Hello all,

The previous big Puzzlemania event was held almost a year ago. Since then, I made a couple of mini puzzles and a teaser for this event. I also contributed to the amazing Down the Rabbit Hole group event. And now I finally feel like it is a good time for a new large Puzzlemania puzzle.

I would like to dedicate this event to the memory of my Grandma who passed away two months ago at the age of 75. She was an amazing woman and I will never forget time spent with her. There is really the endless number of moments to remember. Rest in Peace, Grandma.

Besides this truly sad fact, some good things are also happening in my life. First of all, I finally moved to my new awesome house! Then, I am switching jobs, so that I am starting my new job from the 1st of July. I will be working at an awesome position in a really well-known company, and I feel very excited about it!

This event is also to celebrate several big milestones related to Steam and SG:

  • Last month I added a 2000th game to my Steam library.
  • By the end of this event I will probably win my 1000th game at SG.
  • By the end of this event I will give away my 250th game at SG.
  • By the end of this event I will be level 9 at SG.
  • By the end of this event there probably will be 100 people who whitelisted me.
  • By the end of this event there probably will be 100 people who blacklisted me.

Hints and updates

  • UPD #1 [17.06] Hint = 51
  • UPD #2 [20.06] 51 = hint
  • UPD #3 [21.06] 2 giveaways were added to the piggy bank
  • UPD #4 [23.06] To open the red door you need to use all 7 keys from brutal doors. Also, pay attention to the structure of the dungeon and to clues about directions you may find on some walls.
  • UPD #5 [23.06] To open the elven door you need to insert a space in the previous answer. The word 'elven' was already pretty much obsolete by the beginning of the 20th century and was revived by J. R. R. Tolkien in his works..
  • UPD #6 [23.06] To open outer doors you need to pay attention to the structure of the dungeon.
  • UPD #7 [23.06] 4 giveaways were added to the piggy bank.
  • UPD #8 [25.06] 2 giveaways were added to the piggy bank.
  • UPD #9 [26.06] Hints will be revealed when the piggy bank reaches 150/250/300 points instead of 300/500/600.
  • UPD #10 [26.06] 3 giveaways were added to the piggy bank. We reached 150 points in the bank meaning that new hints will be reveled later today!
  • UPD #11 [27.06] Here are the hints, I am sorry for the delay!
    • Hint for the brutal doors: as the name of these door suggest you should just brute force the answers. The numbers written on these doors are quite helpful though. They represent the sum of letters for corresponding answers. For example, the previous hint that was given can be re-written as follows: h + i + n + t = 51.
    • Hint for the red door: the dungeon before this door is a crossword! Except for the rooms with treasure chests.
    • Hint for the elven door: rings of power really had their own names.
    • Hint for the outer doors: try to apply word 'outer' to the structure of the dungeon again when you know that it is a crossword.
  • UPD #12 [30.06] 1 giveaway was added to the piggy bank.
  • UPD #13 [01.07] 1 giveaway was added to the piggy bank.

Overview

In this puzzle, you will have to return into the Game of sWords and solve the riddles of a new dungeon I created for you. There are multiple doors in this dungeon and trying to open each door will consume energy if your answer is wrong. The amount of energy wasted varies from door to door, so please pay attention to the door descriptions!

Good luck and have fun!

Rules

This is individual event meaning that normal rules apply: you must not share answers, give hints, ask for help anywhere. I reserve the right to blacklist users and ask for rerolls in case I find out that the rules are not respected.

Almots all giveaways are for lvl1+ users. The last two however require lvl2+. All GAs end on the 3rd of July, 18:00 CEST.

Hints piggy bank – 187 points gathered

Hints will be revealed once we reach 150/250/300 points. To put points in the piggy bank you should create invite only GAs and send links to me. I will then add them to the treasures. Your GAs must finish on the 1st of July or earlier. 1 SG point = 1 piggy bank point. Only games please, no software.

You are eligable for the piggy bank GAs only if you opened at least one brutal door. If it is the case, follow the link and enjoy those extra GAs.

