BAPHL 4 puzzles and solutions

In some cases, the normal and hard puzzles are identical. In other cases, the normal puzzle comes with more information or more instructions.

Puzzle	Author
Beginnings and Ends	Bryce Herdt	normal	hard	solution
Bit by Bit	Amos Eshel	normal	hard	solution
The Chase	Catherine Havasi and Rob Speer	normal	hard	solution
E-Z Does It	Adam Hesterberg and Rob Speer	normal	hard	solution
Totem (meta)	Jason Alonso and Rob Speer	normal	hard	solution
Keeping Tabs	Sam Trabucco	normal	hard	solution
Something Isn't Right	Charles Steinhardt	normal	hard	solution
We Have To Go Deeper	Glenn Willen	normal	hard	solution
The Futoshiki Kick (meta)	Charles Steinhardt	normal	hard	solution
Dilation	Derek Kisman	normal	hard	solution
Messing With Geometry	Rob Speer	normal	hard	solution
Paint By Letters	Ben Aisen	normal	hard	solution
Zero Gravity	Rob Speer	normal	hard	solution
Puzzle-ception (meta)	Rob Speer			solution

Errata

• In the intro packet, the Morse code for "U" was incorrectly given as dah-dah-dit instead of dit-dit-dah.
• In the normal version of Dilation, a blank is missing from the second set of blanks on the bottom row.
• In Dilation, it would be better if "up, bouncing" appeared in red instead of just "bouncing".
• In "The Chase", searching a certain kiosk computer for "lightning man" was supposed to get a book by Kenneth Silverman as the top result. During BAPHL, it didn't.
• In "Something Isn't Right", two words in the bottom set in column 4 are accidentally swapped out of alphabetical order.
• The two versions of the hunt were described as "Hard" and "Normal", when they would be more accurately described as "Hard" and "Mostly Hard".

Hunt structure

The hunt was structured as three nested puzzle hunts: Saito's Hunt, Arthur's Hunt, and Fischer's Hunt.

Each team had two goals: to change an answer within Fischer's hunt using a metapuzzle, and then to "kick" their way out of the remaining hunts by solving their metapuzzles. The metapuzzle in each hunt required all the answers from that hunt, plus the answers in the hunts contained within, so the first metapuzzle handed out (Totem) was intended to be the last to be solved.

• Initial packet
• Round 2 reveal - upon solving a puzzle in round 1
• Exposition - upon starting round 2
• Round 3 reveal - upon solving a puzzle in round 2

The winning team had an encounter with Mal, escaping from Cobb's subconscious into the puzzle hunt at large. Mal successfully seduced Team Plugh into staying in the world of puzzles and writing BAPHL 5.

Architectural Research (free puzzle answer)

The "architectural research" quest required going to a particular location, and taking a picture of a team member, posed like they're in a movie poster, in front of some interesting piece of architecture.

Target locations got closer as time passed, especially for teams that were missing several answers.

The possible locations, from easiest to hardest, were:

• Out of Town News
• Memorial Hall
• Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts
• Cambridge Public Library
• One Western Ave. (the sideways Harvard dorm across the river)
• Boston Public Library
• Rowe's Wharf
• Georges Island (if you asked too early)