Notpron

Notpron (originally stylized as Not Pr0n[1]) is an online puzzle game and internet riddle created in 2004 by German game developer David Münnich.[2] It has been hailed by fans, journalists, and Münnich himself[3] as "the hardest riddle available on the internet".[4]

Notpron
Notpron's first level, which requires the player to click the door to proceed. Subsequent levels increase in difficulty, requiring the player to perform various tasks such as modifying the URL, editing images, and viewing the page source code for clues.
Developer(s)David Münnich
Platform(s)Browser based
Release
  • WW: 2004
Genre(s)Puzzle game

Regarded as one of the first of the online puzzle game genre, Notpron follows a standard puzzle game layout, where the player is presented with a webpage containing a riddle and must find the answer to the riddle in order to proceed to the next webpage. The game has a total of 138 "levels", ranging from 82 "positive" levels, 44 "negative" levels, and 12 "Greek" levels (Ranging from "Alpha" to "Lambda"). These three level groups do not differ from each other, apart from having different names, though each consecutive level increases in difficulty. Levels consist of finding either a password (known as a "UN/PW" by the game's community) or finding a URL to use in order to proceed to the next level. Passwords do not require a player to create an account but instead are given to a player once they have found the answer to a level's riddle. Each level answer or solution is unique, often requiring specific skills such as decoding ciphers, image editing and musical knowledge.

History

Inspired by a game he played online entitled "This is not Porn", Münnich created the first five levels in 2004, put them in a folder temporarily called "notpron", and posted it on his website. Soon thousands of people showed up to play the game and, by then, it was too late to change the name.[5] As of October 2020, only 100 people have completed the game, out of 20 million visitors since August 2004.[6] The official list of the solvers can be found on the website, although it is not updated anymore.

Reception

Kashann Kilson of Inverse called the game "the perfect combination of a logic puzzle and an online scavenger hunt."[7]

Spin-offs

Several Notpron-inspired websites have been created which achieved significant popularity, the most prominent being Truly Kryptic,[8] Amnesya,[9] OddPawn[10] and E.B.O.N.Y.[11]

References
  1. Nguyen, Clinton (November 14, 2015). "Eleven Years Later, Only 34 People Have Solved the 'Not Pron' Internet Puzzle - Vice". Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  2. Tweedie, Stephen (September 21, 2014). "What Is The Hardest Riddle Of All Time? - Business Insider". Retrieved 14 November 2014.
  3. Münnich, David. "Notpron by David Münnich - The Hardest Riddle Available on the Internet". Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  4. (in German) http://www.spiegel.de/netzwelt/web/abgesurft-grosse-laender-grosse-ideen-grosse-augen-a-394831.html. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  5. Grothaus, Michael (October 10, 2014). "The Story Behind The Web's Weirdest, Hardest Riddle ⚙ Co.Labs ⚙ code + community". Retrieved 14 November 2014.
  6. "Notpron by David Münnich - The Hardest Riddle Available on the Internet". notpron.com.
  7. Kilson, Kashann (14 March 2016). "5 Browser-Based Online Riddles That Will Tease Your Brain and Blow Your Mind". Inverse. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
  8. "Truly Kryptic". Retrieved 5 November 2017.
  9. "Amnesya". Retrieved 5 November 2017.
  10. "OddPawn". Retrieved 5 November 2017.
  11. "E.B.O.N.Y."
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