Mystery on 5th Avenue - real life puzzle ideas?

ClarissaWAM — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 11:54:27 -0800

Please help me make a cheap but kick ass version of the amazing Mystery on 5th Avenue apartment for a friend. (recently on Mefi). If you don't know the link it will be best if you read it, or go through the slideshow.
Supershort summary: lots of puzzles elegantly integrated into an apartment, sending the owners on a very extravagant adventure game.

So I want to create something similar for my friend, who loves puzzles & games.

My limitations are pretty substantial:
- I (obviously) have a tiny fraction of the money
- I currently have no access to the house. I have enrolled her mum's help but will need to do all planning & preparing while in a different country.
- no irreversible alterations to the actual house / furniture etc.
- they already live there so changes shouldn't be too obvious, or if they are there should be a logical explanation mum can provide.
- ideally I'd carry all props with me when I fly there (in my suitcase, since unsuspecting friend will collect me!), tho larger items could be mailed to mum.
- I know friend's part of the house pretty well but changes will be easier to explain in mum's part so I'm pretty much working with a blank / generic canvas.

I will do lots of googling and researching, but I'm not much of a puzzler/gamer/cypherer myself so please lend me your wisdom & cleverness to make this a really cool experience for my friend. (she currently doesn't have Internet access so this was the perfect time to ask)

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Mystery on 5th Avenue - real life puzzle ideas?