Cryptic Carousel Game Guide
Welcome to Cryptic Carousel, an interactive cipher-based puzzle game where players must align spinning wheels to decode and solve hidden messages. This guide provides step-by-step instructions for gameplay, component assembly, and strategies to maximize your puzzle-solving experience.
Components
The Cryptic Carousel game consists of the following main components:
- Main Game Board (with timer space and difficulty indicator)
- Spinning Wheels:
- Numbers Wheel (marked with numbers from 0 to 25)
- Letters Wheel (marked with letters A-Z)
- Symbols Wheel (marked with symbols like @, #, %, etc.)
- Central Decoder Area (where wheels align to form a solution)
- Puzzle Cards (cipher challenges with varying difficulty)
- Hourglass Timer (optional for timed gameplay)
Objective
The objective of Cryptic Carousel is to use the spinning wheels to align numbers, letters, and symbols to decode a message or solve a cipher provided on a puzzle card. The game challenges your cipher-solving skills, and with multiple levels of difficulty, it can provide hours of brain-teasing fun.
Setup
- Game Board: Place the game board on a flat surface. Insert the hourglass into the designated timer space if you’re playing with timed rounds.
- Spinners:
- Ensure that the three spinning wheels (numbers, letters, and symbols) are attached to the correct pins on the game board.
- Each spinner should rotate freely and smoothly.
- Use the small arrow-shaped handles on each spinner to turn the wheels.
- Puzzle Cards: Shuffle the puzzle cards and place them face down. Each card will present a cipher puzzle that must be solved using the spinning wheels. Cards vary in difficulty, so start with easier cards if you’re new to the game.
- Difficulty Indicator: Use the difficulty level indicator on the board to set the complexity of the game (Easy, Medium, or Hard). This can correspond to the types of cipher cards you choose to solve.
How to Play
- Draw a Puzzle Card: Start by drawing the top puzzle card from the deck. Each puzzle card will present a cipher challenge, such as shifting letters or substituting symbols.
Example Puzzle Card:- Caesar Cipher: “Shift each letter forward by the number on spinner 1.”
- Solve the Puzzle:
- Based on the puzzle card instructions, use the spinners to align the numbers, letters, and symbols correctly.
- For a Caesar Cipher, the card may ask you to rotate the Letters Wheel by the number indicated on the Numbers Wheel.
- Spin the wheels using the small arrow handles to make the required adjustments.
- The alignment markers on the central decoder will help you ensure the symbols are aligned for decoding.
- Check Your Answer: Once you’ve aligned the wheels according to the puzzle card, use the decoder to check if the symbols, numbers, or letters reveal the correct solution. You’ll know you’ve solved the puzzle if the combination correctly matches the instructions on the card.
- Timer Mode (Optional):
- If you’re playing in Timed Mode, flip the hourglass when you begin solving the puzzle. You must decode the message before the sand runs out. This mode adds extra pressure and can make the game more challenging!
- Difficulty Levels:
- Easy: Use the simpler puzzle cards that require fewer steps and basic wheel alignments.
- Medium: Involve multi-step processes, such as shifting numbers and letters across multiple wheels.
- Hard: These puzzles may require combinations of all three wheels (numbers, letters, and symbols), or using advanced ciphers like the Vigenère Cipher or Symbol Substitution.
- Advanced Gameplay:
- Some advanced puzzle cards require you to use all three spinners in conjunction, or even incorporate randomness into your decoding.
- Example: The Random Cipher puzzle card may instruct you to randomly set each spinner and then decode based on those randomized values.
Example Game Rounds
Round 1: Easy – Caesar Cipher
- Draw the Caesar Cipher card.
- The card asks you to rotate the Letters Wheel by the number shown on the Numbers Wheel.
- Set the Numbers Wheel to “3†and rotate the Letters Wheel forward by three positions.
- Align the wheels using the central decoder. Check if the decoded message matches the cipher.
Round 2: Medium – Vigenère Cipher
- Draw the Vigenère Cipher card.
- The card asks you to use the Letters Wheel to create a key and shift each letter based on the key.
- Rotate the Letters Wheel to form a key based on the puzzle’s instructions.
- Shift the letters by the positions indicated on the Numbers Wheel, checking alignment after each step.
Round 3: Hard – Symbol Substitution
- Draw the Symbol Substitution card.
- The card asks you to substitute each letter with a symbol from the Symbols Wheel.
- Use both the Letters Wheel and Symbols Wheel to solve the puzzle, aligning symbols with corresponding letters.
- Use the decoder to check if your symbol combinations reveal the solution.
Scoring and Winning
- Scoring: Keep track of how many puzzle cards you’ve solved within a set time limit or a specified number of rounds. For an extra challenge, you can subtract points if you take too long to solve a puzzle.
