Work together to trace the waterproof message pouch.
Welcome to the rainy garden path. Rain smeared a path sign, and a cancelled walk must be separated from the walk that happened. Your team has the original records on the table. First recover five pieces of information, then use the final plan to trace the waterproof message pouch. Keep every result beside its badge so another teammate can check your reasoning.
How your team will think
Join records, check source status and explain why a near match fails.
Keep the badge results beside the candidate sheet. For each candidate, point to the evidence that supports or rejects it; the final choice must pass every printed check.
Set up in one room
Print the six player sheets and two record sheets for each team. Keep answers and hints with the host.
Lay out Walk reports, Travel map (one way), the remaining clue sheets and the final plan. All task records are printed inside the sheets; no extra prop is needed.
After each clue, pass roles one seat clockwise. With two players, combine Reader with Recorder and Checker with Builder. With five or six, add a second checker and a source finder; everyone explains one decision.
Ages and durations are design estimates. Choose the pace and reading support that suit your group.
Look before you print
See all 6 player clues
These are the actual figures and instructions from the player pack. Read the final page’s rule along with the earlier clues.
Clue 1 of 6
Record
Use the walk reports and boot-tag book to follow the completed record. Match printed keys, then report the requested field. A planned or cancelled entry cannot prove a move.
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Walk reports
item: Hut | tag: WAVE | status: draft
item: Oak | tag: PINE | status: checked
item: Gate | tag: STAR | status: cancelled
Boot-tag book
tag: STAR | bay: NORTH
tag: PINE | bay: EAST
tag: WAVE | bay: WEST
tag: STAR | bay: SOUTH
Cross-check
Match A.tag to B.tag.
A.status is not cancelled.
A.status is not draft.
Report B.bay.
Clue 2 of 6
Path
Trace a legal supply journey from S to F. The map's arrows are one-way roads. Visit every required stop, stay inside the travel budget and use the cheapest complete journey. Report all stop letters.
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Travel map (one way)
S=Pouch desk; A=Open lawn; B=Covered walk; C=Oak hut; F=Message gate
S > A: 1 units
A > F: 1 units
S > B: 3 units
B > C: 1 units
C > F: 2 units
B > F: 2 units CLOSED
A > B: 4 units
Journey rules
Start S; finish F; limit 8 units.
Visit B. Use the least total cost.
Write every stop in order, with hyphens.
Clue 3 of 6
Habitat
The pouch carrier left a print under a shelter. Match its three described features with the four path reports. Use the print evidence together; a similar sole on its own is not enough.
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Boot-print reports
RIDGE: sole=bar; mud=dark; heel=wide
HUT: sole=dot; mud=dark; heel=wide
GATE: sole=bar; mud=pale; heel=narrow
OAK: sole=bar; mud=pale; heel=wide
BIRCH: sole=dot; mud=pale; heel=wide
Required features
sole must be bar.
mud must not be dark.
heel must be wide.
Report the one matching card ID.
Clue 4 of 6
Window
The team needs time for both the job and the journey. It cannot start before the earliest time, leave a window unfinished, or arrive after the deadline. Which departure window works? Times are minutes after opening.
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Departure windows (minutes after opening)
EARLY: start 10; window ends 25
MID: start 20; window ends 35
LATE: start 30; window ends 50
Work and travel
Earliest start 15; job 7 min.
Travel 5 min; arrival deadline 35.
Job + travel must both fit inside one window.
Report the only possible window ID.
Clue 5 of 6
Signal
Each signal means one different word. Use the training examples to recover the legend. Words marked "any order" may be swapped; compare shared signals across cards. Decode the received message from left to right. The desk uses this message when handling the waterproof message pouch.
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Unlabelled legend
Signals: DOT, BAR, ARC. Words: LEFT, HOLD, RIGHT.
Each signal has one word; each word is used once.
Training messages
DOT+BAR means HOLD+LEFT (any order)
BAR+ARC means HOLD+RIGHT (any order)
DOT+ARC means LEFT+RIGHT (any order)
Received message
BAR > ARC
Report decoded words in order, with hyphens.
Clue 6 of 6
Final
Use each recorded result in the evidence key to learn one feature. Compare all five features with the location plan. Report the one location ID supported by every source, then explain why a nearby alternative fails.
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Location plan
BAY-H: leaf / south / stone / lower / square
BAY-I: leaf / south / wood / upper / round
BAY-J: ring / south / stone / upper / square
BAY-K: leaf / north / wood / upper / square
BAY-L: leaf / north / wood / upper / round
BAY-A: ring / south / wood / lower / square
BAY-B: leaf / north / stone / upper / round
BAY-C: ring / south / stone / lower / round
BAY-D: ring / north / wood / upper / round
BAY-E: ring / south / stone / lower / square
BAY-F: leaf / north / wood / lower / round
BAY-G: ring / north / stone / lower / square
Column order and evidence key
Stamp (Record): NORTH=ring; EAST=leaf
Door (Path): S-B-C-F=north; S-A-F=south
Surface (Habitat): RIDGE=stone; OAK=wood
Level (Window): MID=upper; EARLY=lower
Seal (Signal): LEFT-HOLD=square; HOLD-RIGHT=round
Start after: Record, Path, Habitat, Window, Signal
A different kind of mystery next
Keep the habit of sharing evidence and try a new reasoning task.
A repaired beacon begins at recorded dial states; every recovered pulse must be applied, including zero turns. Work together to configure the garden beacon.
