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{{Ambox|text=This is a working draft and "living document". It is by no means final or prescriptive and community edits are sought and encouraged.}}
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== Puzzle Elements ==
When it comes to puzzle creation, an element is an essential building block. Various elements can be mixed and matched to create countless unique and (hopefully) engaging puzzle experiences, and the collection of known elements is growing with every new puzzle event. Here, we collect them for those curious enough to explore this wonderful, ever-changing puzzle landscape.


A '''Puzzle Element''' is an essential building block or characteristic of a puzzle. This list is intended to be an early first draft of an ongoing community project to catalogue and organise puzzle elements into a hierarchical and useful taxonomy, and should eventually catalog every page that is a member of [[:Category:Puzzle Element]].
The important thing to remember about these elements is that they are not all that exist. We're always discovering new ways to structure and present puzzles, and new topics to write about. Just because a topic or idea isn't here doesn't mean it's not good, or won't make for a good puzzle (after all, we don't discriminate against puzzle quality when collecting these elements). The overwhelming chances are that a puzzle using that particular element just hasn't been made yet! Alternatively, we may not have added it to our collection quite yet! Either way, we always support new puzzle creators experimenting with what's here AND what's not.


Contributors are strongly encouraged to make edits to this page and to start discussion topics in the accompanying [[Talk:List of Puzzle Elements|Talk page]]. The following is a list of suggested editing conventions:
Elements can mostly be broken down into three core indices.
* <code><nowiki><code>[[Name]]</code></nowiki></code> for each proposed Puzzle Elements (these can link to blank pages while this taxonomy is evolving)
* ''italics'' for new additions
* <s>strikethough</s> for deletions
* <span style="background-color:PaleGreen">Supported</span>, <span style="background-color:Bisque">Neutral</span>, and <span style="background-color:LightPink">Opposed</span> suggestions</span> - Used as discussion prompts such as name suggestions or Talk section discussions).


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===Structure Elements===
'''Structure Elements''' are one of the three elemental pillars of puzzle creation. These elements are the core pieces that allow for a puzzle to exist beyond the basest foundation. These include the following subcategories:


=Presentation Elements=
* [[Hint Presentation Elements|Baked-In Hints and Clues]] - Should solvers be clued by the title? How about the flavourtext? Or is there something in the plaintext of the puzzle itself?
'''Presentation Elements''' refers to the surface form of a puzzle (how it is presented to the solver). These elements should all be characteristics that a lay-person or non-puzzler can identify and describe, without hunt experience or puzzling knowledge. Because they are surface level characteristics, structure elements should never require any spoiler warnings.
* [[Media Elements|Alternate Media Formats]] - Videos that are puzzles, audio files that are puzzles, images that are puzzles, anything other than text and grids that could be described as "media" goes here.
* [[Formatting Elements|Presentation Format]] - Extra twists in puzzle presentation, such as grid shapes, solve paths, or particular changes to how a puzzle looks aside from flavour.


* Accessibility - <code>[[Accessibility Friendly]]</code> & <code>[[Content Warning]]</code> tags
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=== Content Elements ===
* Media type - Elements that deviate from a "pen-and-paper" media, or printable / static web page:
'''Content Elements''' are one of the three elemental pillars of puzzle creation. These types of elements primarily effect the solve path and the overall solving experience. Most content elements fall into the following subcategories:
** <code>[[Audio]]</code> - Audio file or collection of such files
** <code>[[Video]]</code> - Video clip or collection of such clips
** <code>[[Physical]]</code> - Physical object that requires manipulation or examination
** <code>[[Interaction]]</code> - Interaction event that requires physical and live presence. ''Could be subdivided further into Event, Runaround, Scavenger Hunt, etc''
** <code>[[Interactive]]</code> - Game applet, interactive fiction, mods or levels for external video games, ClueKeeper app, augmented reality, etc. ''Could be subdivided further particularly for Interactive Fiction''
** <code><span style="background-color:Bisque">[[Code]]</span></code> - Executable code that requires compilation or interpretation [''Better name?'']
** <code><span style="background-color:Bisque">[[File Archives]]</span></code> - Downloadable archives (.ZIP, etc) [''Better name?'']
** Others - <code><span style="background-color:Bisque">[[Spreadsheet]]</span></code>?
* Presentation - Top level, and most immediately apparent appearance of the puzzle
** <code>[[Image Heavy]]</code>
** <code>[[Text Heavy]]</code> - Choose Your Own Adventure, Walkthrough, Checklist, Script, Diary
** <code>[[Minimalist]]</code> - Puzzles where extremely little information is apparent
** <code><span style="background-color:Bisque">[[Clue Centric]]</span></code> - Image clues, Numbered clues, Unnumbered clues
** <code><span style="background-color:Bisque">[[Grid Centric]]</span></code> - May include Circular Grid, Spiral Grid, Hexagonal Grid
* Instructions - Nature of instruction provided with the puzzle
** <code>[[Explicit Instructions]]</code> - Instructions are provided explicitly as part of the puzzle
** <code>[[Example Instructions]]</code> - Examples are provided as part of the puzzle, but deduction of rules is intended to be a part of the puzzle
** <code>[[Flavortext]]</code> - Flavortext is provided, which ''may'' provide some cryptic allusions to the nature of the puzzle
** <code><span style="background-color:Bisque">[[Asked And Answered]]</span></code> - Special category of puzzle where a narrative element is posed within the puzzle and answer provides a resolution to that question
* Completion - Submission mechanism that deviates from a regular answer checker
** <code>[[Sub-answer Checking]]</code> - Mechanism for submitting answers to sub-puzzle for intermediate confirmation
** <code>[[Task Completion]]</code> - Completion of puzzle is contingent on finalising a particular task


