Please review the Puzzle Safari rules before the event.
We'll do our best to enforce these rules so that everyone has an equal chance of winning. However, we want to warn teams that this event isn't always fair. Any number of things can go wrong: QR codes might disappear, buildings might become inaccessible... the list goes on. We want you to have fun, and we'll do our best to ensure that happens, but some things are out of our control. We have enough puzzles to keep everyone entertained despite an occasional glitch, so ignore the bumps, move on, and have fun!
We reserve the right to bump teams out of conference rooms for event reasons. We apologize in advance and appreciate your flexibility.
Teams consist of four players. Teams cannot swap players during the event, nor can teams enlist non-team humans to solve puzzles. Non-human resources (internet, solving tools) are fine. Teams must solve all puzzles by themselves.
Each in-person team must have at least two full-time or intern employees, who must be on campus. Non-employees must be accompanied by an employee at all times. Remember that you will need a badge to move around campus to pick up stamps, so some of your badged employees will also need to be fit.
Each remote team must have at least one full-time or intern employee.
Need help finding a team? There is a team matching feature on the registration site. You can also try contacting the puzzmate alias.
At the beginning of each round, you'll get a puzzle packet (puzzle PDFs will also be available on the solution website). Each of the puzzles has a simple final answer, typically a single word or a short phrase. In some puzzles you are explicitly told how to get the final answer. In others, figuring out how to extract the final answer is part of the puzzle. If you solve a puzzle and you get a long phrase it's probably a clue to a shorter answer.
You will confirm final answers via the web answer submission system. If you get it right, you'll score a point, get the location for a QR code, and possibly some extra information. Instructions on how to access the web answer submission system will be emailed to your team. Don't lose this information! The system access information is unique for each team.
The solution system penalizes persistent guessing. After you make a number of incorrect guesses on a specific puzzle, there will be a short delay before you can make an additional guess, and the delay will gradually get longer. The goal here is to discourage entering long lists of guesses (such as every planet you can think of), there should be no impact if you are solving and entering potential answers.
If you enter an answer that's only halfway to the solution, for example "FIRST MAN ON THE MOON", you may get a clue back from the answer system, or a word of encouragement like "Keep going." These entries do not get penalized.
Players can walk, jog, skip, or run to QR code locations. They cannot use motorized (cars, Segways) or non-motorized transportation (bikes, scooters, skates) at any time during the event. (Wheelchairs and other accommodations are allowed for players who need them.)
Players can leave some members behind to solve puzzles while other team members look for QR codes. Players can keep in touch by any means, including cell phones.
Teams must not disassemble, destroy, or otherwise damage property while looking for QR codes. We reserve the right to disqualify any QR codes that are located near property damage.
Teams must not enter private offices to locate QR codes or other items during the event.
Teams must bring their phone to each QR code. Teams cannot gather or take photos of QR codes and then enter them later, or use any other trick to parallelize QR code collection.
During most of the event, only one phone can enter QR codes at a time. During the last 15 minutes of round 2, all members of a team can use their phones to scan QR codes simultaneously.
When switching QR code collection between phones (except in the last 15 minutes), the two phones must be in the same location, which is enforced by phone location services (GPS). Players must not use location spoofing to defeat this.
Do not enter any areas fenced off or barricaded for construction! Don't enter any non-Microsoft buildings. Don't enter buildings 92, 112 or 114, or Studios B, C, or X. Don't take any shortcuts through these areas, either. Don't short-cut across the Honeywell property/parking. Unfortunately, we may not know very far in advance of the event if other areas are off limits, but we will not place any stamps in these areas. Any location clues that appear to send you there are either misunderstood (likely) or incorrect (unlikely, but possible). Email psafari if you are sure a location clue is incorrect.
The valid building numbers are given on the solution website. Any updates to the list will be announced in the opening ceremony. This means that you should not look for indoor QR codes except in the valid buildings. Your team's headquarters must also be in one of these buildings. You should not run through other buildings in an effort to find a shortest path between two points. If you think a location clue leads to the inside of a building not on this list, you have interpreted it incorrectly. QR codes may be located on the outside of other buildings not on this list.
Any buildings not mentioned on the event website are also out of bounds. They're not forbidden, we just didn't put any QR codes there.
Team members must not enter private offices to collect a QR code. Any QR codes associated with a private office will be attached to the window or door.
Team members must not enter unauthorized areas looking for QR codes. We won't put QR codes behind cashiers in the cafeterias, for example, or in the drawers behind the receptionist desks.
Team members must walk quietly when traversing open work spaces where people may be working. Team members may not use emergency exits.
Some puzzles also lead to a challenge. Multiple puzzles lead to the same challenge, and icons on each puzzle document show which challenge (if any) a puzzle leads to.
Once you have solved the puzzle that leads to a challenge, you may immediately go to the challenge location, near the opening ceremony. You will give your team number to the challenge staff, who will verify that you have solved the feeder puzzle, and also give you points for the challenge.
Completing the same challenge more than once will not score additional points.
Puzzles solved during the event score 1 point each for a correct entry in the answer system. During Round 1, puzzle QR codes are worth 10 points each. During Round 2, you can locate QR codes for Round 1 and Round 2 puzzles. Round 1 puzzle QR codes are worth 5 points, and Round 2 puzzle QR codes are worth 10 points. Metapuzzle QR codes are worth 20 points all day. Challenges are worth 25 points in Round 1, and 20 points in Round 2. Challenges close at the end of Round 1 and the end of Round 2; late arrivals can't participate. You are only credited points for puzzles or metapuzzles that have both a solution entered into the answer system and the correct QR code. If you submit a QR code for the same puzzle in both Round 1 and Round 2, you will only receive the Round 1 points.
The team with the most points wins!
You must scan the "End of Round" QR code, located in Safari HQ, at the end of each round. If you are late scanning this code, your team incurs penalties.
In Round 1: The active scanning device must scan the End of Round code. For each minute or fraction of a minute late, you incur a 2 point penalty. For example, if you are 20 seconds late, 2 points. 3 minutes and 45 seconds late, 8 points. If you are more than 10 minutes late, or don't scan the End of Round code at all, you forfeit all scanning points for Round 1. (NOTE: if you do forfeit all scanning points in round 1, you will not be able to scan these codes again in round 2).
In Round 2: Each device that scanned codes in the last 15 minutes of the round must scan the End of Round code. For each minute or fraction of a minute late, you incur a 2 point penalty. Each late device incurs its own penalty. If you are more than 10 minutes late, or don't scan the End of Round code at all, you forfeit all scanning points made by that device in the last 15 minutes of the round or the late period.
In the event of a tie in score, the total tie-breaker score for all puzzles is calculated for each team as follows:
We know that the folks who are willing to spend an entire day playing Puzzle Safari won't even think of cheating. We've left room for creativity when playing the game, but players must not do any of the following:
If you are unsure whether something is allowed, please email us as psafari@microsoft.com or call HQ during the event. We will be happy to tell you whether something is allowed.