Decoding the Hunt: Hare-y Connections by ForgottenHistoryHunts

If you’ve ever played the New York Times Connections game, you’ll know the satisfaction that comes from grouping words into categories and spotting unexpected links. I’ve played it now and then, and even created my own version as a fun holiday challenge right here. So when I saw a puzzle inspired by that format—crafted by ForgottenHistoryHunts (FHH) for the annual Masquerade Tribute Hunt over on the Mysterious Writings forums—I knew I had to give it a try.

FHH has a proven track record of creating clever, challenging puzzles that often blend known puzzle mechanics with historical research. I don’t know her personally, but anytime she releases a puzzle, it’s worth checking out. This particular hunt was part of Jenny Kile’s annual tribute event, which celebrates the legendary Masquerade treasure hunt. You can view the thread and join the fun here.

Digging Into the Puzzle

This was a puzzle designed around connections, using the NYT style puzzle. Solvers were given 12 words and 4 incomplete words and needed to group them into four categories of four. On the surface, that sounds simple—until you actually try to do it.

I tackled this one with a puzzle partner. We found the GOSSIP connection early—words like TEA, SCOOP, and DISH clicked quickly. HERO and the sandwich category also revealed itself not long after. But then came the misstep: we incorrectly chose PULSE as part of a "warnings" category, which led us away from the correct fourth word, HERRING. That wrong assumption created a roadblock we never got passed. We never did find the Fred Gwynne theme on our own—definitely a clever and obscure connection. Also My Cousin Vinny what a great movie and like a reference you might find in a Retro13 puzzle.

In the end, the four correct groupings were:

1. Red Warnings – FLAG, ALERT, LIGHT, HERRING
2. Sandwiches – HERO, ITALIAN, ICE CREAM, CUBAN
3. Hearsay / Gossip – TEA, DISH, SCOOP, GOSSIP
4. Fred Gwynne Roles – JUDGE, MONSTER, OFFICER, MOOSE

The Final Step and Aha Moment

Where the puzzle really shines is in what comes next. Once you’ve found the right groupings, the hidden words—HERO, GOSSIP, and JUDGE—are extracted from each category. But wait—HERRING was one of the answers too, and that’s exactly what it is: a red herring. So discard that set, leaving you with just the three others.

When you have 3 random words in the puzzle and treasure hunt world you tend to think w3w. If you take those three words and plug them into what3words.com, only one combination will lead you to a real, physical place. In this case, gossip.hero.judge points to a sculpture titled Leaping Hare on Crescent & Bell in London’s Broadgate Circle.

I'll have to write up a story someday about how I found a treasure chest in California by finally identifying a what3words address to win the $2000 prize. Anyways back to FHH's puzzle.

This step was really smart when you realize it's the foundation for the entire puzzle. FHH had chosen a location and then took 3 random words and built this entire puzzle (I did something similar with my Holiday Road Trip puzzle). Then FHH's puzzle combined wordplay, a bit of cultural trivia, and a modern tool used in past FHH hunts. I always enjoy puzzles that have a known mechanism that allows you to make progress and enjoy the journey even if you don't win. And the winner does get a fun confirmer with a concrete aha moment by finding a geocaching-style location when it all comes together. And though I didn’t solve it in time, I enjoyed the time I spent on the puzzle.

Final Thoughts

FHH continues to deliver creative and well-crafted puzzles that push solvers just enough without feeling impossible. This particular challenge walks a fine line between familiarity (word grouping) and novelty. Still, even our wrong turns were enjoyable, and I’d happily stumble through another puzzle like this again.

Thank you FHH for the puzzles! And don't miss the latest active puzzle from FHH THE POEM - "Who Am I?" Hunt #4.