First thoughts: the title of this series must have something to do with it...

I meant the title of this entry, sorry... >.>

wow, i can't believe i need this, but any hints as to what to do with the first 1

No idea yet.

Should'nt the second puzzle be ...jpg instead of ...gif.

i think it might have simething to do with

I've tried remove of the letters in "your first puzzle" (as in checking them out). Nothing

I can see the word fluff and menus reading downwards in the first square...

that's all i've got

The rules read that all of the files and websites have been switched to .gif

I'm stuck on the first puzzle too. :/

Help with No. 1:

Or, for #1:

Well, I'm completely stuck. Anyone come up with anything at all?

Yeah there's a couple issues (easily fixable) with the puzzles:

Puzzle 1

Puzzle 3

Can anyone give a hint for the third puzzle, I have no idea what I'm supposed to do.

interestingly enough, it was the comment that pointed out the issues that helped me through puzzle 1.

Done. The first puzzle

this has never happened to me before. i can't get past puzzle 2 T_T

Neither can I, Angel...the hint has only led me to

. Not sure what to do with them.

the 2nd one has me stumped too

Hints for the third puzzle:

Like Angel, it was the comment about the issues of the first puzzle that caused me to FINALLY solve it.

Some more hints for puzzle #1:

Now I'm trying to figure out what puzzle #2 is about.

...Well, will you look at that. I just clicked back to puzzle #1 and saw that the "issue" has been corrected. XD That should help later puzzle solvers with keeping the file extension straight, indeed.

Still stuck on #2, though. Anyone have any hints?

hint for 2: don't know if it helps but

Haha, can't even solve the first one :D

bio

bio: hint to find within this hint:

i got that....but it still doesn't help.

I can't figure out #2.

nerdypants -

I'm stuck there too

zxo,

zxo:
Thank you SO MUCH! I got it now.

Jade:

I understand the hint for #2, but I can't see it still!

aargh PoP!

I'm with childofsai. What's wrong with my eyes?

Nerdypants,

MsMovieMaker:

Jade -

Childofsai, Msmoviemaker,

This had me stumped for the longest of times.

Angel,

Even with the hints I am NOT getting #2.

don't know if this is right but for the right part of 2 for the boxcars clue i got

Am i on the right track? If i am, then i don't have a clue for the left side!

@ hhii8888

i'm stuck, too. for the left side,

and for the right side,

but i'm just as stuck as i was before.

@lavamuffin how did you get those??

Bigger hint for #2:

@ hhii8888

it may not be correct, of course. the fact that i haven't found the key to the next puzzle assures me of that. but, if it helps you out -

but i'm not there yet. any ideas?

ahhh i need help on #3 :(

well, maybe

is a hint that you

@EEPS i can help you after i get #2

Bwugh, my brain finally clawed its way through all that...you guys are getting too good at making these puzzles!

Hey, these were really tough! I was stuck on the second one for a while, and the third one had me exploring for a while to find the right answer. The last puzzle was awfully easy with the hint, though. I think a much more subtle hint would have made the puzzle more satisfying.

I'm looking forward to next week's set!

For those stuck on #2

I can't seem to get through the third puzzle. Can anyone help?

SirNiko could you give us a hint for #3 pleasy?

Hint for #3:

i have no idea what to do for #2... still. i will say, thank you sir niko, but i don't know how to eliminate letters

Further hints:

#2

#3

I need a hint for puzzle 4.

Bonus hint for #3:

Nevermind, I got it.

I have not been this frustrated in quite a while. #2 is COMPLETELY defeating me.

OH MY GOD, so many red herrings on number 2.

Ignore:

Pay Attention To:

i know how you feel, unbeliever. i've been awake all night trying to figure it out.

I'm in the same situation that you are, Unbeliever. Staring hard at the puzzle has done nothing but give me a headache.

I have an issue with #4:

@unbeliever:

@vespert, Thank you. Good lord I am slow...

@Vespert

Not unbeliever, but:

@nerdypants:

@Jade:
Big spoiler for puzzle #2:

like Jade, i did that too but didn't get anything that makes sense.

@Vespert

I...am just even more confused now.

(Possible big spoilers)

Am I missing something really obvious?

@Angel and Jade:

@Jade:
How did you get those letters?

Well, I just realized

I'm still not finding any words, though, just stuff like: (major spoilery content)

Right there with Angel and Jade on #2.
It's apparently obvious enough that some folks have gotten it right off, but nothing that makes any sense it showing up, even though I'm pretty sure I know what to do.

@ Jade

kicking myself over here . . .

@Jade

@Jade:

Ah. For #2, someone said it earlier, but...

@Vespert:

Yep, I just figured out THAT was what I had been doing wrong. I feel like slapping my forehead, but I'm just too stoked by the fact that I'm FINALLY done with it to care much.

