This is the seventh Chain Puzzle in the Tabletop Games series, in which all puzzles are themed around board games, card games, tile games, and the like. The answer to this puzzle is a thematic word or phrase. The solver whose answer is awarded the green checkmark has first refusal on the opportunity to create the next puzzle in the series, which must somehow incorporate the answer to this puzzle somewhere within its construction. The solver is under no obligation to create the next puzzle - in the event that the solver does not wish to take up this opportunity, the puzzle's setter may take up the offer of a willing substitute setter or choose to continue the chain themselves.
The answer to the previous puzzle (which provided the theme for this one) was MAZE.
I guess everyone knows what a maze is, a place where you are lost, no clue where to go. My mazes may not be that difficult, but if you don't do them blindfolded, you might hurt your eyes. Unless you are colorblind, but then you probably will have big trouble figuring out what the actual game to play is. Sorry about that.
As always, figure out the game hidden in the puzzle. Good luck.
Disclaimer: The mazes are not pixel perfect; that is due to my limited artistic ability (and because I could not restrain myself to wait till the weekend for some additional attention): no subtle hints are to be found. (an example: there is only one circle in m-purple in the red 3 by 5)
Entry hint:
Regarding the circles: This is not some sf-game (like Dune) or fantasy game (like Kemet): Teleportation does not exist, there is only movement to adjacent areas.
:exit hint.
Late game hint:
in no particular order: From green see only green, from red see only red, from blue see only blue etc.
Security Report
EverythingSecure Inc. has been hired by Mazes Inc. to investigate a security incident.
Background:
A document from Mazes Inc. has been circling on the internet. Although it seems a harmless draft not related to one of their product lines, they are afraid that it has to do with the soon to be released 3D-maze construction puzzles. There is no indication yet that the competition has got anything useful out of it, but the content of the document, as well as how it was leaked should be investigated.
Case 60345: Leakage of weird mazes sketch.
Finding 1, Secret: Clearance level green and higher only
Our engineering department, finally has figured out the sketch. It turned out not to show all engineering specs, and the different colors of the circles turned out not to matter. Whether they were added according to the colorful company style or to let it appear as a 2d puzzle is unclear, but it is definitely an early blueprint of the 3d new puzzle line.
Engineering has been able to make a top secret replica.
Finding 2, Confidential: Clearance level black and higher only
A competitor, Graylocke Inc., has been found to show interest in the document. Known to make puzzles with lockes, including their well selling escape rooms, we are sorry to inform you the might be branching out into mazes. If they bring out a dull gray maze, that may well damage your brand.
Luckily they seem you only have partly decoded the text message, which our team has determined not to matter in the construction process.
Advice: in such cases use our super secure EverythingSecure-TM rot13 encoding. As a regular user of our services, available to you for halve price.
Finding 3, Top secret: Clearance level purple and higher only
See below one of the labyrinth pieces engineering has been able to create.
(beware: Intellectual property of Maze Inc.)
Finding 4, Top secret: Clearance level brown and higher only
A Mazes Inc. employee has designed a domino game for children.
According to regulations he has offered his game to the company first. Domino has little to do with mazes so, no matter the colorful design, they will not market it.
Before he is allowed to use it non commercially - according to procedure during our assignment - we are asked to investigate.
Fbzr bs bhe ntragf qrpvqrq gb cynl n srj tnzrf jvgu guvf qbzvab frg, naq qvfpbirerq fbzrguvat irel qvfgheovat: Guvf rzcyblrr xabjf ng yrnfg gjb bs bhe frphevgl yriryf! Abg gb nebhfr fhfcvpvba, jr unir fjnccrq gur oyhr naq oynpx pbybef nf jryy nf punatrq checyr gb nabgure pbybe, fb gur tnzr pna or hfrq fnsryl.
Jr unir jvcrq gur zrzbel bs gurfr punatrf sebz gur rzcyblrrf zrzbel, fb jr pna vairfgvtngr guvf shegure haabgvprq.
Cyrnfr pbasvez gur ahzoref sbhaq. Qb abg funer jvgu Znmrf vap.!
decoded:
Some of our agents decided to play a few games with this domino set, and discovered something very disturbing: This employee knows at least two of our security levels! Not to arouse suspicion, we have swapped the blue and black colors as well as changed purple to another color, so the game can be used safely. We have wiped the memory of these changes from the employees memory, so we can investigate this further unnoticed.
Please confirm the numbers found. Do not share with Mazes inc.!
Finding 5, Secret: Clearance level green and higher only
One of our cryptanalysts has made a breakthrough, the came running into the main conference room claiming to have the solution. He immediately started waving with a piece of paper and calling out "From the blue side, from the". Then the security kicked in: Considering blue level employees were in the room, he was sedated. Regrettably he has not yet come out of it. All green+ employees are requested to study his sketch.
Finding 6, Top secret: Clearance level yellow and higher only
Gur oyhrcevag vf fbyirq naq vf rkgerzryl qvfgheovat, bhe frphevgl yriryf unir orra pbzcebzvmrq hc gb cvax yriry. Jr nffhzr gur frperg zrffntr va gur oyhrcevag jnf gurer gb jnea hf, cebonoyl ol gur Znmrf vap. rzcyblrr gung nyfb znqr gur qbzvabf jura jr pyrneyl qvq abg znxr cebterff. Gb onq jr jvcrq uvf zrzbel. Vairfgvtngvba grnz: Tb gb fbhgurea Nytrevn vzzrqvngryl. Jr nffhzr n Znmr vap. rzcyblrr gurer vf n fcl, jub hfrq bhe eryngvba jvgu Znmr vap. gb trg npprff gb bhe flfgrzf. Pbzchgre grnz: Cresbez na vzzrqvngr yriry 5 purpx ba nyy bhe flfgrzf.
decoded:
The blueprint is solved and is extremely disturbing, our security levels have been compromised up to pink level. We assume the secret message in the blueprint was there to warn us, probably by the Mazes Inc. employee that also made the dominos when we clearly did not make progress. To bad we wiped his memory. Investigation team: Go to southern Algeria immediately. We assume a Maze Inc. employee there is a spy, who used our relation with Maze Inc. to get access to our systems. Computer team: Perform an immediate level 5 check on all our systems.
More and clearer hints:
Earlier construction hints:
You are asked to construct a 3 dimensional maze.
The 7 pictures are the parts of that maze: 3-dimensional blocks, 1 layer high, shown top down.
The circles are additional openings , in the 'floor' or ceiling. Their color has no meaning. (Use bottom or ceiling as how it will fit.)
The result will be a 3 by 4 by 5 block.
Not stated earlier:
The maze is made by matching openings, the final maze will have 1 entry and 1 exit (i.e. 2 openings left)
If you traverse the maze -guessing the entrance right- the letters will form a sentence/hint.
If this sentence does not emerge, a block may be upside down, or - if you did not pick the shortest route - part of the sentence may be backwards.
Earlier game finding hints:
Each of the 6 sides is associated with a color.
From "the blue side" you are supposed to see a T-shaped form. (shown as blue squares with pink and red borders)
The (optional) security level and domino hints link colors to numbers.
- In the domino black and blue are swapped, play domino with one of those colors taken into account to find a number (match symbol and side). This is the number of the other color (since they were swapped)
- The security levels restrict the order in the colors.
The game has a desert theme.
Not stated earlier:
From the other 5 sides you will also 'see' a letter.
The game is a 6 letter word.
The 'blue side' is the side where the blue piece is positioned (i.e. where all its cubes are adjacent to) etc.