UICC 2019 Puzzle Competition

On the first night of the conference, from 8:30pm-10:30pm at AJB Rotunda, we will be hosting our annual UICC Puzzle Competition. Teams compete against each other by solving a series of puzzles within a limited time frame, with prizes being awarded to the top performers. Official details and rules for this year's puzzle competition are below.

Teams

Teams are determined at the beginning of the competition, and may consist of 1-4 people. A diverse set of perspectives and experience levels is key to examining the puzzles.

Resources

It is highly recommended that you have at least one computer/smartphone/tablet per team, as some of the puzzles require internet access. The puzzles require a diverse set of knowledge, so access to the public or eduroam wi-fi will be beneficial. Other useful items include: paper, pen/pencil, graph paper, Wikipedia, Google Maps, caffeine, and a functioning brain.

Problems

The puzzle competition will consist of 6 puzzles, which range in difficulty. The solution to each puzzle is a word, phrase, or series of numbers (could be name/place/other proper nouns as well). The competition will last 2 hours. A team will submit their answers on a submission form, which will record the time of submission. Each incorrect submission will add a 10 minute penalty to the team’s overall score. The winner will be determined as follows (hierarchy of tiebreakers):

  • Most puzzles correctly solved (points)
  • Least amount of total solving time

Questions/Clarifications

Any questions that teams have during the competition may be submitted on a sheet of paper, and all answered questions will be announced to all competitors.

Prizes

There will be a grand prize for the winning team. In the past, this has been Amazon Gift cards for each member.