List of Puzzle Hunts by Theme
This is a list of puzzle hunts by theming. Hunts may be listed multiple times if they touch on multiple themes. Fakeout themes are included. This article may have plot and other hunt spoilers.
Existing fiction themes
Literature
- Literature, general - MIT Mystery Hunt 2022, Microsoft Puzzlehunt 16, CMU Hunt Spring 2012, Hunt20 2.1 Puzzle Hunt, Puzzle Boat 6, College Puzzle Challenge 2013
- Fairy tales - DASH 3
- Jules Verne - MIT Mystery Hunt 2010 (round)
- 20000 Leagues Under the Sea - MIT Mystery Hunt 2015
- Alice in Wonderland - MIT Mystery Hunt 2014, Microsoft Puzzlehunt 7, CMU Hunt Spring 2007, SUMS Puzzle Hunt 2010, Singapore Puzzle Hunt 2015
- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - USC Puzzle Hunt 2016, NPL Extravaganza 2017
- Cthulhu mythos - SUMS Puzzle Hunt 2013, Miskatonic University Game
- Discworld - mezzacotta Puzzle Hunt 2016
- Harry Potter - DASH 7, CMU Hunt Fall 2016, Singapore Puzzle Hunt 2016, Harvard Puzzle Hunt 2004, Mathcamp Puzzle Hunt 2014
- His Dark Materials - Harvard Puzzle Hunt 2008
- Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - College Puzzle Challenge 2012
- The Hunger Games - The Famine Game
- Library of Babel - Shardhunt
- The Phantom Tollbooth - Caltech Puzzle Hunt 2018
- Where's Waldo? - Puzzle Rojak
- Winnie the Pooh - Mathcamp Puzzle Hunt 2018
- The Wizard of Oz - MIT Mystery Hunt 2000
Comic books and comics
- Comic books - Microsoft Puzzlehunt 9
- Asterix - MUMS Puzzle Hunt 2013
Movies
- Movies, general - Microsoft Puzzlehunt 15, College Puzzle Challenge 2009 (Movie production)
- Marvel Cinematic Universe - Puzzle Potluck 3, Puzzle Boat 8, Singapore Puzzle Hunt 2020, MIT Aquarium Puzzle Hunt 2018
- Pixar - DaroCaro Puzzle Hunt, SUMS Puzzle Hunt 2018
- Back to the Future - USC Puzzle Hunt 2015, MIT Aquarium Puzzle Hunt 2013
- Batman - QoDE Puzzle Hunt
- Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure - MIT Mystery Hunt 1997
- Get Smart - MIT Mystery Hunt 2013 (round)
- Ghostbusters - Ghost Patrol franchise, BANG 37, BANG 29
- Inception - MIT Mystery Hunt 2016, BAPHL 4, MIT Aquarium Puzzle Hunt 2015
- Indiana Jones - MIT Mystery Hunt 2013 (round), DASH 4
- Inside Out - MIT Mystery Hunt 2018
- James Bond - DASH 8
- The Matrix - MIT Mystery Hunt 2003
- Metropolis - MIT Mystery Hunt 2010 (round)
- The Nightmare Before Christmas - MIT Mystery Hunt 2019
- Ready Player One - Singapore Puzzle Hunt 2018
- The Shawshank Redemption - Singapore Puzzle Hunt 2019
- Sneakers - MIT Mystery Hunt 2013 (round)
- Star Wars - MUMS Puzzle Hunt 2015, Mathcamp Puzzle Hunt 2015
- Time Bandits - MIT Mystery Hunt 2004
- Tron - Microsoft Puzzlehunt 11, WarTron
- WarGames - WarTron
Television
- General television - Microsoft Puzzlehunt 19, DASH 2
- Game shows - Microsoft Puzzlehunt 3, UMD Puzzle Hunt 2020
- 24 - BANG 24
