Metapuzzle

A metapuzzle is a higher-order puzzle whose solution provides the key, method, or final answer needed to solve a broader set of puzzles, typically within a puzzle hunt, game, or ARG. It synthesizes the results of multiple subpuzzles and often serves as the culminating challenge that ties the event’s puzzles together.

In practice, metapuzzles rely on gathering information from earlier puzzles—such as individual answers, metadata, or discovered patterns—and applying a unifying mechanism to extract a final solution. The process may involve indexing letters, solving a cipher that uses the subpuzzle answers as input, arranging data into a grid, or recognizing a theme that reveals how to combine components. The final result can be a word, phrase, coordinates, or a meta-note that reveals the winner or unlocks additional content.

Common formats and techniques include acrostics, hidden messages that appear only after all subpuzzles are completed, color or symbol mappings, and narrative connectors that explain how the pieces fit. Metapuzzles often require cross-puzzle reasoning, pattern recognition across different types of puzzles, and careful attention to instructions embedded within the puzzle set.

Metapuzzles are widely used in large-scale puzzle hunts and community puzzle events, where they help unify a collection of diverse puzzles and provide a clear objective for determining the overall solution. They emphasize collaboration, systematic extraction of information, and transparent design so that teams can verify their approach and results.