Poems, an .ISO Puzzle

Name: Poems, an .ISO Puzzle
Availability: InStock
Author: sjmulder

by sjmulder·Jul 17, 2026·2 points·0 comments

Visit Project View on HN

AI Analysis

●●●BangerRabbit HoleCozyNiche Gem

Hiding poems in ISO 9660 structures is the kind of weird craft that makes HN worth scrolling.

Strengths

•Leverages ISO 9660's redundant fields and overlaying filesystems for genuine data smuggling.
•Starts at Primary Volume Descriptor 0x8000, offering a real CTF-style entry point.
•Hosted on a Nintendo Wii, adding a layer of delightful, unnecessary constraint to the delivery.

Weaknesses

•Extremely niche appeal; requires specific knowledge of disk formats to even start.
•No automated verification or hint system mentioned, potentially leading to dead ends.

Post Description

Here a small puzzle for you to enjoy.

In this file, there are 16 short poems to be found. Joy is had not by grepping or wanton scanning, but by careful parsing, and attention to detail. Such will be rewarded by small joys of wonder.

Over the past few days I’ve been building up this little file format hacking puzzle. It’s a bit niche, but I hope the sort of people who’re into this kind of thing might really enjoy it, so that’s why I’m sharing it here.

(Yes, the Wii has no HTTPS yet, I’ve been busy building silly things )