Arguing About Puzzles

In the debut episode of Clashing on Conundrums, our guest says hello. What occurred during this recording? Answer checker: https://www.puzzlehunt.net/checker#1#ergWXMVuP3EUe4rJ#1otlXCk4VjITUKAjQK6fXTenjZ623VB6#TWluaS1FcGlzb2RlOiBHcmVldGluZ3MgKGZ0LiBNYXggV29naGlyZW4p Transcript: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1R_1QHNrnPRWn6zTBWziYBi2mREVgiTIl/view Edited by Max Woghiren. Solution will drop next we...

Olive comes in to talk about cultural conventions in puzzlehunts. (Sorry about the audio artifacts in this one, I did my best.) Also: Jeopardy! canon, police sirens, and tiny towns in Massachusetts. (Speaking of Jeopardy!: puzzlehunter Paolo Pasco is on a 5-day Jeopardy winstreak as of today. Go Paolo!) This episode contains discussion of (and spoilers for!) the following puzzles: * Most of the pu...

This week, Jonah shares his opinion on the place of ahas in puzzlehunts. Also: surprises, inquiry-based learning, and a crisis of faith. This episode contains discussion of (and spoilers for!) the following puzzles: * Historic Preservation (MSPH23) * A Local Knowledge Puzzle (CMU Spring '25) * Plagiarism (Brown '25) * The State Puzzle (Shardhunt) * To Serve and Protect (MITMH '16) * The Duck Konun...

New episodes starting September 1st. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit arguingaboutpuzzles.substack.com

In the finale for Season 1, Zach and Thomas demonstrate long-term memory skills. Also: live investigative journalism, being on the same team, and getting skinnerboxed. We are looking to have some special guests on the show for Season 2! If you’re interested in being on an episode of the show, let us know. You can reach out to one of us through Discord, or you can fill out this form: https://forms....

In the first house Thomas found puzzles; but the puzzles were too hard. In the second house Zach found puzzles; but the puzzles were too easy. But then they both went to the third house, and there the puzzles were just right. Also: Trackmania, a narrowish distribution, and getting Zach to acquiesce instantly. This episode’s featured puzzle was XYZ-Word, by David Morgan-Mar. You’ll need to piece to...

Must puzzlehunt puzzles have answers? If a puzzle’s goal is simply to interact with a puzzle until a “solved state” is reached, is there something missing? And, seemingly unrelatedly, but arguably entirely relatedly, should a metapuzzle be available at the start of a round? And, if so, does it follow that all rounds should be available at the start of a hunt? This episode will decisively answer no...

Did you know that Zach and Thomas argued extensively about whether to release this episode, given that some of it had become outdated since its original recording date, and other parts feel repetitive compared to earlier (and future) episodes? Did you know that polar bears have black skin, and it’s their white fur that gives them their distinct marshmallow-like appearance? Did you know that Thomas...

Thomas reflects on some past experiences in puzzle variety and standard puzzle types. Also: zen, high horses, and the magic/logic/faith triangle. This episode’s featured puzzle-round-thing was Boo York Times Games, by Megan Carlson, Audrey Feigin, Erin Finn, and Thomas Gordon. You can view the thing here: https://2024.brownpuzzlehunt.com/minorcase/nyt Transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d...

Zach and Thomas ramble extensively about competitiveness. Also: luck-based games, throwing red shells, and where to get all of those flamingos. This episode’s featured puzzle was In the Details, by Derek Kisman. You can see the puzzle here: https://puzzles.mit.edu/2013/coinheist.com/get_smart/in_the_details/index.html Transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1A1OtOQUwsUPrZuHNmmjU15X4sp1vz6Pp...

Thomas presents his philosophy about stories in puzzlehunts. Also: a linear stack of puzzles, throwing out half the tools in your toolbox, and light in the darkness. The video essay Thomas references at 7:47 is Story Beats: Bastion by Ian Danskin. This episode’s featured puzzle was Semaphores, by Edric Haleen. You can see the puzzle here: https://www.happinessboard.com/2024ptruzzlehunt/Day_4_Puzzl...

Zach presents his argument about flavortext in puzzles. Also: semaphore extractions, vibes-based identification, and multiple avenues for cheating at cricket. This episode’s featured puzzle was Intersections, by Brian Chen. You can see the puzzle here: https://2020.galacticpuzzlehunt.com/puzzle/intersections.html Transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-5TptVQbgviefQDN-A6bs7fnd8vazGx0RwOUH...