During the Mystery Hunt off-season this year, my team has decided to try something new: practice puzzles. This week I was assigned to post two meta puzzles. Instead of culling from previous hunts, I decided to write two of my own. Now that they’ve each been test solved, I’ll post them here for people that Big Jimmy didn’t fantasize about to solve.
Puzzle 1:
- GIFT
- FETID
- CHRIST
- DOTTING
- ELLIPSIS
- BIBLICIST
Puzzle 2:
(Besides the answers, each puzzle in this imaginary round came with a musical note next to the title. These are in parentheses. You’ve only solved four of the seven puzzles, but you have the notes for the remaining three.)
- MONKEY (G#)
- FRIENDS (E)
- SKELTER (C#)
- RACCOON (A#)
- unknown (F#)
- unknown (B)
- unknown (D#)
Colossus of Rhode 
Guess for puzzle 2 (ROT13’d to avoid spoilers…):
FUEVARE?
No… but I have a feeling you’re on the right track. Recheck your work?
Well, next I’d guess the plural of the same thing, but your comment suggests that’s wrong too.
Okay, I think I sort of see why you’d do that… but still wrong.
Relook at whatever you did for “FRIENDS” — I think you made a mistake. (Or I made a mistake in writing it… send me an e-mail if you’re convinced that’s the case.)
OH! I totally know what you did wrong. I thought that might trip people up…
Oh duh. PUBJQRE, then.
You win. 🙂