Puzzle Hunts: Hogwarts Inside Out

August 26 through September 10 of 2006, I was entangled in the Hogwarts Game, one of those thirty-hour puzzle-based treasure-huntish road rally events. August 26-27, I joined members of the Continental Breakfast team for a live play-test. (This was my first write-up in the " Embedded Reporter" project.) Then I went over to the other side, volunteering with Team Snout, Game Control. In the fortnight between the play-test and the real Game, I helped with some puzzle construction. September 9-10 was the the Game proper. Team Snout had a well-deserved reputation for running complex Games. Thus, I was happy to volunteer at Game Control HQ, ostensibly as assistant to Team Snout's master logistician DeeAnn Sole.

That's three activities, rather different:

• Playing the Game (well, play-testing)
• Constructing puzzles (well, mostly chatting)
• Assisting at GC HQ (well, mostly standing around)

Maybe you don't want to read about all of those. It turns out that running a Game isn't much like playing it. Depending on what you want to read about, you might want to skip the first part or the last part.

• The Play-test
  • Getting Sorted, Getting There
  • Sacramento, Afoot
  • On the Road
  • Middle of the Night
  • 'Til the End
• Puzzle Construction Parties
• Game Control Operations
  • Getting Sorted, Getting There
  • Sacramento, Afoot
  • On the Road
  • Middle of the Night
  • 'Til the End

The Play-test 

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