Each year, five new competitive problems, and one non-competitive problem, are presented for teams to solve. These long-term problems are solved over weeks and months. Some of the problems are more technical in nature, while others are artistic or performance based.

Each long-term problem rewards "Style" in the solution. The Style portion of the competition gives teams an opportunity to further showcase their creative skills through the elaboration of their long-term problem solution. In Odyssey of the Mind, Style is defined as, "That which is added to the problem's solution and relates to the theme of the problem or the solution, but is not a requirement of the long-term problem." Style categories provide incentive for teams to be creative in different areas by allowing them to choose which elements they want the judges to score, in addition to being scored for meeting the requirements of the problem.

2020 Long -Term Problem Synopses
Download in PDF format -- Requires Acrobat Reader.
Problem Clarifications
Odyssey of the Mind Program Guide can be down–loaded from the Member Area after registering.
- Requires Acrobat Reader.