Solution to Attack of the Lobsters

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Answer: LOB ROCK STAR

by DD Liu, Kat Fang
Agent L played by Kat Fang

This game is unlocked as soon as the Charles River Meta (The Lobster Network) is solved, and is the final step required to fix the Charles River.

After solving The Lobster Network puzzle, the teams earned a Pirate's License and can go through a previously locked door in the Sailing Pavilion in the Projection Device. Upon going through the door, they enter a collaborative game. In the game, they'll need to follow the music notes and reach the island that the notes are coming from. To move the boat, you'll need to anagram words corresponding to the direction that you want to move in. (The first and last letters of each word are in the correct position.)

Each lobster carries a word. To defeat the lobster, we'll need to use one of the transformations you learned about in the Lobster Network puzzle. (Not all transformations are used.) If we get hit by a lobster, we'll lose a life. (We start with five lives.)

The transformations are:

  • Reverse string. These lobsters travel backwards, i.e. decal -> laced.
  • Add "re" to the start of the word, i.e. fuse -> refuse. These lobsters have two sets of claws.
  • Replace last letter with the previous letter in the alphabet, i.e. mast -> mass. These lobsters have golden tails.
  • Convert the word from its pig latin form, i.e. ashtray -> trash.
    These lobsters have pig heads. This one lobster is a reverse transformation of the rest. However, this helps the realization that there are different types of lobsters and you'll want to use the transformations from the meta.
  • Take a homophone of the word, i.e. allowed -> aloud. These lobsters have phones.
  • Add the substring "tor" to the word in any location, i.e. real -> realtor. The onion is a reference to the tor anonymity network.

We'll need to clear out lobsters to reach the island safely.

The rate at which lobsters spawns is determined by team size from .1 lobsters / second for 1 team member to 2.2 lobsters / second for teams of 93 or more. (All the numbers in between are super precise secret science. I promise.)

Once you reach the island, you'll learn that the solution is to LOB ROCK STAR. You chuck the rock star into the sea and thankfully the horrible lobsters follow, fixing the Charles River!