The elite puzzling community has a bit of a reputation. You've seen it. The gatekeepers who insist that if you didn't spend three days staring at a blank wall in a LucasArts adventure game or a cryptic clue in the New York Times Saturday crossword, you didn't "really" solve it. But here is the thing: that's mostly a myth. The most dedicated enthusiasts—the ones who speedrun The Witness or compete in the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament—actually have a surprisingly high tolerance for things the average person assumes they'd hate.
Basically, the idea that there is a "pure" way to solve is fading.
Why? Because the modern puzzle landscape is massive. If you're stuck on a single mechanic in Lorelei and the Laser Eyes for six hours, you aren't testing your intelligence anymore; you're just stalling your own momentum. Serious solvers value the "Aha!" moment above almost everything else. If a small nudge helps you reach that moment rather than quitting in frustration, most experts will tell you to take the nudge.
The Myth of the Purist Solitaire
If you talk to someone like Dan Feyer, a multi-time champion of the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament, you'll find that the focus isn't on some suffering-based purity test. It's about flow. In the world of high-level puzzling, hints and walkthroughs aren't seen as "cheating" in the way a professional athlete might view performance-enhancing drugs. Instead, they are viewed as educational tools.
Think about it this way.
If you are learning a new language, you use a dictionary. You don't just stare at the word bibliothèque until the meaning magically manifests in your brain through sheer willpower. Puzzles are a language. Whether it's the specific "crosswordese" used by Will Shortz or the logic-chaining required in high-end Sudoku, you have to learn the syntax first.
Most experts agree that getting stuck to the point of anger actually inhibits learning. When your cortisol levels spike because you can't find the fourth digit of a code in an escape room, your prefrontal cortex—the part of your brain responsible for the very logic you need—starts to check out. Real solvers recognize this physiological limit. They know when to look at a hint to reset their brain’s rhythm.
Why Quality Hints Actually Save the Experience
There is a massive difference between a "spoiler" and a "nudge."
Puzzle solvers don't look down on hints that preserve the logic of the challenge. Take the "Ulysses" hint system in the game The Talos Principle or the tiered hint systems in modern physical escape rooms. These don't give you the answer. They point out a detail you might have overlooked.
"Did you notice the flickering light?"
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That isn't a handout. It's a redirection of focus.
In the crossword world, "checking" a single letter isn't viewed as a moral failure. It’s often a way to confirm a hunch so you can move on to the rest of the grid. If you spend forty minutes on a single intersection (a "Natick," in crossword parlance, where two obscure proper nouns cross), you aren't getting smarter. You're just getting bored. And boredom is the death of the hobby.
The Rise of the "Invisible Hand" in Design
Modern puzzle designers, like Lucas Pope (Return of the Obra Dinn) or Alan Hazelden (A Good Snowman is Hard to Build), bake assistance into the game itself. This is what we call "organic hinting."
Solvers love this.
They don't look down on it because it feels like a conversation between the creator and the player. If a game subtly highlights an object or uses a specific color palette to guide your eye, it’s a form of guidance. Expert solvers respect this because it shows the designer understands human psychology. We aren't machines. We miss things. Acknowledging that isn't a sign of weakness; it's a sign of a well-constructed experience.
The Community Standard: The "Two-Hour Rule"
In many online forums, like the "Cracking the Cryptic" community or various ARG (Alternate Reality Game) Discord servers, there’s an unspoken "two-hour rule." If you’ve been banging your head against a logic wall for two hours with zero progress, it is socially acceptable—even encouraged—to ask for a "light nudge."
The community wants you to finish. They want you to see the ending.
If you quit because a puzzle was poorly telegraphed, the community loses a member. Therefore, the "elite" solvers are often the most generous with help. They remember what it was like to be stumped by a "red herring" or a piece of moon logic that didn't make sense. Honestly, the only people who truly look down on hints are usually the ones who haven't solved enough puzzles to realize how often the puzzles themselves are flawed.
External Tools Are Part of the Kit
Let’s get specific. Is using a word finder for Scrabble cheating? In a competitive match, yes. In a practice session? Absolutely not. It’s how you expand your vocabulary.
Expert solvers often use:
- Anagrifters for complex letter scrambles.
- Pattern searchers for cryptic crosswords.
- Logic analyzers for "Incredible" rated Sudoku.
- Note-taking apps to track complex threads in "detective" style puzzles.
None of these are viewed as "crutches." They are force multipliers. Using a spreadsheet to track the 60+ victims in Return of the Obra Dinn doesn't make the deduction any easier; it just makes the data manageable. That’s the distinction. If the tool removes the work, it’s a shortcut. If it removes the tedium, it’s a strategy.
The Nuance of "Solving Styles"
We have to talk about "The Click."
That moment when the disparate pieces of information in your head finally snap together into a coherent picture. That’s the drug. That’s why people do this.
If you look up a solution—just the raw answer—you rob yourself of The Click. That is the only thing serious solvers actually look down on. Not because it’s "wrong," but because it’s a waste of a good puzzle. It’s like buying a mystery novel and immediately reading the last page. You didn't "beat" the book; you just skipped the experience.
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But hints? Hints are like a friend leaning over and whispering, "Hey, look at the footprints."
It still allows you to reach the conclusion yourself. You still get 90% of the dopamine hit from the "Aha!" moment. In the grand scheme of things, that’s a win.
When the Puzzle is the Problem
Sometimes, the solver isn't at fault.
We've all encountered "Moon Logic." This is a term popularized in the 90s to describe adventure game puzzles that required bizarre, nonsensical actions—like using a monkey as a wrench (looking at you, Monkey Island 2). When a puzzle is fundamentally broken or relies on an cultural reference the solver couldn't possibly know, looking up the answer is considered a mercy kill.
There is no honor in wasting five hours on a developer's mistake.
Expert solvers are the first to call out "bad" puzzles. They have a refined palate. They can tell the difference between a "fair" challenge that requires a leap of logic and an "unfair" one that requires mind-reading. When they encounter the latter, they head straight to a walkthrough without a hint of shame.
Actionable Insights for the Aspiring Solver
If you want to solve like a pro without feeling like a "cheater," you need to change your relationship with assistance. It isn't a binary between "solved it alone" and "failed." It's a spectrum of engagement.
- Use Tiered Hint Sites. Websites like UHST (Universal Hint System) or Nice One! provide gradual hints. They start with "You might want to look at X" and only give the full answer after five or six clicks. Use these first.
- The "Walk Away" Method. Before looking anything up, literally leave the room. Your brain continues to process the puzzle in the "Default Mode Network" (DMN). This is why you often get the answer in the shower or while driving.
- The "Rubber Duck" Technique. Explain the puzzle out loud to an inanimate object (or a very patient dog). Forced verbalization often reveals the logical gap you’ve been ignoring.
- Audit the "Why." If you do look up a hint, don't just move on. Ask yourself: "Why didn't I see that?" Was it a lack of knowledge, or did you fail to notice a visual cue? This turns a "cheat" into a lesson.
- Set a Timer. Give yourself a "Struggle Period." Maybe it's 20 minutes, maybe it's two hours. If you haven't made any progress by the time the timer goes off, get a nudge. This keeps the game moving and prevents "solver's burnout."
Ultimately, the goal of any puzzle is to engage the brain and provide a sense of accomplishment. If a hint keeps you engaged instead of making you walk away in a huff, then the hint has done its job. The elite community doesn't care if you needed a little help. They just care that you finished the journey.
Puzzles are meant to be solved, not to be monuments to your own frustration. Take the hint, get the Click, and move on to the next one. That is how you actually become an expert.