Hello! If you found this puzzle hunt through the CSE story, welcome! All the puzzles and answer submission forms are still up and functional and I am still checking them somewhat regularly! If you would like to do the puzzle hunt, grab some friends and family (or play by yourself) and REGISTER HERE! The only difference between the earlier hunt and now is that I have included links to Rounds 2 and 3 right here, whereas they had to be unlocked by solving puzzles during the hunt.
Read the Rules section for more info, but to solve the puzzles, click on the Puzzles page and click on the "Submit Solution" buttons to see if your answers are correct for each puzzle. Email me at ha.david.125@gmail.com for hints or solutions! Have fun!
Puzzles: The Final Frontier.
These are the voyages of the spaceship Enterprise. It's one-week mission? To solve as many puzzles as possible; to boldly solve what no one has solved before!
Welcome to The Final Frontier, an intro-level online puzzle hunt themed around Star Trek! This puzzle hunt will run from Saturday, June 6 to Sunday, June 14.
I made this puzzle hunt because I like puzzle hunts, but I've felt that the barrier of entry is often too high for less experienced puzzlers and I wanted to make one that everyone could enjoy! I also wanted people to have something to do while in quarantine!
You can register for the Puzzle Hunt with a team here: https://forms.gle/DRDvh4gvD1qfmDWG7
If you have other questions about the hunt, please check out the FAQ section. I would recommend checking the FAQ out before registering.
Note about registration: Only one team member needs to fill out the form. However, if you wish to receive emails about the hunt (when it starts, when the solutions are posted, etc.) additional team members can either email me or fill out the form with the same team name.
UPDATE: 6/7/2020
I have removed the penalty for using hints. Please just make sure you give each puzzle your best try and only use hints if you really need them.
UPDATE: 6/2/2020
I have added a few more puzzle-solving tips to the last section of the FAQs. I have also added a template for starting work on puzzles for people who are less technologically inclined.
UPDATE: 6/5/2020
I, like all of you, was outraged at the horrific murder of George Floyd committed by the Minneapolis Police Department. Also like many of you, I was not surprised. The systemic oppression of black people by white people, particularly police officers has been happening as long as I've been alive, and for many years beforehand. I demand better from our police forces and I demand that our local governments hold them accountable for their corrupt and racist actions.
I considered delaying or cancelling the puzzle hunt as it seemed like the wrong tone for our current time; it seemed inappropriate to post about fun and games when Minneapolis burns just 10 miles away from my apartment. But I thought about what message I would send by delaying the hunt. That we should wait to resume "normality" after a few weeks? There is no normal, because George Floyd was not the first victim, and police brutality didn't start last week. Oppression has always been happening, we've just largely ignored it as a nation until recently. Racism has existed before George Floyd, it exists today, and it will exist next week. Delaying the puzzle hunt would be making the argument that we should only confront racism when it is convenient for us. Instead, I have consulted with several people who are involved in the BLM movement and have come up with a far better solution. I am pledging to donate $1 to The Lake Street Council (https://www.welovelakestreet.com/) to help rebuild Lake Street, per puzzle solved during the hunt. If every team solves every puzzle in the hunt, this could be up to $342, but could increase if more teams sign up. Therefore, you all will be helping to rebuild Lake Street as you solve the puzzles.
Of course, your help doesn't have to end there, and should not end there. I challenge all of you to make the same pledge to increase our impact, and I can say that one person has already done so. You don't have to donate to the same place of course, I think Campaign Zero and Reclaim the Block are two other really good places to donate to, if you're looking for more policy-based places to support.