Wiki:Page Structure/Puzzles

The guide depicts the standard format for all puzzle pages currently on and to be added to this wiki. While some puzzles may require additional information, or reduced coverage in the described areas, we recommend future page creators begin with the following as a base.

Puzzle Page Structure
Each puzzle is to be created as a subpage within a Hunt page (see here for discussions) and contains the following default layout:

Infobox
Template:Infobox puzzle must be used at the top of each puzzle page in order to provide a standardised Infobox and categorisation of puzzle information.

Opening Notes
The opening sentence(s) for a puzzle page should introduce the puzzle as concisely as possible. For example:

[Puzzle Name] is a  from the   of. 

Note: Ensure that the Round is specified in relative terms (i.e. with a leading "../" and a piped display name) to ensure robustness of intrawiki links.

Solve Path
Solve Paths are an attempt to replicate the order of operations made by an actual solver. These are distinct, and should differ materially, from official puzzle solutions which are often written exclusively from the perspective of the author (and which are already linked via the puzzle infobox).

While official solutions obviously provide useful reference material, solve paths deliberately place more emphasis on the information, clues or deductions pertinent to a solver's understanding of the puzzle.

Solve Paths should involve liberal use of spoiler tags and benefit from separation into sequential steps (including a separate section for the final answer). While the intention of this wiki is not to provide alternate hint systems, this method of presenting information is simple enough to perform to be preferred.

Puzzle Elements
This section contains a list of the puzzle's elements (often alternatively referred to as "Puzzle pieces" or "Puzzle tropes"). These are the identifiable components

Templates will be developed to provide consistent categorisation of these across the Wiki, though are currently specified in the form of a bulleted list containing the names/titles of the relevant elements (linking to their respective pages) followed by a short descriptions of how those elements apply to the puzzle in question.

Judgement will be needed to determine which elements are material enough for inclusion, and it is expected that the breadth and specificity of these elements will be an ongoing, evolving process.

Images
Visual information for individual puzzles should be kept relatively minimum in case of spoilers, but as a rule we try to include flavorful images as a means to bring colour and visual context to a puzzle page. For example, if a hunt has an "overworld" or icons that represent individual puzzles, those icons can be presented on puzzle pages without fear of spoilers. These types of images should be accompanied by an explanatory caption that includes the connection between the puzzle and the image.

Should a puzzle not include such an icon, there is still a chance that it may involve non-spoilery visual elements.

Example
The following example is taken from MIT Mystery Hunt (2020)/The Trebuchet: