Notable puzzlers

This is a list of puzzlers who have been considered notable outside of puzzlehunts. This list is currently restricted to people with a Wikipedia article who also have participated in, or worked on a puzzlehunt.

• Julian Assange is a noted activist who founded WikiLeaks. He wrote for MUMS Puzzle Hunt 2004.

• Denis Auroux is a mathematician and professor at Harvard. He wrote for Mystery Hunt 2018.

• Sam Bankman-Fried is a controversial former billionaire. He is known to have hosted a puzzlehunt event in Stanford University.

• Reid Barton is a mathematician. He has written for Mystery Hunt 2006 and Mystery Hunt 2011.

• Evan Chen is a mathematician and active in mathematical competitions. He has written for Mystery Hunt 2021 and Mystery Hunt 2023.

• Skaff Elias is a game designer. He wrote for Mystery Hunt 1996.

• Noam Elkies is a mathematician and professor at Harvard. He wrote for Mystery Hunt 2015.

• Richard Garfield is a game designer who created Magic: The Gathering. He wrote for Mystery Hunt 1996.

• Catherine Havasi is an AI researcher at MIT. She wrote for Mystery Hunt 2013 and was co-captain for the running team.

• Andrew He is a competitive programmer. He wrote for Teammate Hunt 2021 and Mystery Hunt 2023.

• Francis Heaney is a crossword constructor and editor. He wrote for Mystery Hunt 2001, Mystery Hunt 2003, Mystery Hunt 2007, Mystery Hunt 2009, and Mystery Hunt 2012.

• Benjamin Mako Hill is a free software activist and professor at the University of Washington. He wrote for Mystery Hunt 2012.

• Tyler Hinman is a crossword solver and constructor, winning seven American Crossword Puzzle Tournaments. He has written puzzles in Mystery Hunt 2008, Mystery Hunt 2010 and Mystery Hunt 2016.

• Wei-Hwa Huang is a logic-puzzler and game designer. He has written puzzles in Mystery Hunt 2012 and Mystery Hunt 2020.

• Jofish Kaye is a scientist specializing in human-computer interaction and artificial intelligence. He wrote for Mystery Hunt 2003.

• Kiran Kedlaya is a mathematician and professor at University of California, San Diego. He wrote for Mystery Hunt 2000, Mystery Hunt 2002, Mystery Hunt 2005, Mystery Hunt 2017, and Mystery Hunt 2019.

• Tanya Khovanova is a mathematician who teaches at MIT. She wrote for Mystery Hunt 2013 and Mystery Hunt 2018.

• David Kwong is a magician and puzzle constructor. He has participated in MIT Mystery Hunt and Galactic Puzzle Hunt.

• Craig Mazin is a screenwriter and film director who created the miniseries Chernobyl. He has participated in Galactic Puzzle Hunt and MIT Mystery Hunt, and helped testsolve puzzles for Mystery Hunt 2022.

• Alison Miller is a mathematician. She wrote for Mystery Hunt 2013.

• Victoria Coren Mitchell is a British TV personality and host for the Only Connect BBC quiz show. She wrote for Mystery Hunt 2019.

• David Morgan-Mar is a cartoonist, author, and engineer. He wrote for CiSRA/mezzacotta Puzzle Competition.

• Randall Munroe is a cartoonist and author who created the webcomic xkcd. He participates in MIT Mystery Hunt.

• Trip Payne is a crossword solver and constructor, winning three American Crossword Puzzle Tournaments. He wrote for Mystery Hunt 2008, Mystery Hunt 2017, and Mystery Hunt 2019.

• Brad Schaefer is a professor of astronomy. He started MIT Mystery Hunt and wrote Mystery Hunt 1981, Mystery Hunt 1982 and Mystery Hunt 1983.

• Seth Schoen is an activist and computing researcher. He wrote for Mystery Hunt 2012.

• Mike Selinker is a game designer. He wrote for Mystery Hunt 2007 and Mystery Hunt 2009.

• Scott Seiver is a professional poker player. He has solved multiple MIT Mystery Hunts and assisted with Mystery Hunt 2022.

• Oliver R. Smoot was the chairman of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and president of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). He contributed to a puzzle for Mystery Hunt 2020.

• Thomas Snyder is a puzzle and sudoku constructor. He wrote for Mystery Hunt 2007 and Mystery Hunt 2009.

• Aaron Swartz was a computer programmer and hacktivist who co-founded Reddit. He helped write a puzzle for Mystery Hunt 2012.

• Teeuwynn Woodruff was a game designer and writer. She wrote for Mystery Hunt 2007.

Guest Appearances

• Michael E. Brown is an astronomer who discovered the dwarf planet Eris. He was a part of the Mystery Hunt 2024 opening skit.

• "Weird Al" Yankovic is a comedy musician. He contributed to an interaction in Mystery Hunt 2022.

• Neil Patrick Harris is an American actor. He contributed to an interaction in World Henchmen Organization Game 2011