Hello there! I'm 1 day late but yesterday was my 1st cake-day!
It's been nice joining this community, I've won several good and fun games over the past year, mostly thanks to puzzle solving.
So I decided to make a puzzle myself and give someone else a good chance to win what I think are some really good games (little train after 1st part + grand prize at the end)

You can start here

I know you'd like to ask me the title of the games in the GA's, but I don't feel like I should tell it to you right away.
I mean, what I'm hinting at here is:

  • Never ask to openly say it, giveaways need a little fun, leave always games secret.
  • Getting answers might end in disappointment, sadly.
  • Get a minute eventually to inspect the lines, especially signal of nr.6 seems to express a meaning.

Maybe the puzzle is a bit long, but I hope it's not too hard/easy/boring.
You have 2 weeks. A bump once in a while would be nice. Thanks and I hope you enjoy it! ^^

>>>>> SOLUTIONS <<<<<

5 years ago*

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Reserved

5 years ago
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I wasn't planning on giving away hints, but I will try to help anyway. If you just look at the pictures, unless you can read my mind, you won't be able to solve the puzzle. There are clues hidden where I hint at them, which can guide you almost step by step through the 1st part (in one of my comments below I said I've written something in a certain way for a reason).
Mind the title of the puzzle too, you often have to consider the 1st of something; that can apply multiple times, in different ways, through the whole puzzle.
Lastly, I'm no encryption master, think simple. If I point you at something, just look for it (especially true for 2nd part).

5 years ago*
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Well let's see. Concerning 1st part:
I reformatted "a little" the text to make more evident where you should look. Probably too much ^^"
I won't give further hints for this part.

Concerning 2nd part, I see basically everyone is stuck there. I'll give you a few hints:

  • If I had to post the text of that part on this site, most people would find their way right away, without any puzzle knowledge.
  • Consider the flags together, each caption apply to all of them. It's not like the caption of one flag refers only to that single flag.
  • If a number confuses you, maybe you should ask the most knowledgeable guy around the net.

Edit:

  • Check out the comments and the IMPORTANT NOTES in the train 1st GA too.
5 years ago*
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>>>>> SOLUTIONS <<<<<

1st of all, the puzzle is called "It's all about the 1st...", the 1st of something is a recurring theme throughout the puzzle.

1st part
There were hints hidden in text.

I mean, what I'm hinting at here is:

  • Never ask to openly say it, giveaways need a little fun, leave always games secret.
  • Getting answers might end in disappointment, sadly.
  • Get a minute eventually to inspect the lines, especially signal of nr.6 seems to express a meaning.

If you only consider the 1st letter of each word, ignoring commas, you'll notice that each line tells you something.
In the order:

  • NATO signal flags -> The 1st wiki page you get by googling tells you what the flags are.
  • Game IDs -> it tells you the meaning of the numbers you get (4 lines of flags, 4 numbers, 4 answers)
  • Game titles on steam -> it tells you what I want as answers (you can match ID to game through steam urls or steamdb; i.e. https://store.steampowered.com/app/594650/)

If you do just that, it doesn't work. In the 3rd sentence there, I tell you to inspect the lines and to focus on the flag corresponding to number 6; if you compare it to the one on the wiki page, you'll notice that in my picture the flag is mirrored. The truth is that the whole picture is mirrored (horizontally in this case; the other flags can't help you understand that, they remain identical).
So, you have to reverse the numbers before you use them.
So the numbers and the 1st ITH answers were:

  • 768310 -> Er-Spectro
  • 594650 -> Hunt Showdown
  • 552700 -> WORLD OF FINAL FANTASY®
  • 496620 -> Monster Slayers

2nd part
Once again there's something hidden in text:

1st!! Or maybe not. Who cares about ITH statistics anyway? >.>
Congratz on completing the 1st part of the puzzle.
Onward with the 2nd part!
More flags for you, as you can see.
Maybe you'd want something different, but with all those colors and shapes...
Aren't they simply beautiful?

