Posted by 
The Vault 2: Treasure & Faries is set for release on November 15th! This book is a collection of original puzzle hunts crafted by a talented group of creators, each bringing their own imagination, logic, and storytelling style to the chase. Every hunt is self-contained, with its own clues, and hidden solution. Some may seem straightforward; others will send you spiraling through layers of codes, patterns, and meaning. But all share one thing in common—a genuine love for puzzles that challenge how you think and invite you to see the world a little differently.
Today, we’re taking a look inside The Vault 2 with Airicka – who is one of the clever puzzle creators! The Fouth in this Six Questions Series (Other Six Q’s here)
- Q1) What first sparked your interest in puzzles or treasure hunts?
During COVID, I watched an episode of Expedition Unknown that featured The Secret by Byron Preiss and that really sparked my interest. Around the same time, a new pair of treasure hunts had just been released in homage to the secret, and the community energy was incredible. My friend Sundai then started a Facebook page called Mind Games, where we’d post and solve little puzzles every day. It was so much fun! There’s definitely a friendly sense of competition in the community. It can be addicting to be the first to solve something.
- Q2) What advice would you give someone who is first getting into the hobby of puzzle hunts?
1. I’d start by asking do you like being wrong? Because if you’re getting into puzzle hunts, you’re gonna be wrong a lot, but that’s totally part of the fun. You have to be the kind of person who can laugh it off and keep going.
2. I just learned this lesson myself BUT, When it comes to the treasure hunting side ask yourself, do I actually like digging holes? Have I dug a real hole in the last year? Two? Five? Because it’s a lot harder than that time you helped your grandpa put in a fence 10 years ago. It’s hard work.
- Q3) What do you enjoy most in the treasure hunting hobby?
The moment when a clue finally clicks!! when it’s undeniable. It feels like a shot of adrenaline; your heart jumps, your eyes lights up, and suddenly you’re hooked again. It’s addictive in the best way. You can’t fake that feeling, and once you’ve had it, you can’t help but chase it again
- Q4) When you start designing a new puzzle, where do you begin—story, solution, or structure? How do you balance making a puzzle challenging yet fair?
I wanted Pixellea to focus on the basics, things like patterns and dead ends, morse code oops, I probably wasn’t supposed to say that! lol. I was testing myself on building more interactive websites so, I kept it simple on purpose. Pixellea is not meant to be tricky, just an enjoyable challenge that encourages people to engage. I like to think mine is a “soft pitch”.
- Q5) Please share a quick peek into your particular puzzle in THE VAULT 2! How would you describe it?
Let me just say! Pixellea is waaayyyy better on desktop! I did make it mobile-optimized, but I’m still pretty new to coding like that, so I definitely recommend playing it on desktop or laptop if you can. Pixellea is an online puzzle inspired by those early 2000s classics like The Impossible Quiz and The World’s Hardest Game. Each level is designed to get you thinking in new ways. I’d call mine kind of a “soft pitch” it’s simple with things like a matching card game, a maze, ect
- Q6) What do you hope solvers take away from your puzzle beyond just the answer?
I really hope they have fun! and of course take away some fun prizes! My puzzle has a form at the end, and everyone who fills it out can get a little prize.
Do you have other puzzles or a social channel to follow?
I don’t, but if I can shamelessly give a quick shout-out Making Waves Business Solutions and Abby, the CEO. She let me host everything in exchange for a brochure, which was such a cool trade-off. So if you ever need marketing, design, SEO, or website development, definitely reach out to her she’s fantastic to work with.
Join the VAULT community for updates: Vault Discord, Vault Facebook page – or the MW Discord.).