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= Content Elements =
* [[Puzzle Types]] - If a puzzle is a commonly-recognized type, or if it simply has a commonly-reproduced structure, chances are that it'll have one of these elements.
'''Content Elements''' refers to elements, techniques that are encountered during the solving of a puzzle.
* [[Helpful Messages]] - Sometimes a puzzle will need to let the solver know when they're on the right/wrong track, if they have an intermediate step to perform, or have to solve another clue to reach their final answer.
* [[Extraction Mechanisms]] - Solvers have to reach the final answer somehow, and a lot of traditional puzzles aren't necessarily designed to result in a word or phrase. Extraction mechanisms are key to elevating a puzzle to something fitting for a puzzle hunt.


* Puzzle Type - This is the main categorisation of a puzzle and the most likely categorisation that helps solvers find other similar puzzles
=== Flavour Elements ===
** TBC
'''Flavour Elements''' are one of the three elemental pillars of puzzle creation. These types of elements give a puzzle something to be about; without flavour, a puzzle risks becoming generic. However, even then, it's very difficult to find a puzzle ''without'' flavour, since as long as a puzzle has a theme or a topic to tie it together, it's utilizing these elements.
* Intermediate steps - Common solve path elements and stages that are utilised during the solve
** TBC
* Extraction - Techniques that are common to hunt puzzles which allow the "extraction" of a final answers from a puzzles that are not necessarily designed to result in a word or phrase
** TBC


Flavour elements fall into two primary subcategories:


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= Flavour Elements =
* [[Puzzle Topics]] - If a puzzle is about something, it'll end up here. Since there's so much information out there for puzzles to draw from, and subjects can get very niche very quickly, expect these elements to be somewhat broad, especially since many puzzles tend to avoid reusing the same niche topics that another has already used.
'''Flavour Elements''' elements refer to either the ''topic'' (the subject matter of a puzzle) or the ''theme'' (the presentation of a puzzle) but either way provides identification of elements that may attract solvers with special interests, knowledge, or areas of expertise.
* [[Puzzle Theming]] - Separate from topics, thematic elements tend not to have a direct impact on the puzzle itself, at least in terms of the knowledge needed to solve it. Instead, they provide a new way to look at a puzzle, whether by obscuring a puzzle's true form with a particular artistic style or simply adding some story elements to a puzzle that would be otherwise out-of-place.

''This listing is a deliberately selective list, extracted from the much more exhaustive listing in the original Google Doc link [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1D-ATvSsgG8f0d5Swj-3z4kngQ-P8efwssbR13H4J6hk/edit here]. The intention is for a more "bottom-up" approach that can be expanded up to the desired level of detail.''

* <code>[[Arts]]</code> - ''Could be combined to make "Arts & Literature"''
** <code>[[Dance]]</code> - All styles
** <code>[[Theater]]</code> - Live theater (Musicals, Shakespeare). For screen theater, see <code>[[Movies]]</code> under <code>[[Media]]</code>
** <code>[[Visual Art & Design]]</code> - Color & Color theory including palettes. <code>[[Heraldry]]</code> could be separate, but RGB manipulation is found under Content\Intermediate steps
* <code>[[Culture]]</code> - Cultural trends not easily classified in other topical areas (hairstyles, fashions, etc) can go here
** <code>[[Puzzle Culture]]</code> - Puzzles that reference previous, or other hunts
** <code>[[MIT Culture]]</code> - All things MIT specific (Course catalog, floor plans, etc)
* <code>[[Food & Drink]]</code> - Cooking, Recipes, Mixology, etc
* <code>[[Geography]]</code>
** <code>[[Human Geography]]</code> - Locations, Countries / Cities, etc. <code>[[Currency]]</code> is a likely sub category of this
** <code>[[Physical Geography]]</code> - Mountains, Climate, Weather, etc
** <code>[[Cartography]]</code> - Map specific concepts (real or fictional)
* <code>[[Media]]</code>
** <code>[[Movies]]</code> - Sub categorisations is possible here but is yet to be finalised (genres like <code>[[Sci-Fi]]</code>, studios like <code>[[Disney/Marvel]]</code>, and other things like <code>[[Academy Awards]]</code>, etc)
** <code>[[TV Shows]]</code> - Sub categorisations is possible here but is yet to be finalised (genres like <code>[[Reality & Game Shows]]</code> & <code>[[Anime]]</code>, specific shows like <code>[[The Simpsons]]</code>, etc)
** <code>[[Music]]</code> - Sub categorisations is possible here but is yet to be finalised (genres like <code>[[Pop]]</code>, <code>[[K-Pop]]</code> or <code>[[Classical]]</code>, elements like <code>[[Sheet Music]]</code> or <code>[[Lyrics]]</code>, etc). However music ''extraction'' elements like <code>[[Solfege]]</code> and <code>[[Music Identification]]</code> are categorised under Content Elements
** <code>[[Internet]]</code> - Webcomics, Youtube series, etc. <code>[[Memes]]</code> may be another useful sub-categorisation with overlap to Culture category above
* <code>[[History]]</code>
** TBC
* <code>[[Linguistics]]</code>
** TBC
* <code>[[Literature]]</code> - ''Could be combined to make "Arts & Literature"''
** TBC
* <code>[[Religion]]</code>
** TBC
* <code>[[Science & Technology]]</code> - includes mathematics
** TBC
* <code>[[Sports & Recreation]]</code> - includes all hobbies and games too
** TBC
* <code>[[Miscellaneous]]</code>
** TBC