- The Amazing Race - BANG 16, Puzzle Boat 4, Singapore Puzzle Hunt 2021
- Avatar: The Last Airbender - Mathcamp Puzzle Hunt 2021
- Beavis and Butthead - MIT Mystery Hunt 1997
- Doctor Who - Doctor When
- Game of Thrones - BAPHL 12
- Gravity Falls - P.I.HUNT 4
- Jeopardy! - Microsoft Puzzlehunt 123, UMD Puzzle Hunt 2020, MIT Aquarium Puzzle Hunt 2017
- The Masked Singer - Carvana Puzzle Hunt 2021
- MasterChef - MUMS Puzzle Hunt 2010
- Mission: Impossible - Microsoft Puzzlehunt 5
- My Little Pony - Puzzles Are Magic
- Scooby-Doo - P.I.HUNT 7
- SpongeBob SquarePants - MIT Aquarium Puzzle Hunt 2022
- Star Trek - Curtis 50 Trek
- Stranger Things - Singapore Puzzle Hunt 2022
- The Twilight Zone - Microsoft Puzzlehunt 18
Musical Theatre
- General theatre - MIT Mystery Hunt 2012, Microsoft Puzzlehunt 20, CMU Hunt Spring 2016
- The Producers - MIT Mystery Hunt 2012
Video games
- Video games, general - MIT Mystery Hunt 2011, Microsoft Puzzlehunt 21
- Text adventures - Harvard Puzzle Hunt 2007
- Incremental games - Galactic Puzzle Hunt 2018 (Cookie Clicker), Huntinality 2021 (round)
- Age of Empires - Microsoft Puzzlehunt 2
- Among Us - Puzzle Potluck 4
- Animal Crossing - Puzzle Potluck 4
- Civilization - MIT Mystery Hunt 2011 (round)
- Mario - MIT Mystery Hunt 2011 (round), Huntinality 2021 (Waluigi)
- Mega Man - MIT Mystery Hunt 2011 (round)
- Portal - CMU Hunt Fall 2017, MIT Mystery Hunt 2011
- Professor Layton - BAPHL 11, Puzzle Potluck 2
- Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? - MIT Mystery Hunt 1999, CMU Hunt Fall 2007
- The Legend of Zelda - MIT Mystery Hunt 2011 (round), Harvard Puzzle Hunt 2010
Pokémon
- Pokémon - MIT Mystery Hunt 2018 (round), SUMS Puzzle Hunt 2016, Smogon Puzzle Hunt 1
- Pokémon contests - Smogon Puzzle Hunt 2
- Pokémon Go - Silph Puzzle Hunt
- Pokémon Mystery Dungeon - Smogon Puzzle Hunt 3
Genre themes
- Animated TV show - BAPHL 1
- Bomb Defusal - Quantum Online Puzzle Hunt
- Cyberpunk - MIT Mystery Hunt 1994
- Espionage / global search - MIT Mystery Hunt 2006, SUMS Puzzle Hunt 2011, Burn After Solving
- Fictional sleepers - MIT Mystery Hunt 2016
- Heist - MIT Mystery Hunt 2013, UMD Puzzle Hunt 2021, College Puzzle Challenge 2008
- Horror - MIT Mystery Hunt 2001, Microsoft Puzzlehunt 123
- Fictional magic - CMU Hunt Spring 2010
- Investigative - Mathcamp Puzzle Hunt 2020
- Medieval - CMU Hunt Fall 2015
- MMO - MIT Mystery Hunt 2021
- Mystery - MIT Mystery Hunt 2008, CMU Hunt Spring 2011, REDDOThunt 2018, SUMS Puzzle Hunt 2014, SUMS Puzzle Hunt 2009, Singapore Puzzle Hunt 2017, Intercoastal Altercations 4
- Parallel universes - Microsoft Puzzlehunt 22, MIT Mystery Hunt 2021, MUMS Puzzle Hunt 2010
- Quests - MIT Mystery Hunt 1993, CMU Hunt Spring 2019, Puzzle Potluck 1
- Sci-fi - MIT Mystery Hunt 2018 (round)
- Sports - BAPHL 18, Galactic Puzzle Hunt 2017, P.I.HUNT 1, Intercoastal Altercations 5
- Superheroes / Supervillains - MIT Mystery Hunt 2005, BANG 23, MUMS Puzzle Hunt 2011
- Time loop / travel - Galactic Puzzle Hunt 2022, Microsoft Puzzlehunt 6, MIT Mystery Hunt 2010, BAPHL 14, CMU Hunt Fall 2018, CMU Hunt Spring 2009, MUMS Puzzle Hunt 2016, College Puzzle Challenge 2016
- Treasure hunting - BAPHL 9, MIT Mystery Hunt 1992, CMU Hunt Spring 2013, Carvana Puzzle Hunt 2019, Harvard Puzzle Hunt 2005
- Zombies - BAPHL 8, BANG 19, CMU Hunt Spring 2014, Mathcamp Puzzle Hunt 2012
Puzzle metafiction / references
- DASH - BAPHL 19
- Escape from Zyzzlvaria - MIT Mystery Hunt 2009
- Hunt locations - BAPHL 10
- Past hunts - MIT Mystery Hunt 2010 (with references to 1983, 2000, 2009), BAPHL 15
- Puzzle Factory - MIT Mystery Hunt 2023
Hunt Mechanic Themes
- Puzzle construction - See Category:Puzzle construction challenges
- All work and no play - P.I.HUNT 5
- Conlang - Galactic Puzzle Hunt 2019
- Darkness - BANG 28
- Hexominoes - BANG 35
- Jigsaw Puzzles - P.I.HUNT 8
- Lists - Lists of Lists
- Morse Code - BANG 34
- Riddle sequences - P.I.HUNT 9
Non-fiction themes
Animals
- Dogs - MIT Mystery Hunt 2016
- Fish - MIT Mystery Hunt 2015
- Rats - MIT Mystery Hunt 2022
Business
- Corporate culture - MIT Mystery Hunt 2003, CMU Hunt Fall 2011?, REDDOThunt 2020
- Lemonade stand - DASH 6
- Stock Market - Intercoastal Altercations 3
Education
- Back to School - BANG 25
- Camp counseling - Mathcamp Puzzle Hunt 2011
- Computer Science courses - CMU CS Hunt
- Enigmatology - MIT Mystery Hunt 1998, UMD Puzzle Hunt 2017
- Ivy League - MIT Aquarium Puzzle Hunt 2021
- MIT (fictional) - MIT Mystery Hunt 2021
- MIT (hacking culture) - MIT Mystery Hunt 2018 (round)
- Museum - MIT Mystery Hunt 2023, UMD Puzzle Hunt 2021
- Scholarship applications - MIT Aquarium Puzzle Hunt 2019
- Standardized testing - Galactic Puzzle Hunt 2022
- University - Microsoft Puzzlehunt 2023, Miskatonic University Game
Entertainment
- Birthday Party - Teammate Hunt 2020
- Camping - EC Puzzle Hunt
- Gambling / casinos - Microsoft Puzzlehunt 8 (Las Vegas), College Puzzle Challenge 2014, College Puzzle Challenge 2004
- Magic (real-life) - College Puzzle Challenge 2018
- Rubik's cube - MUMS Puzzle Hunt 2019, MIT Mystery Hunt 2013 (round), Edric's Truzzle Hunt 2022, ffao Hunt
- Theme Park - MIT Mystery Hunt 2020, Teammate Hunt 2021, CMU Hunt Spring 2017
- Toys - Teammate Hunt 2020
- Vacation - CMU Hunt Spring 2020, REDDOThunt 2022, College Puzzle Challenge 2015
- Zoo - Mathcamp Puzzle Hunt 2019
Art
Board games
- Board games, general - Puzzle Boat 7, NPL Extravaganza 2011
- 20 Questions - MIT Aquarium Puzzle Hunt 2016
- Clue - MIT Mystery Hunt 1995, Microsoft Puzzlehunt 4, Puzzle Potluck 2, P.I.HUNT 3
- Dungeons & Dragons / tabletop RPG - MIT Mystery Hunt 2017, BAPHL 20
- Monopoly - MIT Mystery Hunt 2002, CMU Hunt Fall 2022