The following GAs are now in the piggy bank:

  • Mushroom Wars (10 points, from me)
  • Splice (10 points, from ABoss)
  • Corrosion: Cold Winter Waiting (8 points, from yukulele53)
  • Chainsaw Warrior: Lords of the Night (6 points, from yukulele53)
  • Fergus The Fly (6 points, from yukulele53)
  • Cubicle Quest (5 points, from yukulele53)
  • Maize (20 points, from urbanus)
  • Her Story (6 points, from urbanus)
  • Galactic Civilizations® II: Ultimate Edition (20 points, from kinkami)
  • Sins of a Solar Empire®: Trinity (40 points, from kinkami)
  • Space Hulk Ascension (30 points, from kinkami)
  • Her Story (6 points, from Cornpops)
  • Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor GOTY (20 points, from DarkX13)

The list of the games that are given away

  • Hitman: Absolution
  • Kimmy
  • Steamworld Heist
  • HoPiKo
  • Okhlos
  • Flat Heroes
  • Morphblade
  • Western Press
  • Neon Chrome
  • GoNNER
  • Slime-san
  • Steel Storm
  • Kingdom: New Lands
  • PixelJunk Eden
  • Mother Russia Bleeds
  • Ashes of the Singularity
  • Project Highrise
  • Space Run Galaxy
  • RIVE
  • Plague Inc: Evolved
  • Mordheim City of the Damned
  • One Piece Pirate Warriors 3
  • Undertale
  • Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege
  • Dark Souls III

Solution

Please see the attached image that contains the answers for all the brutal doors. These answers form the word 'herring', which is the answer for the red door. If I insert a space into this word, I would get 'her ring', therefore the answer for the elven door is 'Nenya' (it is one of the rings of power from Tolkien's legendarium and the only one that belonged to an elven woman - Galadriel). To open the outer door you needed to pick the most outer letters from the crossword (SSIDEAE) and anagram them. Actually, there are two ways to do it: seaside (terrain) and disease (not terrain). To open the third door you needed to pick third letters from each of brutal answerd (TAOALEM) and again anagram them: oatmeal.

View attached image.
6 years ago*

Comment has been collapsed.

I have no idea how people (especially yukulele53) can solve all those puzzles so quickly. Have you ever made an IQ test? :p
I have still no idea, even with the hint. Have a bump anyways!

6 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

Being used to puzzles helps a lot. The most differet kind of puzzles you do the fastest you can be. This one is not so hard especially with the hint. I still have doors to open so maybe last part will become harder but I'm not sure it will be as hard as some puzzles in the puzzlemania 5 event :D ( 5.5 was hell!)

6 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

I have no idea how we were supposed to be able to solve it prior to the hint.

6 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

Nah, 5.5 was easy.
Tbh after hint, but still I could solve it so that means it was easy

6 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

I mean without hint :D.

6 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

No clue, yet.

6 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

went away for the weekend but I'm on this now... happy to see another puzzlemania event...

6 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

And already unlocking doors :D

6 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

well, there's been a hint here already and it's kinda all-revealing:)

6 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

Stuck at the red door too.

6 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

Wow, it gives so much satisfaction, when you solve even one of door's passwords. xD

6 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

I'm new to this and have a technical question. (Yes, I tried the tutorial.) What does it mean if I check a wall and the word CHECK just flares up but it still says I haven't found anyhting. Just a glitch or something for me to investigate?

6 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

You can find hidden clues by checking walls. If you haven't found anything, there is no need to check same wall again - you won't find anything there.

6 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

To answer your question - yes, it's a glitch. I had it too, although the message never appeared completely. Just ignore it.

6 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

Thank you!

6 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

Guess I just don't do enough puzzles. Even with the hint this is as clear as mud to me.

6 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

Bump for great event and for solved!

Thanks ercalote for the nice riddles and good luck for all people locked in here :D

6 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

Great job and well deserved first place in the hall of fame!

6 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

This 9th door is killing me, must have tried 50 different things.

6 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

But you didn't lose any HP! :D

6 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

In the game, maybe....

6 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

There is still a lot of time before the end of the event. you can easily make 500 more tries! But I'm sure you'll find it and you'll kill yourself again on the next door ...

6 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

Are the answers case sensitive?

6 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

Hmm i'm not sure about that but I think they aren't. If that can help you I never used uppercase and it worked fine like that.

6 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

Ok Thanks

6 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

Stuck at every door, have no idea what is going on here!

Fear that it is time to leave.........
This doesn't seem for me, I simply don't understand it :-(

6 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

Check the hint posted by op, they are always helpful

6 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

Think the hint is removed?
Ohh wait.....it is now in the original post

Anyway.....wasn't helpful to me.
Have the feeling I am overthinking this or thinking in a totally wrong direction.

6 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

You still have time to figure it out and maybe the piggy bank will be used by some people who are locked in this dungeon too!