If you consider the 1st letter of each line, you get:
1 COMMA or 1st COMMA if you prefer. Here on SG site you may have already noticed if you use scripts, but on ITH it is less evident, the 1st comma in the text hides a link that leads you to an imgur gallery (https://imgur.com/a/TBYxrSN), with the same 4 flags you see in the ITH page. There, you will see a caption under each flag, in the order:

  • 3166-1 -> Google this number and get to this wiki page. Match each flag with its code, in the order (BJAWMHLK)
  • 76841352 -> it tells you the order of the letters (if BJAWMHLK is 12345678, you have to rearrange them to: LHKWBAMJ)
  • A 1337 -> it tells you to convert the letter "A" in leet speak (LHKWB4MJ)
  • Rome Paris Porto Berlin Amsterdam 4 Stockholm Liverpool -> it tells you the letters capitalization (capital city corresponds to capital letter, in the order: LHkWB4Mj; it's the code of the 2nd ITH)
    note: this last step is useless, it's been pointed out that ITH doesn't care about capitalization. I'm sorry for that, I didn't know.

Last part

Last step!
It's all about the 1st as the puzzle title says. 1st cakeday, 1st puzzle, 1st letter of each word in 1st part, 1st letter of each line and 1st comma in 2nd part... 1st what now?
This is the 2nd ITH, so do not look for your answer here.

Nothing is hidden in the text here. I'm just telling you that yet again you have to mind the 1st of something and that you won't find the answer here, because it's the 2nd ITH -> you have to go back to the 1st ITH.

There, you'll notice that there are kinda redundant numbers assigned to each question (1 to question 1, 2 to q2, 3 to q3 and 4 to q4), those digits are the same of the 2nd ITH question 4 21: 3
Rearramge the answers of the 1st ITH following the order of those digits and you get the 2nd ITH answer:

  • Monster Slayers
  • Hunt Showdown
  • Er-Spectro
  • World of Final Fantasy®

Pick the 1st word of each title, minding the spaces and the ":" and put them together, you obtain "Monster HuntEr: World", the final answer. Which is the 1st game in the community wishlist page.
Note: a pair of people got this last answer out of intuition just going through that page community wishlist page,

That's it. Thank you to all who tried. ;)

5 years ago*
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Thank you very much for this great puzzle and the giveaways, I had a lot of fun. ♥
Congratz to the lucky 3 times winner dogwatch.

5 years ago
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Ugh, I solved the 2nd part but didn't even think of it being another ITH url. Oh well, it was a great brain tease! Thanks so much for doing it!

5 years ago
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no clue what to do bump

5 years ago
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If it makes you feel better, you're not the only one.

5 years ago
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I received some flak for creating a puzzle for Staxel. All good, constructive criticism mind you. If the puzzles are a lot of work for some stupid title, yeah a lot of people might be upset, and potentially blacklist.

Haven't attempted yet, just wanted to add my thought!

Happy post cake day!

rando edit

Attempted, now I'm even more confused than I normally am.

5 years ago*
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I can relate to that, I mean a blacklist is going far, but I like to know which game I am trying to get before getting frustrated over a puzzle, I hid a lot of games so high chance it won't have any for me and that's why I really dislike it when I am doing my best on a maybe not even fun puzzle just to find out AGAIN it has nothing I care for.

5 years ago
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Same as Maruten above, it'd be nice to know what games are in a difficult puzzle. I wouldn't blacklist for any puzzle but I know how frustrating it sometimes is when you complete a really hard puzzle only to have nothing you didn't already have or want. It's just practical, if the games aren't listed, now I only do them if the puzzles are simple or the maze ones that aren't really a puzzle unless it was a big event maybe.

5 years ago*
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I would never blacklist for a silly reason like that either, but I've heard some weird stories. I received my first blacklist back when I was a month or two old on the site, and one more a month or two ago randomly.

