Singapore Puzzle Hunt 2021

Singapore Puzzle Hunt 2021 was the 7th iteration of the Singapore Puzzle Hunt, with kick-off occurring on July 3rd, 2021.

Pre-hunt, the website and registration page contained the following blurb about the hunt theme - "You have entered into a competitive wager for an extraordinary race filled with puzzles along the way. Will your team be able to solve the puzzles fast enough to be the first to complete the journey?"

1 week before the hunt, registered teams received a thematic race pack (see details below) with boarding passes to take them to the starting line of the puzzle race around the world.

The theme for this year's Singapore Puzzle Hunt was intended to give solvers, who have been affected by the prolonged lock-down, the opportunity to relive some travel memories and experiences through the puzzles and hunt. The hunt introduced several unique elements to keep close to the spirit of the referenced theme. For example, there were two interweaved rounds, with Route Marker answers helping to unlock the meta, and Route Info answers serving as feeders to the meta. The easier Route Marker variety puzzles were thematic to the Amazing Race tasks, and had different effects such as requiring a single team member to solve the puzzle alone (Roadblock), or teams to work together (Intersection), or even unlocking the meta immediately (Fast Forward).

Hunt Introduction
As international travel has been restricted recently, you gathered at the local Puzzle Club, looking forward to solving some puzzles with your team instead. There, you learned that a unique puzzle hunt has been organized. It involves an extraordinary race around the world, filled with puzzles at various locations. Wagers are being taken up on which team will be able to solve the puzzles and complete the hunt journey in the shortest time. Like all the other teams in the Puzzle Club, you all jumped at this opportunity and packed your bags to get ready for the race...

Plot
The theme for this year's Singapore Puzzle Hunt is "Around the World in 18 Puzzles" (referencing Around the World in 18 Days and The Amazing Race). Teams will participate virtually in a round-the-world race that comprises puzzles at various locations which they need to visit and solve.

There are 7 Route Marker puzzles – The Final Pit Stop location and Meta puzzle will be revealed only solving either any 3 of these puzzles or the Fast Forward puzzle. There is no limit to the number of teams that are allowed to complete the Fast Forward puzzle.

There are 8 Route Info puzzles – The meta puzzle uses these Route Info puzzles.

After solving the Meta, the final Runaround puzzle will be revealed, thematically in the style of a memory challenge that tests teams on what the puzzles which they had encountered and solved during the trip. Once the Runaround is solved, the team will have completed the race. There is also a bonus meta that is unlocked that uses the Route Marker answers.

Hunt Souvenirs
Teams received a thematic race pack in a rip-tear envelope containing a boarding pass for each team member to the starting line of the race New York City, and a set of customized postcards which are used for the New York puzzle.