Baby Shower Balloon (MIT Mystery Hunt 2020)

Baby Shower Balloon
MIT Mystery Hunt 2020
Balloon Vendor
Author(s)Linda Holman and Rachel Petterson
AnswerClick to revealCRIB
Statistics
No. solves40
No. total guesses74
Links
PuzzleLink
SolutionLink

Baby Shower Balloon is a physical puzzle from the Balloon Vendor round of the 2020 MIT Mystery Hunt.

Puzzle Elements[edit | edit source]

  • Physical - Teams were asked to submit a phrase that would prompt a visit from the Balloon Vendor, who would deliver a single balloon. Click to revealPopping the balloon revealed the actual puzzle: blue and pink confetti in the shape of animals.
 
  • Identification (Zoology) - The animals must be identified... or rather, the specific term for an animal of the gender indicated by the color must be identified. The single pink swan, for example, is a PEN.
  • Indexing - Each type of confetti occurs some number of times. These are indices.
  • Reordering (Size) - The confetti also has variously-sized "eyes" punched into each piece. Order the letters by increasing eye size to get...
  • Final Clue Phrase - ...RAPPER'S HOUSE, which clues a thematically appropriate answer. Final AnswerCRIB