Revision as of 13:00, 5 March 2022

A Puzzle Element is an essential building block or characteristic of a puzzle. This list is intended to be an early first draft of an ongoing community project to catalogue and organise puzzle elements into a hierarchical and useful taxonomy, and should eventually catalog every page that is a member of Category:Puzzle Element.

Contributors are strongly encouraged to make edits to this page and to start discussion topics in the accompanying Talk page. The following is a list of suggested editing conventions:

  • <code>[[Name]]</code> for each proposed Puzzle Elements (these can link to blank pages while this taxonomy is evolving)
  • italics for new additions
  • strikethough for deletions
  • Supported, Neutral, and Opposed suggestions - Used as discussion prompts such as name suggestions or Talk section discussions).


Presentation Elements

Presentation Elements refers to the surface form of a puzzle (how it is presented to the solver). These elements should all be characteristics that a lay-person or non-puzzler can identify and describe, without hunt experience or puzzling knowledge. Because they are surface level characteristics, structure elements should never require any spoiler warnings.

  • Accessibility - Accessibility Friendly & Content Warning tags
  • Media type - Elements that deviate from a "pen-and-paper" media, or printable / static web page:
    • Audio - Audio file or collection of such files
    • Video - Video clip or collection of such clips
    • Physical - Physical object that requires manipulation or examination
    • Interaction - Interaction event that requires physical and live presence. Could be subdivided further into Event, Runaround, Scavenger Hunt, etc
    • Interactive - Game applet, interactive fiction, mods or levels for external video games, ClueKeeper app, augmented reality, etc. Could be subdivided further particularly for Interactive Fiction
    • Code - Executable code that requires compilation or interpretation [Better name?]
    • File Archives - Downloadable archives (.ZIP, etc) [Better name?]
    • Others - Spreadsheet?
  • Presentation - Top level, and most immediately apparent appearance of the puzzle
    • Image Heavy
    • Text Heavy - Choose Your Own Adventure, Walkthrough, Checklist, Script, Diary
    • Minimalist - Puzzles where extremely little information is apparent
    • Clue Centric - Image clues, Numbered clues, Unnumbered clues
    • Grid Centric - May include Circular Grid, Spiral Grid, Hexagonal Grid
  • Instructions - Nature of instruction provided with the puzzle
    • Explicit Instructions - Instructions are provided explicitly as part of the puzzle
    • Example Instructions - Examples are provided as part of the puzzle, but deduction of rules is intended to be a part of the puzzle
    • Flavortext - Flavortext is provided, which may provide some cryptic allusions to the nature of the puzzle
    • Asked And Answered - Special category of puzzle where a narrative element is posed within the puzzle and answer provides a resolution to that question
  • Completion - Submission mechanism that deviates from a regular answer checker
    • Sub-answer Checking - Mechanism for submitting answers to sub-puzzle for intermediate confirmation
    • Task Completion - Completion of puzzle is contingent on finalising a particular task

Content Elements

Content Elements refers to elements, techniques that are encountered during the solving of a puzzle.

  • Puzzle Type - This is the main categorisation of a puzzle and the most likely categorisation that helps solvers find other similar puzzles
    • TBC
  • Intermediate steps - Common solve path elements and stages that are utilised during the solve
    • TBC
  • Extraction - Techniques that are common to hunt puzzles which allow the "extraction" of a final answers from a puzzles that are not necessarily designed to result in a word or phrase
    • TBC


Flavour Elements

Flavour Elements elements refer to either the topic (the subject matter of a puzzle) or the theme (the presentation of a puzzle) but either way provides identification of elements that may attract solvers with special interests, knowledge, or areas of expertise.

This listing is a deliberately selective list, extracted from the much more exhaustive listing in the original Google Doc link here. The intention is for a more "bottom-up" approach that can be expanded up to the desired level of detail.

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