Some famous ciphertexts (or cryptograms), in chronological order by date, are:
Year of origin | Ciphertext | Decipherment status |
---|---|---|
2nd millennium BC | Phaistos Disc | Unsolved |
179-180 | Papyrus Oxyrhynchus 90 | Unsolved |
1400s (15th century) | Voynich Manuscript | Unsolved |
1500s (16th century) (?) | Rohonc Codex | Unsolved |
1586 | Babington Plot ciphers | Solved |
17th century | Great Cipher | Solved |
1730 | Olivier Levasseur's treasure cryptogram | Solved in 2024 |
1760–1780 | Copiale cipher | Solved in 2011 |
1843 | "The Gold-Bug" cryptogram by Edgar Allan Poe | Solved (solution given within the short story) |
1882 | Debosnys cipher | Unsolved |
1885 | Beale ciphers | Partially solved (1 out of the 3 ciphertexts solved between 1845–1885) |
1897 | Dorabella Cipher | Unsolved |
1903 | "The Adventure of the Dancing Men" code by Arthur Conan Doyle | Solved (solution given within the short story) |
1917 | Zimmermann Telegram | Solved within days of transmission |
1918 | Chaocipher | Solved |
1918–1945 | Enigma machine messages | Solved (broken by Polish and Allied cryptographers between 1932 and 1945) |
1939 | D'Agapeyeff cipher | Unsolved |
1939–1945 | Purple cipher machine messages | Solved (broken by Allied cryptographers in 1940) |
1941 | Lorenz SZ42 machine cipher messages | Solved (broken by Allied cryptographers in 1942) |
1944 | Pigeon NURP 40 TW 194 | Unsolved |
1948 | Tamam Shud case | Unsolved |
1950(?) | James Hampton | Unsolved |
1969 | Zodiac Killer ciphers | Partially solved (2 out of the 4 ciphertexts solved between 1969–2020) |
1977 | The Magic Words are Squeamish Ossifrage | Solved in 1993–1994 |
1983 | Decipher | Solved [1] |
1986 | Decipher II | Partially solved (all 4 ciphertexts solved between 1985 and 1986, but the solution to the 4th ciphertext has since been lost) [2] |
1987 | Decipher III | Unsolved [2] |
1990 | Kryptos | Partially solved (3 out of the 4 ciphertexts solved between 1992–1999) |
1991 | Scorpion ciphers [3] | Unsolved |
1999 | Ricky McCormick's encrypted notes | Unsolved |
2006 | Smithy code, embedded within the 2006 judgment on The Da Vinci Code case | Solved within month of publication |
2012–2016 | Cicada 3301 puzzles | Partially solved (2 out of 3 puzzles solved) |
2015 | 11B-X-1371 | Solved |
Puzzle video games make up a broad genre of video games that emphasize puzzle solving. The types of puzzles can test problem-solving skills, including logic, pattern recognition, sequence solving, spatial recognition, and word completion. Many puzzle games involve a real-time element and require quick thinking, such as Tetris (1985) and Lemmings (1991).
In cryptography, a transposition cipher is a method of encryption which scrambles the positions of characters (transposition) without changing the characters themselves. Transposition ciphers reorder units of plaintext according to a regular system to produce a ciphertext which is a permutation of the plaintext. They differ from substitution ciphers, which do not change the position of units of plaintext but instead change the units themselves. Despite the difference between transposition and substitution operations, they are often combined, as in historical ciphers like the ADFGVX cipher or complex high-quality encryption methods like the modern Advanced Encryption Standard (AES).
A crossword is a word game consisting of a grid of black and white squares, into which solvers enter words or phrases ("entries") crossing each other horizontally ("across") and vertically ("down") according to a set of clues. Each white square is typically filled with one letter, while the black squares are used to separate entries. The first white square in each entry is typically numbered to correspond to its clue.
A cryptogram is a type of puzzle that consists of a short piece of encrypted text. Generally the cipher used to encrypt the text is simple enough that the cryptogram can be solved by hand. Substitution ciphers where each letter is replaced by a different letter, number, or symbol are frequently used. To solve the puzzle, one must recover the original lettering. Though once used in more serious applications, they are now mainly printed for entertainment in newspapers and magazines.
An alternate reality game (ARG) is an interactive networked narrative that uses the real world as a platform and employs transmedia storytelling to deliver a story that may be altered by players' ideas or actions.