- Settlers of Catan - MIT Mystery Hunt 2018 (round), Harvard Puzzle Hunt 2009
- Trivial Pursuit - BANG 7, Puzzle Potluck 3
Music
- Pop music, general - Microsoft Puzzlehunt 17
- Rock band tour - BAPHL 6
- 2 Tone Records - 2 Tone Game
- Elvis Presley - MIT Mystery Hunt 1997
Sports
(Also see Genre Themes/Sports heading for hunts with a fictional sports theme (usually puzzleball or similar)
- Archery - A Round of Archery
- Baseball - BAPHL 21
- Motorsport - BAPHL 5
- Olympics - Microsoft Puzzlehunt 1, Carvana Puzzle Hunt 2020
Food
- Food, general - BANG 15
- Candy - Mathcamp Puzzle Hunt 2022
- Cookies - Galactic Puzzle Hunt 2018, Harvard Puzzle Hunt 2006, Mathcamp Puzzle Hunt 2016
- Food Pyramid - Purple People Eaters Puzzle Hunt
History
- Alchemy - MUMS Puzzle Hunt 2014
- American history (fictional) - BAPHL 7
- Archaeology - BAPHL 3, DASH 9
- Colonial America - USC Puzzle Hunt 2013
- Humboldt expedition - MIT Mystery Hunt 2010 (round)
- Oregon Trail - CMU Hunt Fall 2020
- Prehistory - CMU Hunt Spring 2023
- Pirates - BAPHL 13, CMU Hunt Spring 2021, CMU Hunt Spring 2008
- Presidents - BANG 14
- Vikings - BANG 26
- Wild West - DASH 10, DASH 1
- Witch hunts - MIT Mystery Hunt 2010 (round)
- Wonders of the World - College Puzzle Challenge 2005
Non-fiction literature
Paranormal
- Anomaly - CMU Hunt Fall 2019
- Aliens - Galactic Puzzle Hunt 2019
- Conspiracy theories - Berkeley Mystery Hunt 2015
- Psychics - CMU Hunt Fall 2008
Religion and Tradition
- Apocalypse - CMU Hunt Spring 2018, MUMS Puzzle Hunt 2012, SUMS Puzzle Hunt 2012, College Puzzle Challenge 2010
- Halloween - BANG 13, Inexact Puzzlehunt, P.I.HUNT 6
- Hell, Seven deadly sins - MIT Mystery Hunt 2007
- Holidays - MIT Mystery Hunt 2019, BAPHL 12
- Luck - BANG 20
- Zodiac - BANG 12
Mythology
- Mythology, various - Labor Day Extravaganza franchise
- Atlantis - Microsoft Puzzlehunt 10
- Greek Mythology - MIT Mystery Hunt 2010 (round)
- Knights of the Round Table - BANG 17
- Phoenix - DP Puzzle Hunt
STEM topics
Mathematics
- The number 21 - BANG 21
- Squares - BAPHL 16
- Triangles - BAPHL 19
Science
- Research institute - BANG 22, Berkeley Mystery Hunt 2013
- Richard Feynman - MIT Mystery Hunt 2013 (round)
- Ornithology - CMU Hunt Fall 2014
- Physics - BAPHL 2
- Weather - CMU Hunt Fall 2012
Technology
- Artificial intelligence - MIT Mystery Hunt 2023
- Cloning - CMU Hunt Fall 2009
- Deep-sea exploration - MIT Mystery Hunt 2015, College Puzzle Challenge 2017
- Email spam - CMU Hunt Fall 2021
- Medicine - DASH 11, DASH 5
- Optical devices, vision - Galactic Puzzle Hunt 2020
- Outer space - CMU Hunt Spring 2015, SUMS Puzzle Hunt 2015, Berkeley Mystery Hunt 2016, Mathcamp Puzzle Hunt 2017, NPL Extravaganza 2012
- Phonograph - MIT Mystery Hunt 2010 (round)
- Trains - Microsoft Puzzlehunt 14
- Web 2.0 - Huntinality 2022