About


HIVE: The Race to Save Time is an online puzzle game (or “Puzzle Hunt,” if you want to be technical). It takes place in the world of HIVE: Madders of Time, Book One by award-winning author DL Orton. This game is an official promotional event for the book. Please support the author by buying a copy!

About the Book:

In the not-too-distant future, Earth’s last survivors huddle inside a biodome as rising seas and relentless swarms of microdrones ravage the planet. Isabel and Diego are the last of their kind, trapped in a decaying world where hope is as scarce as food.

As the walls begin to crack and the hope of salvation fades, Isabel makes a startling discovery: the time-bending technology buried beneath their feet.

🏆 Honorable Mention for Eric Hoffer Book Award 2025

⭐️ "Engrossing doomsday thriller spliced with heart, humor, and second chances." -Publishers Weekly

Learn more at maddersoftime.com!

How to Register:

  • The game began on Friday, May 16th, 2025 at 6:00:00 PM EDT, and ends on Monday, May 26th (Memorial Day), 2025 at 11:59:59 PM Hawaii Time. You may join the game at any time prior to its conclusion.
  • Each player must register individually by clicking the “Sign Up” link in the top right-hand corner of the hivebookgame.com site (or via the hamburger menu if you are on mobile). Anyone may register to play the game, but the sweepstakes (see below) is only open to U.S. residents age 18 and older.
  • To register, you’ll need to enter your first and last name, a unique email address, and select a username and password for your account. You may also select a Display Name, which is the way your name will appear on the site and in any communications we send to you. When you sign up successfully, you’ll receive a confirmation email at the email address you provided.
  • To play the game, simply log into your account during the game period. Note that some puzzles will be viewable without logging in. Feel free to “try before you buy”... uh… “before you register,” but just know that your progress won’t be saved and you’ll need to re-solve everything if you do decide to register.

How to Play/Game Rules:

  • The game will take place in three rounds. Each round will consist of a number of puzzles and a metapuzzle. Each metapuzzle is solved using the answers from the other puzzles in its round.
  • Clicking a puzzle’s icon opens a puzzle page with an interactive interface. An answer entry box appears on each puzzle page below the puzzle title. Entering the correct answer into this box will solve the puzzle. Incorrect guesses will be displayed below the box so you can remember what you’ve already tried. Correctly solving a puzzle may unlock additional puzzles on the main screen.
  • Players start with only the first round’s puzzles “unlocked” (viewable). Solving the first round metapuzzle will unlock some of the puzzles in Round 2. Solving puzzles in Round 2 will unlock additional Round 2 puzzles and, eventually, Round 3 puzzles. There are 18 puzzles in all, including the three metapuzzles.
  • Each puzzle can be toggled between Easy, Medium, and Hard mode by using the radio buttons below the puzzle’s title. The default setting is “Hard” because Easy and Medium modes usually contain instructions that Hard mode does not, and we don’t want to accidentally provide spoilers!
    • Hard mode features no instructions or hints, and is best for advanced puzzlers looking for a classic “Puzzle Hunt” experience.
    • Medium mode features puzzle instructions and some clickable hints. It’s best for people who have some experience solving different kinds of puzzles, but prefer not to have to guess at what they’re supposed to be doing.
    • Easy mode features step-by-step puzzle instructions and detailed clickable hints. If you’re new to puzzles or want a less intense challenge, this is the mode for you!
  • Beyond the three puzzle modes, the rounds are also of increasing difficulty:
    • Round 1: Murderbots! features 3 puzzles based on well-known puzzle types, each with a slight twist to keep them interesting, plus an introductory metapuzzle to help show how metapuzzles work. (4 puzzles total)
    • Round 2: Isabel features 5 puzzles. Two are based on well-known puzzle types, but the other three introduce unique formats. The metapuzzle is more complex. (6 puzzles total)
    • Round 3: Diego consists of 4 “level one” puzzles, with two riffs on classic formats and two unique designs. Fixing the ladder (you’ll see what that means) unlocks “level two,” which contains 3 puzzles that are the most complex puzzles in the game. Finally, the metapuzzle is a “true metapuzzle,” requiring out-of-the-box thinking to solve. (8 puzzles total)
  • We highly recommend playing on a desktop or laptop computer for the best experience. Tablets are supported, but some functionality may not be available; we recommend playing in landscape mode. While landscape-oriented phones are supported, their small screen size may make some puzzle details difficult to view, and some operating systems are not compatible with certain site features.
  • In order to make the game accessible to players of all skill levels, there are a variety of hints and answer checks available for each puzzle, meaning not all players will play on the same level of difficulty. Because of this, we have opted not to display a live leaderboard, as such a leaderboard would encourage everyone to play on the easiest setting. You should play on the setting that feels challenging but not too hard for you.
  • Online tools like Google searches are definitely allowed! In fact, some of the puzzles are probably unsolvable without the use of such tools.
  • Hints will be available to assist you if you get stuck. You may request a hint for a puzzle by clicking the “Request a Hint” button in the top right hand corner of the puzzle page. Please be aware that we respond to hint requests on a first-come, first-served basis, and depending on the volume of hint requests we receive, we may not be able to respond in a timely manner. Before requesting a hint, we recommend checking the clickable hints in Medium mode first, and then the ones in Easy mode. There is no penalty for doing so, and it will probably be much faster than waiting for a custom hint response!
  • Although the game is played individually, up to four registered players may form a collaborative group to assist one another in solving puzzles, provided:
    1. The number of players who have ever been members of the group during the game period is four or fewer. Players are not allowed to leave a group once they have joined;
    2. The members of the group do not collaborate with anyone outside of their group, nor with any other group or its members;
    3. For the entire duration of the game, each player may only ever have been a member of at most one specific group (i.e., not one group at a time: one group in total);
    4. The members of the group do not play on behalf of one another, and no player logs into another player’s account or enters answers on behalf of another player.
  • No information from the book HIVE: Madders of Time, Book One is required to solve. However, the ebook will be on sale for just 99 cents (!) during the game period. There will also be a free option to get a copy (see Sweepstakes info below), but we hope you’ll consider buying the book – remember, it costs less than a dollar! – to support this project.
  • Miscellaneous stuff:
    • Collaborating with any non-player is strictly prohibited.
    • You may not stream or post spoilers for the game in a place where other players might see them.
    • You may not ask for help on specific puzzles on a public forum or semi-public Discord server, but you may make an open (non-spoilery) request to form a group with other registered players if you aren’t already a member of a four-person group.
    • Please don’t look at or interact with the HTML source/Javascript/CSS on any webpages on the site.
    • We reserve the right to disqualify any player for misconduct.
    • We reserve the right to change any of these rules (if it’s a major change, we’ll announce it to all registered players via email or website posting).

