Hints

PuzzleSpring provides a flexible hint system with multiple configuration options and management tools. All hint settings are configured in the Django Admin under the hunt’s “Hint Behaviour” section.

Earning Hints

Teams earn hints through the hunt configuration language. See the Unlock Rules reference for details on hint allocation rules such as:

# Give 2 hints every 30 minutes
2 HINTS <= EVERY 30 MINUTES

# Give 1 puzzle specific hint 30 minutes after unlocking a puzzle
1 PX HINT <= 30 MINUTES AFTER PX UNLOCK

Hint Lockout

The Hint Lockout setting controls how long teams must wait after unlocking a puzzle before they can request hints. This prevents teams from immediately using hints on newly unlocked puzzles.

  • Configured on the Hunt in Django Admin
  • Value is in minutes (default: 60 minutes)
  • Set to 0 to disable the lockout

Hint Types

Custom Hints

  • Teams request specific help
  • Staff members respond manually
  • Can be claimed and managed by staff
  • Support for refunding used hints

Canned Hints

  • Pre-written hints for common issues
  • Automatically revealed in order
  • No staff intervention needed
  • Configurable per puzzle

Creating Canned Hints

To add canned hints to a puzzle:

  1. Go to Django Admin > Puzzles
  2. Select the puzzle you want to add hints to
  3. Scroll down to the “Canned Hints” section
  4. For each hint, enter:
    • Order: The sequence in which hints are revealed (lower numbers first)
    • Text: The hint content shown to teams
  5. Click “Save”

Teams will see canned hints revealed in order as they spend hints on the puzzle.

Hint Pools

The hunt can be configured with different hint pool types:

Global Pool

  • All hints come from a team’s global hint count
  • Simpler to manage
  • Default setting

Puzzle-Specific

  • Each puzzle has its own hint pool
  • More granular control
  • Hints earned through puzzle-specific rules

Both Pools

  • Combines global and puzzle-specific pools
  • Most flexible option
  • Complex allocation rules

Hint Policies

Configure how canned and custom hints interact:

Canned First

  • Teams must use canned hints before custom hints
  • Encourages using prepared help first
  • Default setting

Canned Only

  • Only canned hints allowed
  • No custom hint requests
  • Fully automated hint system

Mixed

  • Teams can use either type
  • Maximum flexibility
  • May increase staff workload

Pool Allocation

When using both pools, configure how hints are allocated:

Puzzle Priority

  • Use puzzle-specific hints before global hints
  • Default setting

Hint Type Split

  • Canned hints use puzzle pool
  • Custom hints use global pool