Eric's Puzzle Parties
http://www.ericharshbarger.org/epp/
Grade: A-

Date reviewed: 1/24/2006

On this website, you won't find amazing graphics, fancy layouts or even any interactive puzzles. All you will find are descriptions of some parties that Eric Harshbarger, professional Lego scultor and erstwhile tournament Scrabble player, has been throwing for his friends since 2004.

So why should you care? Because these are puzzle parties, and Harshbarger not only provides detailed accounts of how the parties played out, but also includes PDF copies of the instructions and many of the puzzles. The puzzles range from simple, like word searchs and cryptograms, to complex, like solving mazes inscribed on three-dimensional objects. Harshbarger's last party had an Alice in Wonderland theme, with clever problems like "Who Stole the Tarts?" and "Ricochet Croquet." Many of the puzzles are physical in nature or require props, such as Scrabble tiles or pentominoes, so would not be suitable for a website in any case - but would be perfect if you're planning your own puzzle party.

That's one of the nice things about this site: it gives you detailed instructions on how to set up your own puzzle event, if you can't attend one of his or one of the many well-known contests, like the MIT Puzzle hunt. His next party is a Puzzle Decathlon scheduled for April 15, and promises a four-dimensional maze and a "Symbolic Word Search" - whatever that is!