- Winning: The player with the most solved puzzles at the end of the game wins! Alternatively, if you’re playing solo, aim to solve as many puzzles as possible within a set time or limit.
Strategies and Tips
- Use the Timer Wisely: In timed rounds, focus on quickly analyzing the puzzle card and spinning the wheels accurately.
- Start Easy: If you’re new to cipher puzzles, start with the easier puzzle cards and gradually work your way to the harder ones.
- Visualize the Problem: Before you start turning the wheels, take a moment to think about the steps required by the puzzle card.
- Use the Handles for Precision: The small arrow-shaped handles on the spinners are there to help you make precise adjustments. Use them to carefully align the wheels, especially in advanced puzzles.
- Set Difficulty Levels for Longer Games: For a longer game, shuffle the puzzle cards according to their difficulty level and work your way up as you progress through the game.
Component Care and Maintenance
- Cleaning: Use a soft cloth to gently clean the game board and spinners. Avoid using water or cleaning solutions that may damage the materials.
- Storage: Store the game in a cool, dry place to prevent warping of the board or spinners.
- Reprinting Components: If any part of the game (like a spinner or puzzle card) gets damaged, you can always reprint that specific component.
Troubleshooting
- Spinners Too Tight/Loose: If the spinners are difficult to turn, use fine sandpaper to smooth the edges. If they are too loose, you can add a small piece of tape to the center pin to tighten the fit.
- Components Don’t Fit Together: If components aren’t fitting correctly, recheck your 3D printer’s settings and ensure proper calibration. A slight adjustment in scale may also help.
Congratulations! You now have everything you need to start playing Cryptic Carousel. Enjoy deciphering hidden messages and sharpening your puzzle-solving skills.
$fn = 100; // Set the number of fragments for smooth circles
// Plate 1: Main board and fixed components
// Main board (Red)
module main_board() {
color(“Red”) {
difference() {
translate([0, 0, 0])
minkowski() {
cube([150, 150, 4]);
cylinder(r=4, h=1);
}
// Indentation for play area
translate([10, 10, 2.5])
minkowski() {
cube([130, 130, 2.5]);
cylinder(r=4, h=1);
}
// Engrave blue text
blue_text_negative();
}
}
}
// Blue text and details (negative for engraving)
module blue_text_negative() {
// Game title – large and prominent
translate([75, 140, 4.9])
linear_extrude(0.2)
text(“CRYPTIC CAROUSEL”, size = 14, halign = “center”, valign = “center”);
// Game description
translate([75, 10, 4.9])
linear_extrude(0.2)
text(“Spin, align, and solve!”, size = 6, halign = “center”, valign = “center”);
// Legend
translate([10, 75, 4.9]) {
linear_extrude(0.2) {
text(“Legend:”, size = 4, halign = “left”, valign = “center”);
translate([0, -8, 0])
text(“1: Numbers”, size = 3, halign = “left”, valign = “center”);
translate([0, -14, 0])
text(“2: Letters”, size = 3, halign = “left”, valign = “center”);
translate([0, -20, 0])
text(“3: Symbols”, size = 3, halign = “left”, valign = “center”);
}
}
// Scoring track numbers
for (i = [0:20]) {
angle = i * 18 – 90;
translate([75 + 67.5 * cos(angle), 75 + 67.5 * sin(angle), 4.4])
linear_extrude(0.2)
text(str(i), size = 4, halign = “center”, valign = “center”);
}
}
// Blue text fill
module blue_text_fill() {
color(“Blue”) {
translate([0, 0, 5])
linear_extrude(0.1)
projection(cut = true) blue_text_negative();
}
}
// Difficulty indicator (Red with Blue text)
module difficulty_indicator() {
color(“Red”)
difference() {
translate([135, 15, 2.5]) {
cylinder(d=20, h=2);
}
// Engrave difficulty levels
for (i = [0:2]) {
rotate([0, 0, i * 120])
translate([143, 15, 4.4])
linear_extrude(0.2)
text([“E”, “M”, “H”][i], size = 4, halign = “center”, valign = “center”);
}
}
// Blue text fill for difficulty levels
color(“Blue”)
translate([0, 0, 4.5])
linear_extrude(0.1)
for (i = [0:2]) {
rotate([0, 0, i * 120])
