally, puzzle caches aren't a priority. I leave them alone until I have time to figure out the puzzle and then I make an attempt the next time I pass the cache area.

June 25, 2004

I created and hid my first mystery cache over Memorial Day weekend. For those of you that have hidden this type of cache, what are your finds per month?

I am glad to report that most of my puzzles have been found at least twice in less than a year. The most-found cache scored 11 finds between October and April. In the end I get relatively few FOUND IT! e-mails, but the logs are pretty interesting and I get plenty more corresponsence from the seekers. And I see more creative puzzles springing up elswhere in the area ... and hopefully my caches helped in some way to make it happen.

Puzzle-cachers are a smaller selective group of geocachers, and you shouldn't be surprised if you get fewer finds, and if your finds are largely by roughly the same group of people. Also it may take a while for new cachers to become interested by this idea, so after the few initial finds by the "old guard", your cache may lay dormant for months.

I try to make every puzzle unique. Got geometry puzzles and computer puzzles, code puzzles and map-reading puzzles, history puzzles and biology puzzles, plenty more to place yet. Even one "no specials skills or training" puzzle. To my surprise and delight, there are takers for every sort of a challenge. Only three of the puzzle caches scored only a single hit, and I hope it's about to change.

Is it in your genes? is a 4.5* and not accessible in winter, but I know of some people who cracked the code, and I expect the road up there to reopen from day to day now, so new finds should be coming soon.

Zol zayn mit mazel! is a 4* word scramble of sorts, and USGS quads do not accurately display the trail system in the area, so some people who I know have solved the puzzle part may be still intimidated by the terrain part.

And finally I have a relatively easy history puzzle found only once, but it's less than a month old. The catch there is that the exact answer can't be found on the internet, which probably discourages most of the seekers...

June 25, 2004

I have a few and just did a couple...it is obviously solveable and findable so just relax and watch the folks find it...I will do the puzzles as time allows and to me I would rather be out caching than in solving puzzles so the puzzle cache is not a priority BUT, I will do them eventually to get them off my "list". Water caches are now at the top of my must do list since I got rid of the close puzzles...

2.2k · June 25, 2004

I didnt place it, but here is a local head scratcher.

1.8k · June 25, 2004

I think this one wins the "Least Likely to Be Found in the Next Year" prize.

1k · June 26, 2004

I think this one wins the "Least Likely to Be Found in the Next Year" prize.

That one is rather cool. I could see doing one like that for Southern California, but you'd probably have to delete some pages that are islands that are totally government owned as bombing ranges.

June 26, 2004

We did an alphametic (or cryptarithmic) cache as the third in a series--Mind Games #3: Cryptarithmic Blues.

The idea behind the series was solve the first two to get the word to fill in in the blanks in the equation. Our first finder solved it with only one of the two words, which stumped us until they gave us the secret. We recently had someone solve the equation with neither of the other two words--no small feat and possibly harder than working out the other two caches!

Surprisingly, Mind Games #1: Reverse Engineering the Wheel has proven to be the real killer--and we thought it would be the easiest of the lot at first!

1k · June 26, 2004

This is very interesting. I'm getting all sorts of ideas for other possible puzzle caches. They've always intrigued me and I've wanted to try something a little different. Thanks for all the input thus far.

November 29, 2009

I have set several of this type of puzzle in the north east of England. They have all been found fairly quickly. Here are some of my alphametics

SMALL + CACHE = HIDDEN

BRIDGE + CACHE = HIDDEN

PARK + CACHE = HIDDEN

Each one has a single unique solution.

Mystery Caches

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