The puzzle that I created was for Staxel, and I just had a lot of fun making the puzzle itself. Didn't even think about whether or not it was a game popular among the masses or not. A few people mentioned that it was a bit disappointing end, but, live and learn.

Blacklist means absolutely nothing when you use steamgifts like any other forum/community (and buy the majority of your own games).

This puzzle has me absolutely stumped, and I have that feeling it's going to be a game that I'm not interested in, but god damn, I'm curious.

5 years ago
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I would not blacklist. But yeah, it sucks when you are solving a puzzle for games you are not interested

5 years ago
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I willingly took a risk there. I know someone would eventually complain about it. I already got blacklisted by one person yesterday. Might that be the reason? Maybe, who knows? Or better, who cares? I'm pretty sure I'll get more.

To be honest though (take this as a hint for the puzzle itself), it was all an excuse, I wrote those few lines about not telling game titles for a reason and they've been written that way for a reason too.

What I can tell you is that after 1st part you get access to a 4 wagons train: 3 humble bundle leftovers from September monthly + one game that is in top40 of SG community wishlist (and going up). The grand prize at the end of the puzzle is even better. I can't say more :X

5 years ago
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No clue what to do bump #2

5 years ago
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I don't even, but have a bump.

5 years ago
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Happy belated cake!

View attached image.
5 years ago
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whelp youve stumped the people. meaning you did a great job!

5 years ago
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no clue at the moment but I think the harder will be to find the first answer...

5 years ago
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Just think, it's gonna end up being Fortix or Bad Rats!

5 years ago
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Bump for solved 1!

5 years ago
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Hmm, I have some basic observations about this but it's not enough to make any reasonable guesses...

5 years ago
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Happy belated cake day! I don't think I'm going to do this puzzle but anyways thanks for making one! :)

5 years ago
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Deleted

This comment was deleted 2 years ago.

5 years ago
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oh man, I used to read these in my grandpa's old books, who knew it would be of use one day :D

5 years ago
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nope, maybe I was wrong...

5 years ago
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I can't know for sure, but if you recognize them, you're most likely right. Just, there's more to do with them.

5 years ago
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Yup! Got the first idea but I can't seem to figure out what to do with what I got, I tried a bunch of stuff already but we'll see if I figure it out!

5 years ago
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Decript the picture, but dont know what to do with that. all guesses are wrong.

And what does it mean "ITH 1" in the top of the puzzle?

5 years ago
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My guess is that ITH 1 means "It's Too Hard 1"

5 years ago
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Exactly, it's just a title, it has nothing to do with the picture.

5 years ago
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What on earth? Happy cake day I guess ;)

5 years ago
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Happy 1st cake day!

No idea where to even begin with your puzzle.

5 years ago
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Edit: Step -1: Congratulation & Thanks for being creative :)

Step 0: Be puzzled and look dump. Check.
Step 1: Understand first layer of the puzzle. Check
Step 2-?: ??? - Nope no idea (also see step 0)

EDIT nr.6: Having two possible sets now... no further light at the horizon though :/

5 years ago*
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Still-working-it-all-out bump.

5 years ago
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I have no idea what to do with that picture I don't see question to answer so it won't be for me I guess. But happy cake day! :D

5 years ago
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Happy belated cake day! ⏰ 🎂

Judging the public perception from the above comments I wonder if your GAs got 5 entries which is a requirement for getting the CV for those GAs. 😕

PS: I too couldn't make heads or tails of that image in the puzzle.

5 years ago
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Happy cake day!
1st part solved, but you've lost me with the 2nd part.

5 years ago
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Happy cakyday! :)

I solved the first part, and have some ideas for the second, but it didn't worked yet, so I'm gonna try later...

5 years ago
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Happy cakeday bump! Solved the first part, but no idea for the second one. 🙂

5 years ago
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Happy belated cake day :-)

5 years ago
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Closed 3 years ago by DogOnSG.