Have you tried: Difference between revisions
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'''Have you tried''' is a popular puzzlehunt document, written by [[ACME]] in 2000s. The [https://puzzles.mit.edu/resources/haveyoutried.pdf PDF page] has been cited in a lot of puzzlehunt resources, with multiple variations and versions of the same. |
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#REDIRECT [[Have you tried (team)]] |
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The document has inspired [[Have you tried (team)]], the name of a puzzlehunt team. The document is also the inspiration/data source behind multiple hunt puzzles, including [[MIT Mystery Hunt 2010/Making Connections|Making Connections from MITMH10]] and [[MIT Mystery Hunt 2018/Yeah, But it Didn't Work!]]. |
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== Have you tried == |
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*This list is an incomplete mirror and expansion of the Have you Tried document. Please help Puzzle Wiki improve by expanding it.* |
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=== For starters - Have you tried... === |
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* ...reading the title and the blurb? |
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* ...googling things? |
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* ...writing down all observations and hints you can, even if not answer related? |
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* ...looking at the list of helpful websites? |
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* ...pursuing every train of thought that doesn’t seem to give an answer at first? |
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* ...reading through title and flavourtext again, maybe googling them? |
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* ...looking at the binder of useful stuff? |
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* ...starting to organise all info in one place in the sheet? |
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* ...writing down what you think the puzzle could be? |
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=== Letters and words - Have you tried... === |
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* ...alphabetizing? |
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* ...using the leftover letters to spell something? |
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* ...putting it on nutrimatic? |
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* ...rearranging the letters (aka “anagramming” or “transposing”)? |
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* ...looking for unusual letter frequencies? |
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* ...determining if it is a Caesar shift in general? |
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* ...looking for a number you can index into? What words can you index from the number? |
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* ...shifting from letters to numbers? |
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* ...diagonalizing (taking the first letter of the first answer, the second letter of the second...)? |
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* ...taking first letter, or last letter, or average of two letters? |
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* ...looking for weirdness with the words, like repeated letters, or common phrases? |
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* ...sorting the words by length to see weirdness? |
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* ...seeing if they have interesting substrings (Like every word has "OR" in it) |
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* ...checking for similar words (homophones / one letter edit / homonyms) |
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* ...treating letters as call letters? |
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* ...treating letters as protein sequences? |
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* ...seeing if these words relate to song lyrics? |
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* ...seeing if there are any acronyms of phrases? |
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* ...turning it into a cryptic crossword clue? |
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* ...looking at a computer keyboard? |
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* ...a pun? |
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* ...googling the words to see if we're missing something? |
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=== Numbers - Have you tried... === |
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* ...graphing it functionally? |
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* ...graphing it parametrically? |
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* ...googling numbers? |
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* ...putting them on OEIS to see if it's a known pattern? |
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* ...checking to see if your numbers are in the right base (including hex)? |
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* ...shifting from numbers to letters? |
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* ...loooking for patterns in the numbers? |
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* ...treating numbers as atomic weights, numbers, etc.? |
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* ...treating numbers as dates? |
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* ...using it as a phone number? |
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* ...using it as an IP address? |
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* ...matching numbers to MIT buildings/courses? |
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* ...treating numbers as latitude/longitude or GPS coordinates? |
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* ...treating numbers as radio stations? |
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* ...treating numbers as ASCII numbers? |
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* ...treating numbers as PLU numbers? |
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* ...treating numbers as ISBN numbers? |
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* ...seeing if there are any strange sequences? |
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* ...seeing if prime numbers are involved? |
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* ...seeing if fundamental constants are involved? |
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* ...asking what other numbers are close to the one you have? |
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* ...googling the flavourtext again to see if it has hints? |
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* ...Searching for a themed set of items that is numbered to use as a conversion |
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=== Ways of looking at a Puzzle - Have you tried... === |
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* ...looking at it in the mirror? |
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* ...squinting at it from far away? |
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* ...tilting it? |
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* ...looking at it upside down? |
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* ...looking through it? |
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* ...rewriting it neatly? |
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* ...rewriting it on graph paper? |
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* ...saying it out loud to someone else? |
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* ...putting yourself in the constructor’s shoes? |
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* ...making it 3D? |
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* ...cutting it up? |
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* ...folding it? |
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* ...connecting the dots? |
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=== What is it? - Have you tried... === |
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* ...looking at a song/poem/book/movie/TV show? |
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* ...Braille? |
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* ...Morse code? |
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* ...overlaying it on a map of MIT? |
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* ...getting on the T? |
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* ...checking it for pop culture references with Tanis, Jenn, Denis or James? |
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* ...using the Library of Congress or Dewey decimal system? |
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* ...asking whether it has anything to do personally with the constructing team? |
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* ...Palm graffiti? |
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* ...running it by someone who goes to MIT? |
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* ...googling it again? |
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=== Zen - Have you tried... === |
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* ...trusting your instincts? |
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* ...trusting someone else’s instincts? |
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* ...asking “what’s weird about this?” |
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* ...taking a step back? |
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* ...asking for fresh brains? |
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* ...checking your work? |
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* ...asking someone else to check your work? |
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* ...explaining your work to someone else? |
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* ...doing what you’ve already done again to the output? |
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* ...consulting the list of expertise? |
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* ...leaving the room? |
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* ...asking people if it looks like anything they recognize? |
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* ...thinking about what’s missing? |
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* ...asking yourself whether you’ve used all the information? |
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* ...keeping even a strange-looking result? |
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* ...brute force? |
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* ...not thinking about it? |
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* ...splitting up tasks to solve in a group? |
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* ...talking to a hunt veteran? |
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* ...talking to a hunt newbie? |
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* ...asking “what’s the pattern”? |
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* ...rereading the instructions? |
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* ...rereading the title and flavour? |
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* ...googling everything again? |
Revision as of 01:52, 10 January 2024
Have you tried is a popular puzzlehunt document, written by ACME in 2000s. The PDF page has been cited in a lot of puzzlehunt resources, with multiple variations and versions of the same.
