Cicada 3301
Mysterious puzzles appeared online—incredibly complex, spanning the internet, books, phone lines, and physical locations worldwide. Those who solved them disappeared. A recruiting tool? An ARG? No one knows who's behind it.
Cicada 3301 is an enigmatic organization that posted extremely complex puzzles online in 2012, 2013, and 2014. Those who solved them were recruited into unknown activities.
The Puzzles
According to documented accounts:
Starting in January 2012:
- An image was posted online with hidden data
- Solving it led to increasingly difficult puzzles
- The trail spanned the internet, phone lines, and physical locations
- Winners were apparently recruited
The First Puzzle (2012)
The sequence included:
- Steganography (hidden messages in images)
- Classical ciphers
- References to obscure literature
- Phone numbers that played recorded messages
- GPS coordinates leading to physical posters worldwide
- Each step led to harder challenges
Global Reach
Physical locations involved:
- United States
- Poland
- France
- South Korea
- Australia
- Japan
- And more
Someone had placed posters with QR codes in these locations.
The Message
Cicada 3301 stated:
- They were looking for “highly intelligent individuals”
- Privacy and anonymity were valued
- The puzzles tested problem-solving and knowledge
- Those who succeeded would be contacted
What Happened to Winners?
Those who solved the puzzles:
- Were apparently contacted
- Signed non-disclosure agreements
- Participated in unknown activities
- Most have remained silent
- A few have spoken vaguely about “a community”
Theories
Intelligence Agency Recruitment: CIA, NSA, or foreign agencies testing potential recruits.
Hacker Collective: A group seeking skilled members.
Alternate Reality Game (ARG): An elaborate game or art project.
Cryptocurrency Group: Related to privacy-focused technology.
Cult: A secretive organization with unknown goals.
The Skills Required
Solving required knowledge of:
- Cryptography
- Steganography
- Literature (William Blake, etc.)
- Mathematics
- Music theory
- Programming
- Ancient languages
The End
After 2014:
- No new puzzles have appeared
- The organization went silent
- Imitators have posted fake puzzles
- The genuine Cicada 3301 hasn’t returned
Legacy
Cicada 3301:
- Represents one of the internet’s greatest mysteries
- Inspired documentaries and books
- Demonstrated sophisticated puzzle design
- Its true purpose remains unknown
Authentic vs. Fake
Warning signs of fake Cicada puzzles:
- Asking for money
- Lower quality cryptography
- No verification from original sources
- Many imposters exist