Case Study: Quests In the Enchanted Forest

The Milford Public Library has an annual fundraiser, its “Party In The Stacks,” which is built each year around a different theme. In 2017, the library wanted to include a puzzle event to fit that year’s theme, “The Enchanted Forest.”

Rather than create a series of crossword puzzles or anything else that required a lot of sitting-and-solving time, Eric created a series of magical “quests” that could be solved while wandering around the library, which had indeed been beautifully decorated as an Enchanted Forest. While mingling with guests, you might come across a magic goblet that could pour any drink… as long as that drink was exactly five letters in length. Or you might encounter an owl whose question words — “How?” and “Where?” and “What?” — could be picked up and used as objects.

By cleverly using these and other magic items scattered around the library, you could create six objects, each of which fulfilled a different quest. The event was designed so that party-goers could complete as few or as many quests as they wished — several were intended to be quite easy, while others were slightly more complex. Those who completed all six quests were entered into a raffle to win a prize.

You can play “Quests In The Enchanted Forest” yourself right here.