To those stuck:

nothing makes sense. i'm almost suicidal here. if u hear something sizzling that's probably my brain.

@Steve:
I already found the answer...

oh forget it. it's almost 9am, i haven't slept because of this puzzle. i don't even care anymore. rest in peace.

@Angel, that was the same sound my brain was making just a few minutes ago. Here's my attempt at clue-giving to save you from the same situation (if you're still awake, that is):

Steve:

...And it figures that I'd instantly "get" how to do puzzle #3 after the brain freeze/wreck that was #2 and find the answer after only a couple of false starts. My brain is grateful for it, though.

On to puzzle #4!

OMG JADE I LOVE YOU!

more on puzzle #2:

be sure to

and not

cheeky monkeys!

None of the clues for #2 make any sense whatsoever. I can't make head or tails of any of it. Could someone please give a clue that can actually be understood. The pips make no words up mo matter where I put them.

I take it that you've finally solved puzzle #2, Angel? :D

As for me, I'm still on puzzle #4.

yes! and it was your clue about

that helped.

Never mind, I got it.

All in all, it feels like the puzzles were in backwards order this time around, with #1 and #2 being the most difficult due to the number of red herrings in them and #3 and #4 being relatively easy to figure out in comparison. That could just be my personal experience, though.

i agree with you there, Jade...puzzle #1 took me some time to figure out, puzzle #2 was excruciating (you understand just how painful it was, i think), puzzle #3 i instantly figured out how to do it, and puzzle #4 only slight hesitation

Yep, I understand that excruciating pain for #2 completely and totally, Angel. I spent more time on that demon puzzle than the other three puzzles put together.

...And I just spent half of the day on these puzzles. Time to go and get some actual real-life work done now. XD

I'm convinced you're all lying about #2. There is no solution. I've tried every possible way to place the pips and absolutely nothing makes sense.

But that gives no answer. Apparently my IQ is way lower than I thought it was.

muhahahaha, it is complete!

i feel really dumb for not being able to figure out 3... can someone tell me how many letters, and not just 8 or more

@ William

Scroll through the previous comments, especially the ones Jade and I posted (independently, of course). Breathe deeply, and think of Vegas.

It's vague instruction like that that are of no help what so ever.

These aren't as fun as the last batch. I keep finding the beginnings of nice long words on #3 only to have them peter out at a "0" by the end.

Anyway, William:

@william Major Hint:

Also:

A lot of people are talking about pips in puzzle 2.
Er... What's a pip?

And something off topic, why haven't we got any Babylon comics recently?

I'm an idiot. It's official.

@ryusui: can you help me with 3? i think i tried every possible solution of 8 letters, so can you give me any hints??

@Ryusui, definitely. the last batch was hard but fun...this batch is just.....hard.

@William:

I'm still working on #3.

can someone please give me a hint for #3?? what it ends with, the second letter, how many letters or something else that could help...

hhii8888:

i believe #3 should have

I don't plan on submitting an entry, but I love these puzzles anyways. Even if I'm terrible at them. And it took me the entire first page of comments to get through the first two puzzles.

Regarding #4:

P.S. Slightly off topic, have the official answers for the finals to the first two contests appeared yet?

@nerdypants: i already saw that comment... can you tell me what 0? you don't have to but it would help! & thx for all the help!

*pops back in*

Actually, for #3, the word is

I think the change from 7+ to 8+ letters was made because

thx jade that helped me SO much. now on to #4

what happened to getting actual work done, Jade ? =P

Real-life chores tend to be more boring than online games, Angel. =P Even when said games are fiendishly difficult puzzles.

*headdesks*

Well, that was the exact opposite of the answer. I feel like such a moron not twigging it sooner.

even more fun when u're done and read comments from those who are still stuck heheh.
fiendish ? try demonic. i prefer to end my puzzles with a "ah..done..hope for more soon" rather than "OH MY GOD I ACTUALLY DID IT!"

for #4 can you find nthe same number more than once?

Done and done. Now, that final puzzle is about the difficulty level I like.

But seriously...

nevermind got answer!!!!!!!! now to hope for the random prize!

Puzzle 3 kills me got almost all of photograph, stopped at p, number was 0.
My path is

@guest:
regarding pips in puzzle #2, i'm guessing you're like me and have no idea what boxcars means. it took me over an hour of reading comments to realize that boxcars is slang for something. i'm not american, and i don't gamble. when i see boxcar i think those little go kart thingies kids make. so i suggest you look up boxcars, or look for craps in wikipedia and find the word boxcars on that page. look for pip in merriam webster online dictionary, definition number 3. You can see how it relates.

@roomescaper55

@angel
I already figured out what pips and boxcars are long ago and solved all 4 puzzles. Thanks for trying to help me anyway.

