How do you solve Mystery caches?

[+klose11]

I live in the Ballard area of Seattle, and I've found that many of the puzzles in this area are way to complicated for me. However, I do want to learn how to find and log more puzzle caches. Does anyone have any advice?

[+Touchstone]

I find niraD's advice to be helpful.

[+ras_oscar]

when I approach puzzle caches, I read the cache page, and if an approach jumnps out at me I pursue it. If I'm compeltely clueless, I move on. I'm not a real fan of puzzles, but I have done one or 2.

[+Zepp914]

I would start with the easy puzzles first. Crossword puzzles, sudoku, and trivia puzzles are pretty straight forward. If the CO is nice, he/she will use a geochecker so that you can check your coordinates before you go hunting.

 

A lot of the other puzzles are ciphers and after awhile you will get good at recognizing which decryption method to use where. In my area playfair is King. Even when I can solve them, I don't really enjoy cipher puzzles though.

[+narcissa]

Team up with other geocachers who are in the same boat.

[+Bubbles&Bonkers]

I live in the Ballard area of Seattle, and I've found that many of the puzzles in this area are way to complicated for me. However, I do want to learn how to find and log more puzzle caches. Does anyone have any advice?

 

I team up with someone WAY smarter than me or I go here and learn stuff: Puzzle Headed Weenie

[+rosebud55112]

The bad thing about solving mystery caches is that there isn’t “A” way to solve them.

The good thing about mystery caches is that there isn’t “A” way to solve them.

 

In general, remember that you are looking for coordinates, which will in your area be 15 digits long (or ten, or six—we’ll discuss those later).

 

Suppose you are looking at a mystery cache that gives a list of 15 items. In that case, each item probably somehow represents a digit from 0-9, such that the fifteen digits ‘spell’ out your coordinates. Where you are, you could assume the first two digits are 4 and 7, and the eighth, ninth and tenth are 1,2, and 2. Use that to see if it gives you a clue into the intended solving method. Does the first item begin with D and the second with G? See if the first letters position in the alphabet gives you good coordinates. Or maybe the first item represents the fourth item in a well-ordered list (Madison, Wisconsin) and the second is the seventh in that list (The Jackson 5). Do the rest represent Presidents somehow?

 

Maybe there are only ten items given. In that case, the N47 and W122 are likely to be assumed. That takes away some of those toeholds, but you may still be able to get a grip based on the first and sixth items. If there are only six items, they may represent only the decimal portions, giving even less detail.

 

Note that sometimes a 1 may be represented by the 11th, 21st, or 31st item in a list. So in the alphabetic example above, the 47 could be represented by DG or NG or XG or DP, or…….

 

That’s just a brief overview on one method of cracking one type of puzzle. Puzzles are limited only by the setter’s imagination and skill. Some people design puzzles poorly, and either don’t proof their submission or puzzle, making them unsolvable. Some design very clever, intricately woven puzzles making them a thing of beauty with a solution pathway that unfolds magnificently before you. Learn who is in each category. Sometimes the puzzle is more about figuring out what the puzzle is, than in solving the puzzle once you’ve figured out what it is.

 

Pay attention to Difficulty ratings. Most people (not all) take the difficulty of solving the puzzle into account when setting their difficulty rating, so a lower D rating often means an easier puzzle (as well as an easier find).

 

If you have questions on a puzzle, contact the cache owner. As a cache owner, I love getting questions from potential solvers because that helps me see where potential problems may lie. As the CO, I know the intended method of solution, and sometimes that can blind me to issues like ambiguities or typos that can reduce the solving enjoyment I hope I’ve created. Let the CO know whether you want a nudge or a sledgehammer on the solve. Some may not respond, or be hostile to you asking, but I think most COs are pleased to help out. That also lets you understand the CO a little more, and may give you a hint on solving other puzzles by that CO.

 

Lastly, learn that you don’t need to solve every puzzle or find every cache. If you are not enjoying tackling a puzzle, let it go. Ignore it, either through the ignore feature or just not letting it bother you sitting there on the map. That goes for all types of cache, not just puzzles.

 

I know that a lot of this is similar to niraD’s advice linked to above, down to the 122. Follow that link, and then the links that niraD has for a better intro.

 

Good luck!

[+WebChimp]

Rosebud gave pretty good advice. If you are totally clueless on a puzzle,chances are some others have been as well. There's a good chance an email to the CO, describing what you've done to this point and asking for a starting point, will be well received.

 

If its a cypher or code, Google the terms "yellowpipe" and "cypher". That will get you to the hallowed YellowPipe cypher tools, which are invaluable. If that doesn't m work, try Sharkey's Vigenere cypher page. (Google is your friend.)

 

Puzzle caches can be a real education. Extremely wicked puzzle caches can take more effort than the actual cache is worth, but there's some pride to be found in finding the solution and signing the log sheet.

 

If you enjoy puzzles, have fun and go for it.

 

If they make your head hurt, ignore them and find something you like better.

[+jellis]

I would start with the easy puzzles first. Crossword puzzles, sudoku, and trivia puzzles are pretty straight forward. If the CO is nice, he/she will use a geochecker so that you can check your coordinates before you go hunting.

 

A lot of the other puzzles are ciphers and after awhile you will get good at recognizing which decryption method to use where. In my area playfair is King. Even when I can solve them, I don't really enjoy cipher puzzles though.

I also always recommend this. Start with the 1 difficulties and work your way up. Or find your best subject like math or sports.

[+NYPaddleCacher]

Team up with other geocachers who are in the same boat.

 

This can be good advice for many, but not all puzzle types. I actually prefer to team up with someone else *that has not yet solved the puzzle* then get hints from the CO, or especially from someone that has already solved it. Although, one person on "the team" usually figures it out before the other, if you do work with the same person often enough on different puzzles you'll probably find that you're both contributing towards the solutions. I've frequently teamed up with someone else on puzzles that I will likely never have the opportunity to find, and sometimes just look for puzzles to solve even if I'm probably not going be in the area to find the cache. Awhile back I was working on the Masters of Mystery puzzles. There are 20 different MoM puzzles in different cities around the world. Each of them requires solving 20 puzzles to derive the coordinates for the finale MoM puzzle in each city. Many of the Mom puzzle includes some of the same pre-requisite puzzles so there is some overlap. I started working on trying to solve all of the pre-requisite puzzles but got stuck on a bunch of them.

[+humboldt flier]

Hmmmmmmmm,

 

I suppose I am wired differently ... open the cache page ... see the big blue/purple ? ... close the page ... move on down the road.

 

MYSTERY SOLVED ... just saying.

[+WebChimp]

Hmmmmmmmm,

 

I suppose I am wired differently ... open the cache page ... see the big blue/purple ? ... close the page ... move on down the road.

 

MYSTERY SOLVED ... just saying.

 

Also a valid method.

[+PlantAKiss]

Personally I don't like Puzzle caches so I pass 'em by. I'd rather being out actively hunting than sitting around breaking my brain trying to solve something I probably can't. So I subscribe to the Humboldt flier method of puzzle solving.

[+DanOCan]

Pick one of the series of puzzles that are designed as an introduction to puzzle solving and work through them, even if they aren't near you. They provide awesome tips and hints on the various ways a lot of puzzles are solved.

 

Puzzle Solving 101

Calgary Puzzle Solving 101