6 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

Let it sit for a little while and come back. Hint is a much bigger deal than you'd think :) Good luck

6 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

+1..stuck at all the doors, hint absolutely no help, think I need new brain :)

6 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

Bump for finding some treasures!

6 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

Bump for feeling totally stoopidand not getting this AT ALL.

6 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

bump

6 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

Stuck at gate 10(?)

6 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

It's not a gate but a door! But yes it's indeed the 10th. This one seems to cause some trouble.

6 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

To be honest, I myself do not know the numbers of the doors. They have names instead ;)

6 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

If all of the hints are going to be like the first one, I think I'll just sit this one out.

6 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

This hint is really helpful. Take more time to think about it and of all the clue you have in the event. maybe you'll figure out different things and find some answers!

6 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

I just added another hint. I hope you are satisfied with this one! :)

6 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

By the end of this event there probably will be 100 people who blacklisted me.

Yes... keep giving us more hints like this, where is that goddamn blacklist button!!

6 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

That second hint... I haven't opened a single door and now I've got the feeling the hint is for later because noone could be as stumped as me. Tried every combination I could think of, but apparently I'm in a totally wrong direction. ¯_(ツ)_/¯

For the piggy bank: Is it enough to post a link on an old giveaway page of yours or dou you prefer a friend invite over Steam?

6 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

Invit e me please for the piggy bank.

6 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

Notice me senpai. (I want to fill piggy bank with some love, invite on steam send)

6 years ago*
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

Now what the heck is the difference between: Hint= 51 and 51=hint?
How does that count as an additional hint!?

View attached image.
6 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

Before the second hint, we had only 12 users who opened at least 1 door. After the second hint, there are 29 such users already. So, somehow it made the difference :)

6 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

Thanks for making me feel even more stupid! :p

View attached image.
6 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

New hints! You must be able to solve some doors now :p

6 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

Thanks will have a look at them tomorrow!

6 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

Ahhh... I had interpreted the first hint, I think correctly, but still haven't yet figured out which things it applies to on those first 7 numbered doors. I at least know which way to interpret them (I think), but I am not there yet. The first hint was very helpful.

6 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

That's my first sWords puzzle, do I have even a slight chance on it, or it will be better if I try previous ones first, to fully grasp a concept?
Cool idea, btw.

6 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

You have a chance on it. And other puzzles won't necessarily help you because you can use Game of sWords to create different king of puzzles.
For example Kuzurreesh did many crossword puzzles using the map as a crossword grid,
Mikalye made a big event of riddles where you had to solve a lot of riddles to open doors and have some specific doors with specific puzzles you could solved by gathring hints in the dungeons.
Server51 the creator of the site make some dungeon event sometimes where you have to accomplish a quest playing as a mage, thief or barbarian. you have to drop items and fight monsters all along.
Ercalot in a previous one used the map to create a chess problem.
etc ...
So here you'll have to find out by yourself what ercalote had in mind when he created this puzzle.
Don't forget to check walls because clues can be written on them and door description because it's often a hint/question that help to find the answer to the door.

6 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

Thanks for in-depth answer, hall-of-famer yukulele :)
And what is a mechanic behind energy refill? 12 sec for one point?

6 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

It depend of what ercalote fixed for this dungeon. but I think you are close to the good value.

6 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

This is my first time on sWords and fist time doing some of ercalote's puzzles, and i just got 7 out of 11 treasures. So you do have a chance :)

6 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

Got one door so far, yay :D But now stuck on the rest :D

6 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

Got 7 doors, now to figure red one :D

6 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

After second hint I finally understand the rules (at least I think so), but still don't know the answer...

6 years ago*
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

Same.

6 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

I'm stuck on that red door (8th one with 100ep) for almost 2 days now. I cant figure out what to do. Are the given hints still valid for that door?

6 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

Both hints are only for brutal doors. No hints were revealed for the next door. Piggy bank is accumulating points very slowly for now.

6 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

Bump for the website not letting me do anything on ANY browser.
Just saw this today and was interested but I can't even participate.
And yes, my adblocker is disabled.

6 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

Still stuck on the door after the red one. Thought I understood and figured out the logical meaning of the question but my answer didn't go through. Ahh well I'll give it a little while later and maybe something else will come to me.

Edit: Thanks to the hint I figured out the Elven door, I was on the right track, I just had the wrong spelling ^^'

6 years ago*
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

Sign in through Steam to add a comment.