And as I said, does anybody know why we're not getting more babylon comics since the screamer?

[We're not doing a weekly comic anymore, but you haven't seen the last of Babylon Sticks here at JIG. -Jay]

I'm still stuck on #4. I know (at least part of) what I'm supposed to be doing, but having done it, I have not ended up with something coherent.

...I figured out the problem. As someone mentioned earlier (majorish hint):

I'm done! First puzzle took a hint or two to get the idea, I didn't even remotely understand what I was supposed to do for the second without some major hints, third took a few seconds to figure out, and fourth just suffered from the problems mentioned above but was otherwise very easy.

Nice hint, Angel. XD

#2 is quite a technical feat. So many false hopes.

This was first of Letters In Boxes releases I managed to finish myself without extra hints. Still, final puzzle was too easy this time, and could be debated if it is also somewhat broken.

William: after frying my brain all day trying to make sense of the hints people are giving, here's what I finally came up with; there's a vital point that everyone giving hints is missing and that a previous comment actually said NOT to do.

D'oh, sorry, didn't notice the comments had rolled over to two pages.

tq tq. LOL. so how's everyone doing ? everyone done yet ? wondering about @William who was very much stumped a few hours ago.

@MikuJess yes, that comment kept me stumped for a long time, too

@MikuJess, @Angel,

Sorry for the confusion. It was in response to people who said they got so-and-so for the right grid but were still confused on the other side. What I meant to say was that both sides should be treated exactly the same.

Eh, I'm all for hints and all, but some comments have been straight giving out answers. I mean, this IS a contest after all, and if someone can't solve it, the answers will be given out by next week...

Puzzle #2:
I am so confused even by the 'clue' pip. I see that the first box has it going diagonally from the top left corner, but the hints make it sound more like a number clue, and none of the other hints make sense because I don't know what 'pips' means! I feel like a giant idiot.

erica

Any more tips for 3? I think I've got the general idea, but there's clearly something I'm missing to speed things along. This trial and error is getting really tedious.

tigrita:
As many hints as I can give you without straight-out giving you an answer:

Other than that, it really is just trial and error.

Thanks nerdypants. Got it eventually with trial and error. Not really much of a puzzle, just time-consuming :/

Fourth puzzle had some errors in it, which left two words, including the final answer misspelled. The initial mixup with number one was a pain in the butt. Shouldn't you proofread/playtest these before they go up?

removed letters, got mumbo jumbo. Mixed up letters.

Puzzle 3....to be frank, I think it's not really a good idea to do it by trial and error. Is it even a puzzle then?

Also, with all the hints I've got, I may as well search for

and I hardly think it should be considered as cheating.

@JIGuest
Puzzle four had one mistake (not even in the final answer) and it was quite inconsequential.

@SpinelessCoward: No answers have been given... Though the hints, in total, basically give you the entire process.

OK, FINALLY got the answer to #3. But 4 is confusing me right off the bat. Does it have anything to do with the previous puzzles? Where are the

How are they hiding? So many questions!

Sorry about the multiple comments!

@raddaya
That's because

Sorry, I accidently hit the Submit button.

Still confused.

Oh god I am the silliest person on earth. >>;

Thanks for all your help guys. The parts I did myself were enjoyable =p And at least nothing here was like #2 on the previous one which I didn't get even after the walkthrough was posted....ha.

@William

Awesome. My sentiments exactly. I actually laughed out loud when I read your comment, because I've felt like that so many times.

Now before I give you the information you seek, you must answer for me these questions three...

If you're still confused by #4,

If you do it like this, you'll have the correct letters used. Keep in mind that

...And as soon as I post, I realize which "T" you're talking about. NVM. I was thinking of the "T" you might lose if you took out the other "TEN".

So...I messed up in my first email(and by that I mean I forgot to mention my Casual Gameplay display name), so I sent another email rectifying the error minutes afterwards. Is that OK? :x *is a klutz*

Question for #3

of course, like a curse the power of posting once again. That was REALLY difficult - it took two days of pondering before I could finish.

Ah, I've been out of town for the past few days, so this is the first I've seen of this new batch, and I don't know if I'll figure things out in time. I'm still too tired to give even the first puzzle proper consideration right now. There's always next time, I suppose.

Isi, you've got until midnight! It shouldn't take *too* long, especially given all the hints here :P

And yet I am stuck. And I doubt many people are still around to help, but...

All right, I've finished. I agree that #3 had way too much trial and error after you figure out how it works. I managed to find the answer not by properly solving it, but by guessing the first few letters and putting that in a crossword solver. To my surprise, I was led to the final puzzle with a guess.

Any news on the results for this?

I apologize for the delay, I thought I had already updated the entry with the winners. Just did it now.