Time Teasers

Claire Truesdale and Leo Wheatland

Time Teasers

By Claire Truesdale and Leo Wheatland

My clock puzzle, titled Time Teasers, is a puzzle where you use posters and clocks around the room to get a four-digit code to enter into a combination lock. The project started with the idea that clocks could help create an interesting puzzle. While brainstorming, I came up with the idea that you could get numbers through subtracting one hand from another. The first time anyone tried to solve it, they had no way of knowing you needed subtraction so I made a math clue and a hand clue to help point them in the right direction. After adding these hints, the puzzle was much more successful. The next step was improving the clues and clocks to make them more accurate and realistic, and we made many prototypes. In its final form, the puzzle works by helping escapees make the connection between subtraction and the clock hands using the math and hand poster. Afterwards, solvers will do the math from subtracting the small hand from the big hand. Next, they will put the numbers in order based on the clock and its order on the four-part puzzle. Finally, they will put this code into a combination lockbox and get the name after opening the box. My puzzle is meaningful because there are a lot of clues and connections the solver can make to help them solve the puzzle and help give them the sense of accomplishment after solving each part of the puzzle.