A Puzzle Experience for Tin Can Bros
For the Release of Wayward Guide
PUZZLE DESIGNER
2020
Kickstarter backers of the horror comedy series Wayward Guide were treated to an “Investigation Kit” in the lead up to the launch of the series, full of in-world ephemera and clues about the series before its release.
Post-It Note
The post-it note on top of the whole thing is a good place to start! The first part hints that you should look closely at each item to see what is unusual about each. Then the second part suggests that first you have to ask the right question, and start with what is highlighted. Each item has a word/part of a word highlighted.
When you string it all together, you get the question we’re trying to answer with this puzzle: HOW MANY WERE WOLVES IN CONNOR CREEK?
ROLODEX CARD
So we’ve got a coded message! And it’s clearly labelled as a Playfair cipher, but only one letter of the key is written in. We’ll have to come back to this once we figure it out. But worth noting that it’s a 7 letter word and there are 7 pieces of emephera in this envelope… 🤔
Business Card
Clearly, we gotta call! If you listen to Ags’s deranged voicemail, she tells you grab a map and follow along with the itinerary she’s “planned it all down to the big ol’ Letter!” So if you map it out (and ignore when she changes the route), your map should look like a big letter E. A letter for the cipher perhaps?
Brochure
Next up we have the brochure for Fletcher’s Hall of Curiosities & Wonders. At the bottom of the trifold at the front, there is some information about your visit. But the exhibit is smudged out! Using process of elimination, use the date, entry time , and admission type to figure out that your ticket is for Exhibit C.
Campaign Flyer
If you went to the campaign website, it had a signup for Ryan’s town council campaign email list. And once you signed up, you’d immediately get that confirmation email with a big K on it!
Door Hanger
At the top of this in room dining door hanger menu, Chef Quinn implores you to consider the source of the inspiration for the menu. What’s weird about this menu and what do all these things have in common?
Banana Paquin, Rebecca’s Romain Chicken Salad, Korean McKellen… all of the dishes have names or descriptions that refer to actors in the X-men movies! (Also the X-Men first class series too technically).
Newspaper Clipping
Finally, we have a newspaper clipping of the Connor Creek chronicle. But there is a W circled in red… a typo. And if you continue reading, there are additional typos.
If you collect all the typos it spells out: What do you do when you go number one? The answer to that, pee (P)!
ROLODEX CARD
Ok, back to the cipher. We’ve now collected these letters: Rolodex Card–A, Business Card–E, Brochure–C, Flyer–K, Door –X, Newspaper– P. But we need one more. What about the post it note?
If you look at the top, there is an eye drawn, and circled. So, the letter I. And if you anagram those letters (AECKXPI), you get PICKAXE! (an item that would also become important in the series)
So if you decode the cipher with the key PICKAXE you get:
TO MAP THE ANSWER TO THE QUESTION EVERYTHING MUST ALIGN FIRST
MATCH PENTAGONAL SHAPES
THEN DIAMONDS IN DIAMONDS
OPEN TRIANGLES
HALF STARS
AND THE CRESCENT MOONS
LASTLY CONNECT THE BROKEN PATHS TO REVEAL THE BIGGER PICTURE
And if you turn to the backside of the pieces, there are a bunch of symbols and paths. If you follow the cipher instructions and align the matching shapes, you’ll end up with a series of dotted lines. Connect them and what does it spell? EIGHT!
So the answer to
HOW MANY WEREWOLVES IN CONNOR CREEK? EIGHT!
Fans who solved this before the series premiere were treated to this nugget of information and could now stew on who those werewolves might be! 🤔