The Sweepstakes:

  • There is a $500 sweepstakes associated with each round.
  • When you have successfully answered the metapuzzle in each round, you will be eligible to enter the sweepstakes for that round.
  • To enter, visit the designated webpage and submit the entry form along with the round’s metapuzzle answer plus a screenshot/photo of your book purchase receipt or “alternate means of entry” code (see Terms and Conditions/Official Rules for details):
    • Round 1 Sweepstakes: https://otherworldlyfun.com/Round1Entry
    • Round 2 Sweepstakes: https://otherworldlyfun.com/Round2Entry
    • Round 3 Sweepstakes: https://otherworldlyfun.com/Round3Entry
  • No player is required to enter the sweepstakes.
  • Each round’s sweepstakes is separate from the others. You may enter one sweepstakes, two, or all three, but in order to enter, you will need to fill out a separate entry form each time (sorry, we know it’s a hassle, but that’s the way sweepstakes law applies here!). This also means that it’s possible – though mathematically unlikely – for one individual to win prizes in all three sweepstakes.
  • Each player may only enter each sweepstakes once. Each household may only win a maximum of one prize per sweepstakes. Players can win a prize in each sweepstakes (fair or not, this is a legal requirement!).
  • The Sweepstakes prizes are:
    • Round 1 Sweepstakes: 20 Visa Gift Cards of $25 each ($500 total)
    • Round 2 Sweepstakes: 10 Visa Gift Cards of $50 each ($500 total)
    • Round 3 Sweepstakes: 5 Visa Gift Cards of $100 each ($500 total)
  • You must either purchase a copy of the book HIVE: Madders of Time, Book One (the ebook version of which costs 99 cents during the game period), or fulfill an Alternate Means of Entry (AMOE) to enter without buying a copy. No purchase necessary. Making a purchase will not increase your odds of winning. See the Terms and Conditions/Official Rules for details.
  • A single book purchase/AMOE is sufficient to enter all three sweepstakes. You do not need to acquire multiple copies of the book to enter more than one sweepstakes.
  • Winners will be randomly drawn from among all correct entries received on or about May 27, 2025.

Who’s Behind This, Anyway?

HIVE: The Race to Save Time is sponsored by DL Orton, the author of the award-winning and best-selling Between Two Evils book series and the new Madders of Time books. Her novels have received multiple literary awards, including the BookLife Prize in Fiction, the Indie Book Award, and a Publishers Weekly Starred Review. Ms. Orton is a graduate of Stanford University's Writers Workshop and a past editor of "Top of the Western Staircase," a literary publication of CU, Boulder. She lives in the Tropics with her husband, a golden retriever mix, a Siberian cat, and a bazillion geckos. In her spare time, she's building a time machine so that someone can go back and do the laundry. Visit her online at DLOrton.com.

Game storyline and puzzles are designed by award-winning puzzle designer John Bromels of Otherworldly Adventures LLC, with assistance from coauthor Alina Khankin. John’s were also the brains behind 2024’s Who Killed Ickey? $50,000 Treasure Hunt. His puzzles have appeared in the 2024 MIT Mystery Hunt and Neil Patrick Harris’ Wondercade newsletter. John, Alina, and their coauthor Brian Widerman won the 2024 Bravo Award for Best Intro Puzzle for their MIT Mystery Hunt puzzle BADGES BADGES BADGES BADGES BADGES BADGES BADGES BADGES BADGES, and an Honorable Mention for Funniest Puzzle of 2024 for their MIT Mystery Hunt puzzle TWO OUTS, TWO STRIKES, AND….

One puzzle (you’ll know which one when you see it!) features original hand-drawn artwork by Eamon Hill. Eamon is a tattoo and comic book artist based in Cincinnati, Ohio.