The document has inspired Have you tried (team), the name of a puzzlehunt team. The document is also the inspiration/data source behind multiple hunt puzzles, including Making Connections from MITMH10 and MIT Mystery Hunt 2018/Yeah, But it Didn't Work!.
Have you tried
- This list is an incomplete mirror and expansion of the Have you Tried document. Please help Puzzle Wiki improve by expanding it.*
For starters - Have you tried...
- ...reading the title and the blurb?
- ...googling things?
- ...writing down all observations and hints you can, even if not answer related?
- ...looking at the list of helpful websites?
- ...pursuing every train of thought that doesn’t seem to give an answer at first?
- ...reading through title and flavourtext again, maybe googling them?
- ...looking at the binder of useful stuff?
- ...starting to organise all info in one place in the sheet?
- ...writing down what you think the puzzle could be?
Letters and words - Have you tried...
- ...alphabetizing?
- ...using the leftover letters to spell something?
- ...putting it on nutrimatic?
- ...rearranging the letters (aka “anagramming” or “transposing”)?
- ...looking for unusual letter frequencies?
- ...determining if it is a Caesar shift in general?
- ...looking for a number you can index into? What words can you index from the number?
- ...shifting from letters to numbers?
- ...diagonalizing (taking the first letter of the first answer, the second letter of the second...)?
- ...taking first letter, or last letter, or average of two letters?
- ...looking for weirdness with the words, like repeated letters, or common phrases?
- ...sorting the words by length to see weirdness?
- ...seeing if they have interesting substrings (Like every word has "OR" in it)
- ...checking for similar words (homophones / one letter edit / homonyms)
- ...treating letters as call letters?
- ...treating letters as protein sequences?
- ...seeing if these words relate to song lyrics?
- ...seeing if there are any acronyms of phrases?
- ...turning it into a cryptic crossword clue?
- ...looking at a computer keyboard?
- ...a pun?
- ...googling the words to see if we're missing something?
Numbers - Have you tried...
- ...graphing it functionally?
- ...graphing it parametrically?
- ...googling numbers?
- ...putting them on OEIS to see if it's a known pattern?
- ...checking to see if your numbers are in the right base (including hex)?
- ...shifting from numbers to letters?
- ...loooking for patterns in the numbers?
- ...treating numbers as atomic weights, numbers, etc.?
- ...treating numbers as dates?
- ...using it as a phone number?
- ...using it as an IP address?
- ...matching numbers to MIT buildings/courses?
- ...treating numbers as latitude/longitude or GPS coordinates?
- ...treating numbers as radio stations?
- ...treating numbers as ASCII numbers?
- ...treating numbers as PLU numbers?
- ...treating numbers as ISBN numbers?
- ...seeing if there are any strange sequences?
- ...seeing if prime numbers are involved?
- ...seeing if fundamental constants are involved?
- ...asking what other numbers are close to the one you have?
- ...googling the flavourtext again to see if it has hints?
- ...Searching for a themed set of items that is numbered to use as a conversion
Ways of looking at a Puzzle - Have you tried...
- ...looking at it in the mirror?
- ...squinting at it from far away?
- ...tilting it?
- ...looking at it upside down?
- ...looking through it?
- ...rewriting it neatly?
- ...rewriting it on graph paper?
- ...saying it out loud to someone else?
- ...putting yourself in the constructor’s shoes?
- ...making it 3D?
- ...cutting it up?
- ...folding it?
- ...connecting the dots?
What is it? - Have you tried...
- ...looking at a song/poem/book/movie/TV show?
- ...Braille?
- ...Morse code?
- ...overlaying it on a map of MIT?
- ...getting on the T?
- ...checking it for pop culture references with Tanis, Jenn, Denis or James?
- ...using the Library of Congress or Dewey decimal system?
- ...asking whether it has anything to do personally with the constructing team?
- ...Palm graffiti?
- ...running it by someone who goes to MIT?
- ...googling it again?
Zen - Have you tried...
- ...trusting your instincts?
- ...trusting someone else’s instincts?
- ...asking “what’s weird about this?”
- ...taking a step back?
- ...asking for fresh brains?
- ...checking your work?
- ...asking someone else to check your work?
- ...explaining your work to someone else?
- ...doing what you’ve already done again to the output?
- ...consulting the list of expertise?
- ...leaving the room?
- ...asking people if it looks like anything they recognize?
- ...thinking about what’s missing?
- ...asking yourself whether you’ve used all the information?
- ...keeping even a strange-looking result?
- ...brute force?
- ...not thinking about it?
- ...splitting up tasks to solve in a group?
- ...talking to a hunt veteran?
- ...talking to a hunt newbie?
- ...asking “what’s the pattern”?
- ...rereading the instructions?
- ...rereading the title and flavour?
- ...googling everything again?