CMU Puzzle Hunt

CMU Puzzle Hunt
Logo of Puzzle Hunt CMU
First hunt2007
Most recent hunt2022
Number of hunts32
LocationPittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Links
LinkLink

CMU Puzzle Hunt is a biannual puzzle hunt run by Puzzle Hunt CMU, a student organization at Carnegie Mellon University. In most years since 2007, Puzzle Hunt CMU has run two puzzle hunts, one in the spring semester and one in the fall semester. Hunts typically have around 20 puzzles, with a team size limit of 6; they typically lasted 8 hours each until 2020, when they were made about a day long each to accommodate non-local solvers. CMU Puzzle Hunt is typically aimed at novice to intermediate solvers.

Previously, the CMU Puzzle Hunt was known as the KGB Puzzlehunt, and was organized by members of the student organization of the same name. Originally it was an internal event for KGB members, but gradually became more popular to other CMU students as well.[1] The name was changed sometime between 2012 and 2013.

From 2007 to 2011, answer checking for the hunts were done via phone line submissions. After that, the hunt switched to using online answer checkers.

Starting in 2019, a prepuzzle is released before each hunt, teasing the theme in the form of a small puzzle. Starting in 2021, an annual orientation week hunt has also been hosted, for incoming freshmen.

List of Hunts[edit | edit source]

Year Launch Date Number of Puzzles Link Theme Notes
Fall 24 2024-11-02 CMU Hunt Fall 2024 Country Hunt
Spring 24 2024-04-20 28 CMU Hunt Spring 2024 Department Store Hunt
Fall 23 2023-11-04 22 CMU Hunt Fall 2023 Celestial Magic Universe Hunt
Spring 23 2023-04-22 21 CMU Hunt Spring 2023 Prehistory Hunt
Fall 22 2022-11-19 22 CMU Hunt Fall 2022 Monopoly Hunt
Spring 22 2022-04-23 24 CMU Hunt Spring 2022 This Is Not A Puzzlehunt
Fall 21 2021-11-20 21 CMU Hunt Fall 2021 Spam Hunt
Spring 21 2021-04-10 22 CMU Hunt Spring 2021 Pirate Hunt
Fall 20 2020-11-14 21 CMU Hunt Fall 2020 Oregon Trail Hunt
Spring 20 2020-04-25 18 CMU Hunt Spring 2020 Getaway Hunt
Fall 19 2019-10-05 20 CMU Hunt Fall 2019 Anomaly Hunt
Spring 19 2019-04-06 19 CMU Hunt Spring 2019 The Quest for the Dragon's Riches
Fall 18 2018-10-06 18 CMU Hunt Fall 2018 Time Travel Hunt
Spring 18 2018-03-31 19 CMU Hunt Spring 2018 Apocalypse Hunt
Fall 17 2017-10-14 20 CMU Hunt Fall 2017 Aperture Science Student Testing Initiative
Spring 17 2017-03-25 17 CMU Hunt Spring 2017 CarnivalHunt
Fall 16 2016-11-05 18 CMU Hunt Fall 2016 Harry Potter and The Hunt of Puzzles
Spring 16 2016-03-26 18 CMU Hunt Spring 2016 Puzzlehunt: The Musical!
Fall 15 2015-11-07 23 CMU Hunt Fall 2015 Adventure Hunt
Spring 15 2015-03-21 15 CMU Hunt Spring 2015 Space Hunt
Fall 14 2014-10-14 8 Ornithology Hunt No longer playable
Spring 14 2014-03-22 17 Zombie Apocalypse Hunt No longer playable
Fall 13 2013-10-12 22 An Infinitely Improbable Puzzle Hunt No longer playable
Spring 13 2013-2-23 16 Pirate Treasure Hunt No longer playable
Fall 12 2012-10-23 22 Weather Machine Hunt No longer playable
Spring 12 2012-2-18 22 The Great Library No longer playable
Fall 11 2011-11-12 13 Babel Systems Hunt No longer playable
Spring 11 2011-4-23 22 Jackson Detective Agency No longer playable
Spring 10 2010-04-03 16 The Wizard's Elemental Tower No longer playable
Fall 09 2009-11-07 11 Clone Hunt No longer playable
Spring 09 2009-03-28 12 Time Travel Hunt No longer playable
Fall 08 2008-11-01 15 Geller Hotel Psychic Convention No longer playable
Spring 08 2008-03-01 17 Hackorp / Trust Busters Hunt No longer playable
Fall 07 2007-10-26 12 Carmen Sandiego Hunt No longer playable
Spring 07 2007-02-23 12 Alice in Wonderland Hunt No longer playable

Orientation Week Hunts[edit | edit source]

Starting in 2021, an annual orientation week hunt has also been hosted for teams of incoming CMU freshmen. Each orientation week has a theme decided by the CMU administration, and the orientation week hunts each vaguely follow that theme. The hunts typically consist of five puzzles and a metapuzzle.

Launch Date Number of Puzzles Link Orientation Week theme
2024-08-23 6 CMU Orientation Week Hunt 2024 Woven Together
2023-08-25 6 CMU Orientation Week Hunt 2023 Pursue Your Happiness
2022-08-26 6 CMU Orientation Week Hunt 2022 Reimagine
2021-08-26 6 CMU Orientation Week Hunt 2021 Chart Your Course

Other Hunts[edit | edit source]

Launch Date Number of Puzzles Link Notes
2019-02-23 10 CMU CS Hunt Organized for SCS day at the request of the college

See Also[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]