What is a Cryptogram?
A cryptogram is a puzzle where a quote or phrase has been encrypted using a simple letter substitution cipher. Each letter in the original text has been replaced with a different letter. Your job is to figure out the substitutions and decode the message.
How to Play:
- The yellow letters at the top are the cipher (encrypted) letters
- The boxes below are where you enter your guesses for the original letters
- Click on any cipher letter to select it, then click a letter on the keyboard to assign your guess
- The same substitution applies throughout the puzzle (if K=L, every K becomes L)
- When all letters are correctly decoded, you win!
Solving Tips:
- Start with single-letter words — they're usually "A" or "I"
- Look for common short words like "THE", "AND", "IS", "IT"
- Apostrophes help: words ending in 'S or 'T are common contractions
- Double letters give clues — common doubles are LL, EE, SS, OO, TT
- Letter frequency: E, T, A, O, I, N are the most common English letters
- Look at word patterns — a 4-letter word with pattern ABBA could be "THAT" or "SEES"
Difficulty Levels:
- Easy: Shorter quotes (under 80 characters), 2 free hints
- Medium: Medium length quotes (80-150 characters), 1 free hint
- Hard: Longer quotes (150+ characters), no hints available