Hypercube
Owner:
Randall
Solution:
AIR
Partial Answers
PARAMETER: I think there's more that goes with that.
ENTERTAIN: I think there's more that goes with that.
PARAMETER WITH ENTERTAIN: Looks like we're getting somewhere. Can we do anything else with this?
REPEAT WITH RETINA: That sounds like a good idea. What did we just do that we can repeat?
GC Notes:
There is a fully assembled dodecahedron in the GC box. It's probably going to be difficult to understand what teams are asking without it.
Presentation:
Teams are provided with:
12 Pentagonal Tiles (all tiles the same color, roughly corresponding to their team color)
A set of instructions
Teams are presented with a series of pentagonal tiles with markings dividing the front into six spaces and arrows and other marks on the front, and a simple image on the back.
They also have some flavor text with a set of twelve 'magical words'. Each word is nine characters in length. The flavor text says the words are too big to be used with the artifact and we need to figure out how to fit them in. A set of vague clues is also provided (e.g. a cleaning tool, type of armor, etc.).
Walkthrough:
Each image on the back of a tile represents a simple three letter word, e.g. Dog, Bow, Leg, etc. Upon finding the words, it should become clear that you can remove the letters from one three letter word from each nine letter word, leaving six letters which can be anagrammed into another simple word that matches one of the crossword clues.
Now using the rules provided, the six letter word is fit into six spaces on the front of the tile. The tiles can then be assembled into a dodecahedron by using the equals signs along some the sides of the tile, and the restriction that the highlighted segments must form a single continuous path.
After assembling the dodecahedron and reading the highlighted tiles, you get the phrase.
PARAMETER WITH ENTERTAIN
Two nine letter words separated by WITH. The flavor text contains three more symbols similar to the ones on the tiles: ARM, NET, and TEN. These words can be removed from PARAMETER and ENTERTAIN to give you REPEAT and RETINA (NET and TEN have the same letters, doesn't matter which you use), so you have the phrase REPEAT WITH RETINA. Now the step they just performed was to remove the letters NET/TEN from ENTERTAIN. By repeating with RETINA, you get RIA which can be anagrammed to AIR.
Hinting:
Occasionally teams either don't notice the 'line of power' (highlighted cells). They can use this to help them assemble the hypercube.
For some of the tiles there are multiple valid ways to put the letters in until you start assembling (side constraints get rid of the extras. Players can assume they got it right the first time creating a set of tiles that can't be assembled. Make it clear that it's possible they inserted the letters wrong. See the WINNER tile (top right below) for a tile that only has a single solution. See TALKER tile (bottom, second from right) for a tile that can be filled out incorrectly.
Sections with two equals signs on a single letter (see T in PLATED on the first tile below), MUST match up with two other tiles that have the same thing (see T on STRING and TREATS) because they form a corner. There are THREE such corners. This is VERY helpful for assembling the cube.
Data:
The complete set of tiles plus the images that appear on the back are listed below.
Nine letter words are given,
pa adaptable = plated + baa
ame stimulate = amulet + sit
er treasured = duster + ear
wi rewinding = winner + dig
r abstainer = brains + tea
in hamstring = string + ham
er substrate = treats + bus
nt deporting = rodent + pig
t creepiest = secret + pie
reloading = linear + dog
ta worktable = talker + bow
the enchanter = nether + can
Parameter - arm = repeat
entertain - net = retain/retina - net = air
Air out of reloading