I think a lot about this one time in a game of modern day magic. The players wanted to contact another group. They knew the other group was double warded against magic. An anti-teleportation spell on top of a general anti-magic spell. Serious business.

The players wanted to some time and resources trying to punch through these wards to teleport directly to this other group. I told them the odds, they said ok, and rolled. The dice said no. They mulled about for a bit, and then said they wanted to try again. I said ok. They got their spells together, spent their resources, and rolled. The dice said no, again.

I said, “Do you want a hint?”

They said, “Yeah”

I said, “You just want to talk to them, right?”

“Yeah”, they said.

“Why don’t you just call them on the phone?” I said.

“…oh.”

Sometimes players get tunnel vision.

If a puzzle is too simple, players will assume the solution is a red herring, and the actual answer is something more complex. Let us not forget how the entire Fellowship of the Ring was stumped by a door that told them how to open it, because they thought it would be more secure.

I would argue the opposite is also true, if you design a puzzle to last the night, something really clever obscure and tricky, it’ll take seconds

Edit: several typos. Original text below:

I would argue the opposite of also true, of your design a puzzle to last the night, something really clever obscure and tricky, it’ll take seconds.

DnD Barbarian: “B…A…T… Oh no, it’s bait for a trap!” WoD player: “No, you dolt. It’s clearly meant to be a more complex anagram indicating the identity of the coconspirator. Cunning… peasant…” Call of Cthulhu player: insensate screaming “It is the name of the unspeakable! Burn them! Destroy the tablets! Bury the entrance so that none find this place again in our lifetimes!” DnD Wizard: “Fireball. Final answer.” rolls

LMAO