What is all this?
This is the site for registering for the 2021 MIT Mystery Hunt! See the Mystery Hunt website for more background and history about the Hunt.
When and where will the Hunt take place?
This year's Hunt will be held remotely, rather than on MIT’s campus as usual. It will begin at noon ET on Friday, January 15th, 2021. Wrap-up will take place at noon ET on Monday, January 18th, 2021.
Is there a deadline to register?
We ask that you register by November 15 to help us with our planning. Teams that register after January 1 may miss out on some parts of the Hunt. The final deadline to register is 11:59 pm ET on January 12, but teams who miss this deadline and still want to register should email us at puzzle@mit.edu and we may be able to accommodate them.
Can you help me find a team to join?
Yes! Fill out this form and we will try to help you find a team.
Should I still come to MIT’s campus for the Hunt?
No. MIT’s campus might be closed, and there will be nothing in the Hunt that requires or encourages the presence of solvers on campus. We discourage gathering for this Hunt anywhere with meaningful numbers of COVID-19 cases. You will be able to enjoy the Hunt in the same way from any location with internet access.
Should my team plan to gather on our own to solve puzzles?
We do not recommend doing this. Please keep your own health and safety, and any legal and medical guidelines in place where you live, foremost in your mind. Our intention is that no one's solving experience will be hurt by staying safely distanced.
Will you have tips to help our team with online collaboration?
Yes! Last year's running team, Left Out, will run an online How-To-Hunt workshop on Monday, December 21 at 8pm ET with a special focus on online collaboration tools. We'll also link to a recording here after it happens. See the updates page for more details.
Will the winner still make next year’s Mystery Hunt?
Yes, the winning team will be tasked with creating the 2022 MIT Mystery Hunt, which should once again take place in person on MIT’s campus, assuming the state of the world allows for it.
Will there be any differences in the size or scope of this Hunt?
No. We expect this Mystery Hunt to be commensurate in size with recent Mystery Hunts.
What about the coin?
As always, the first team to find the coin will be the winner.
Will there be any Mystery Hunt merchandise?
Yes! We'll try to make sure at least one person on each team gets some before the Hunt starts so they can show off how much they love puzzles. See the updates page for more details.
Are there any team size restrictions?
No, you may register teams of any size. Similar to recent Hunts, we believe teams with many more than 75 people may have less fun. Mystery Hunt has a very large scope, but we're working to make it an amazing experience for both small and large teams.
Is this event still related to MIT?
Yes! This is still the MIT Mystery Hunt, organized through MIT Puzzle Club, and it will feature plenty of MIT-specific content. MIT familiarity will help you succeed in the Hunt, and MIT students are especially encouraged to participate!
Do I need to be affiliated with MIT to participate?
No. We believe everyone who likes puzzles will enjoy the Hunt, and we invite them to participate! However, we encourage any experienced teams who expect they may win the Hunt to have current MIT students on their team, especially as the writing team must have students on it; see the registration form for more details.
How can I support the Mystery Hunt?
Registration for the Mystery Hunt is free, but there are a number of ways you can help support us. Please see here for more details for students, non-students, and organizations. In particular, if you would like to donate to the Mystery Hunt fund, you can go to MIT Giving and click on the "give" button next to "Mystery Hunt".
What if I have other questions?
Please feel free to email us at puzzle@mit.edu with any additional questions.
Is anything on this conference website a puzzle?
No.