translate([143, 15, 0])
text([“E”, “M”, “H”][i], size = 4, halign = “center”, valign = “center”);
}
}
// Timer space (Red)
module timer_space() {
color(“Red”)
translate([15, 15, 2.5])
difference() {
cylinder(d=25, h=2);
translate([0, 0, 0.5])
cylinder(d=23, h=1.6);
}
}
// Scoring track (White)
module scoring_track() {
color(“White”)
difference() {
translate([75, 75, 2.5])
cylinder(r=70, h=2);
translate([75, 75, 2.4])
cylinder(r=65, h=2.2);
}
}
// Plate 1 assembly
module plate_1() {
main_board();
blue_text_fill();
difficulty_indicator();
timer_space();
scoring_track();
}
// Plate 2: Movable components
// Spinning circle (White with Blue text)
module spinning_circle(diameter, height, symbols) {
color(“White”)
difference() {
union() {
cylinder(d=diameter, h=height);
translate([0, 0, 0])
difference() {
cylinder(d1=diameter+3, d2=diameter+2, h=1);
cylinder(d=diameter-2, h=1);
}
}
// Center hole for rotation pin
cylinder(d=4, h=height);
// Engrave symbols
color(“Blue”) {
// Central symbol
translate([0, 0, height-0.2])
linear_extrude(0.3)
text(symbols[0], size = 8, halign = “center”, valign = “center”);
// Outer symbols
for(i = [1:26]) {
angle = i * 360 / 26;
rotate([0, 0, angle])
translate([diameter/2 – 5, 0, height-0.2])
rotate([0, 0, -angle])
linear_extrude(0.3)
text(symbols[i], size = 5, halign = “center”, valign = “center”);
}
}
}
// Blue text fill for symbols
color(“Blue”) {
translate([0, 0, height-0.1])
linear_extrude(0.1) {
text(symbols[0], size = 8, halign = “center”, valign = “center”);
for(i = [1:26]) {
angle = i * 360 / 26;
rotate([0, 0, angle])
translate([diameter/2 – 5, 0, 0])
rotate([0, 0, -angle])
text(symbols[i], size = 5, halign = “center”, valign = “center”);
}
}
}
}
// Spinning circles
module spinning_circles() {
number_symbols = [“#”, “0”, “1”, “2”, “3”, “4”, “5”, “6”, “7”, “8”, “9”, “10”, “11”, “12”, “13”, “14”, “15”, “16”, “17”, “18”, “19”, “20”, “21”, “22”, “23”, “24”, “25”];
letter_symbols = [“@”, “A”, “B”, “C”, “D”, “E”, “F”, “G”, “H”, “I”, “J”, “K”, “L”, “M”, “N”, “O”, “P”, “Q”, “R”, “S”, “T”, “U”, “V”, “W”, “X”, “Y”, “Z”];
operation_symbols = [“?”, “+”, “-“, “*”, “/”, “%”, “^”, “<“, “>”, “=”, “!”, “&”, “|”, “~”, “(“, “)”, “[“, “]”, “{“, “}”, “:”, “;”, “,”, “.”, “_”, “$”, “\\”];
translate([0, 0, 0]) spinning_circle(40, 10, number_symbols);
translate([50, 0, 0]) spinning_circle(40, 10, letter_symbols);
translate([100, 0, 0]) spinning_circle(40, 10, operation_symbols);
}
// Secret compartment lid (Red)
module secret_compartment_lid() {
color(“Red”)
difference() {
minkowski() {
cube([24, 24, 1.5]);
cylinder(r=1, h=0.1);
}
translate([12.5, 12.5, -0.1])
cylinder(d=5, h=1.7); // Finger hole for easy removal
}
}
// Tiny card design (White with Blue text)
module tiny_card(title, content) {
color(“White”)
difference() {
minkowski() {
cube([39, 59, 1.4]);
cylinder(r=0.5, h=0.1);
}
// Engrave text
translate([2, 54, 1.3])
linear_extrude(0.2)
text(title, size = 4, halign = “left”, valign = “top”);
translate([2, 2, 1.3])
linear_extrude(0.2)
text(content, size = 3, halign = “left”, valign = “bottom”);
}
// Blue text fill
color(“Blue”) {
translate([2, 54, 1.4])
linear_extrude(0.1)
text(title, size = 4, halign = “left”, valign = “top”);
translate([2, 2, 1.4])
linear_extrude(0.1)
text(content, size = 3, halign = “left”, valign = “bottom”);
}
}
// Generate a set of example puzzle cards
module puzzle_cards() {
translate([0, 70, 0]) tiny_card(“Caesar Cipher”, “Shift each letter forward by the number on spinner 1.”);
translate([45, 70, 0]) tiny_card(“Vigenère Cipher”, “Use spinner 2 to create a key. Shift based on key letters.”);
translate([90, 70, 0]) tiny_card(“Symbol Subst.”, “Replace each letter with the symbol from spinner 3.”);
}
// Plate 2 assembly
module plate_2() {
spinning_circles();
translate([150, 0, 0]) secret_compartment_lid();
puzzle_cards();
}
// Choose which plate to render
plate = 1; // Change to 2 for the second plate
if (plate == 1) {
plate_1();
} else if (plate == 2) {
plate_2();
}