Decipher, Inc. is an American gaming company headquartered in Norfolk, Virginia, US. The company began with three puzzles marketed as "Decipher," subsequently marketing party games and Pente sets. After 1994, Decipher produced collectible card and role-playing games — including their longest-running product, How to Host a Murder Mystery series. Other popular works have included many different card games. Since 2002, Decipher has released two licensed role-playing games: Star Trek RPG and The Lord of the Rings Roleplaying Game.
The Dorabella Cipher is an enciphered letter written by composer Edward Elgar to Dora Penny, which was accompanied by another dated July 14, 1897. Penny never deciphered it and its meaning remains unknown.
Kryptos is a distributed sculpture by the American artist Jim Sanborn located on the grounds of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) headquarters, the George Bush Center for Intelligence in Langley, Virginia.
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In cryptology, a code is a method used to encrypt a message that operates at the level of meaning; that is, words or phrases are converted into something else. A code might transform "change" into "CVGDK" or "cocktail lounge". The U.S. National Security Agency defined a code as "A substitution cryptosystem in which the plaintext elements are primarily words, phrases, or sentences, and the code equivalents typically consist of letters or digits in otherwise meaningless combinations of identical length." A codebook is needed to encrypt, and decrypt the phrases or words.
Perplex City was an alternate reality game (ARG) created by Mind Candy, a London-based developer in 2005. Adrian Hon was the producer, designer and director of the game's first and only completed season, in which players searched for "The Receda Cube", an artifact of spiritual significance to the inhabitants of a fictional metropolis known as "Perplex City" which had great scientific value. In the game, "The Cube" had been stolen and buried somewhere on Earth.
The Smithy code is a series of letters embedded, as a private amusement, within the April 2006 approved judgement of Mr Justice Peter Smith on The Da Vinci Code copyright case. The judge publicly admitted that "I can't discuss the judgement, but I don't see why a judgement should not be a matter of fun." It was first broken, in the same month, by Dan Tench, a lawyer who writes on media issues for The Guardian, after he received a series of email clues about it from Justice Smith.
Wheel of Fortune is an American television game show created by Merv Griffin. The show has aired continuously since January 6, 1975. Contestants solve word puzzles, similar to those in hangman, to win cash and prizes determined by spinning a giant carnival wheel. The current version of the series, which airs in nightly syndication, premiered on September 19, 1983.
Gravity Falls is an American mystery comedy animated television series created by Alex Hirsch for Disney Channel and Disney XD. The series follows the adventures of Dipper Pines and his twin sister Mabel, who are sent to spend the summer with their great-uncle Stan (Hirsch) in Gravity Falls, Oregon, a mysterious town full of paranormal incidents and supernatural creatures. The kids help Stan run the "Mystery Shack", the tourist trap that he owns, while also investigating the local mysteries.
YouTube Creator Awards, commonly known as YouTube Play Buttons or YouTube Plaques, are a series of awards from the American video platform YouTube that aim to recognize its most popular channels. They are based on a channel's subscriber count but are offered at the sole discretion of YouTube. Each channel is reviewed before an award is issued, to ensure that the channel follows the YouTube community guidelines. YouTube reserves the right to refuse to hand out a Creator Award, which it has done for channels featuring horror or extremist political content.
Detective Barbie is a series of three mystery themed point and click adventure games starring the character Barbie. The series consists of Detective Barbie In the Mystery of the Carnival Caper! (1998) Detective Barbie 2: The Vacation Mystery (1999), and Detective Barbie: The Mystery Cruise (2000). The first two games were developed by Gorilla Systems Corporation and published on the PC by Mattel Media/Mattel Interactive. The third game was developed for the PlayStation by Runecraft.
Cracking the Cryptic (CTC) is a YouTube channel dedicated to paper-and-pencil puzzles: primarily sudoku, but also cryptic crosswords and other types of number-placement, pencil, and word puzzles. They occasionally stream puzzle games on YouTube.
The Cipher Hunt was an alternate reality game and international scavenger hunt created by storyboard artist and voice actor Alex Hirsch based on his animated series Gravity Falls. The goal was to find the real-life statue of the series' antagonist Bill Cipher, which was briefly glimpsed at the end of the series finale. The hunt involved retrieving and decoding clues hidden in various locations worldwide.