Cryptogram: Suspicious symbols rarely come alone
Development of Cryptogram began on 11 October 2026. After rectangles and worm trails, letters were finally allowed onto the puzzle team – initially undercover, of course.
The idea combines secret codes with words that share a theme. You see encrypted words and a common category. Each letter you decode clears a little more of the confusion. Suddenly you recognise one word, the next falls into place, and “What on earth does that mean?” becomes a very satisfied “Aha!”.
From prototype to word collection
It started with a small collection of German word groups. The game then grew to include more categories, three difficulty levels and six languages in total.
Much of the work went into the details: which letters make a useful starting point? How do long words stay readable on a phone? And how should different languages handle accented letters? The wood-and-parchment design found its place, too. A little detective’s desk needs some atmosphere, after all.
How to crack the code
- All the words belong to the category shown.
- Identical symbols stand for the same letter throughout the puzzle.
- Each answer letter is assigned to just one encrypted symbol.
- An encrypted letter never stands for itself.
- Select a tile and enter your guess. The assignment applies wherever that symbol appears.
Some letters are already provided. If you get stuck, hints and the check function can help.
No spy training required. An eye for patterns and an initial hunch will do nicely.