GUIDES AND REFERENCES
Layered Morse, binary and tap-code puzzle
Reproduce a complete Morse \u2192 binary \u2192 tap-coordinate puzzle, with every intermediate value and decoding step.
Encode from the intended answer backward
The answer is HI. In the C/K tap grid, H is row 2, column 3, and I is row 2, column 4. Write those coordinates as the text 23 24. Encode that text as UTF-8 binary bytes, including its space byte. Finally encode the binary digits and their separating spaces as International Morse.
Players reverse those three transformations: decode the Morse into binary groups; decode the binary bytes into 23 24; interpret the two coordinate pairs as HI. Unlike a direct Morse-to-coordinate exercise, this example contains an actual binary stage. The complete outer signal below is generated from the exact binary intermediate.
Supply conventions and checkpoints
Provide a Morse chart, an eight-bit ASCII clue and the five-by-five tap grid. Tell players that spaces separate binary bytes and coordinate pairs. The space byte 00100000 is part of the intermediate text, not an optional separator to discard.
For a shorter puzzle, stop after binary decoding and use a plain text answer instead of coordinates. For this three-stage version, offer the hints below one at a time. Observe the tester rather than promise a universal solve duration; the outer audio is deliberately long because it transmits written binary digits.
Check the construction
Use the binary converter to turn 23 24 into bytes and verify the values in the table. Load that binary string into the main translator. Swap its Morse result back into the input and confirm the same binary string returns. Decode the bytes, then check 2,3 and 2,4 in the tap reference.
HI is a two-letter checkpoint. If you want the player to perform an action, add a separate puzzle instruction explaining what HI unlocks or means. The encoding itself does not tell a player where to go.
All three stages
| Stage | Value | How to reverse it |
|---|---|---|
| Final answer | HI | Two letters |
| Tap coordinates as text | 23 24 | 2,3 → H; 2,4 → I |
| UTF-8 binary bytes | 00110010 00110011 00100000 00110010 00110100 | 32 33 20 32 34 in hexadecimal → 23 24 |
| Outer layer | Morse for the exact binary string below | Decode marks into 0/1 groups before interpreting bytes |
Hint ladder
| Hint | Prompt |
|---|---|
| 1 | The outer marks are International Morse; preserve the word gaps. |
| 2 | The decoded words contain eight binary digits each. |
| 3 | Decode all five ASCII bytes, including the space byte. |
| 4 | Read each two-digit group as row then column in the C/K grid. |
Worked examples
These patterns use International Morse. Spaces separate letters; / separates words. A slash in the original text is encoded as -..-.
- 00110010 00110011 00100000 00110010 00110100
- Try this message
----- ----- .---- .---- ----- ----- .---- ----- / ----- ----- .---- .---- ----- ----- .---- .---- / ----- ----- .---- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- / ----- ----- .---- .---- ----- ----- .---- ----- / ----- ----- .---- .---- ----- .---- ----- -----51.90 seconds at 20 WPM