What is EnigMarch?
EnigMarch is a month-long create-a-puzzle-per-day challenge. Every day in March, we will share unique one-word prompts, deliberately broad to encourage multiple interpretations, that serve as jumping-off points for your puzzle-creating genius to flourish.
How am I supposed to write 31 puzzles in a month?
Deliberately, enthusiastically, and patiently. Or, you can choose not to write 31 in a month. That’s fine too.
Where did EnigMarch come from?
Like nearly everything in the known universe, EnigMarch was born in a Discord community, with a question about whether there was a month-long puzzle creation challenge similar to Inktober or NaNoWriMo. When we couldn’t find anything, we decided to make one ourselves. Granted, we could’ve just kept it to ourselves, but it’s way more fun to force others to participate to lend legitimacy to our own suffering.
Where can I share my puzzles?
If you’re partial to social media, give us a follow, and then post your puzzles using #enigmarch.
If you’re not partial to social media, force your friends, families, and enemies to look upon your puzzles and acknowledge your greatness. Leave them in a public restroom (on a piece of paper—we do not condone vandalism, for legal reasons) (but, like, in an intentional way—we do not condone littering, for ethical reasons). Tie your puzzles to the legs of a carrier pigeon and see where they end up. Put your puzzles in a bottle and throw that bottle into your neighbor’s swimming pool. Bury your puzzles in a time capsule. Seal your puzzles in an envelope and mail them to someone from your past. Tie your puzzles to the legs of a pigeon where it’s unclear whether the pigeon is a carrier pigeon, and see if it does the job anyway. Write your puzzles down and then burn them before anyone can see them! This is a long way of saying do whatever you want with them, honestly. Your life is your life.
But if you post them online, please use the hashtag.
What constitutes a “puzzle”?
This isn’t a speech at a wedding, so it doesn’t make sense to open with a dictionary definition of a word. But we are going to anyway, because Merriam-Webster has a particularly good definition of puzzle: “something that puzzles.”
Too general? Maybe. A cop-out answer? Surely. But this is an opportunity to be inclusive rather than exclusive in our definition, so if you feel like it’s a puzzle, it’s a puzzle. And don’t call me Shirley.
Sure, but what makes a good puzzle?
Quality is subjective, except when it’s not.
I’m new to writing puzzles. Are there any resources that might be helpful to me?
Indeed there are! Our resources page has a (by no means exhaustive) list to help you get started.
Do you have a logo or other EnigMarch images I can use?
Thanks for asking! Here’s our media kit.
What kinds of puzzles could I create for the challenge?
Any kind you want—you might create word puzzles, logic puzzles, number puzzles, visual puzzles, math puzzles, any medium or style that resonates with you. You can do the same type of puzzle each day, all different types, or somewhere in between. We’re not going to tell you how to live your life.
If I miss a day but really loved that theme, can I post my puzzle for that day at a later date?
Certainly! There’s a monthly-challenge-style structure to EnigMarch for those who find this helpful and motivating, but you aren’t confined to only doing it that day. Follow your heart.
Besides, if we said no, would that really stop you?
(Note: If you miss a day but really hated the theme, this answer still applies.)
Can I combine more than one theme into a single puzzle?
That sounds like a great idea! A very meta idea.
How frequently are these frequently asked questions actually asked?
Not never.
EnigMarch 