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Cicada 3301
Cryptic puzzles appeared on the internet requiring knowledge of cryptography, literature, and philosophy. Clues led to phone numbers, websites, and physical locations worldwide. Who created them? Intelligence agencies? Cults? No one knows. The recruitment continues.
2012 - 2016
Worldwide
10000+ witnesses
Cicada 3301 is the internet’s greatest unsolved puzzle.
The Beginning
January 2012:
- Image posted on 4chan
- Hidden message inside
- “We are looking for intelligent individuals”
- Complex puzzle began
- Thousands attempted
The Puzzles
What was required:
- Cryptography
- Ancient languages
- Philosophy
- Steganography
- Physical locations
Global Scale
Clues appeared:
- Poland posters
- USA locations
- UK phone numbers
- Australia websites
- Coordinated worldwide
Three Rounds
2012, 2013, 2014:
- Each January
- Increasingly complex
- Some claimed to solve
- “Winners” went silent
- Never revealed purpose
Theories
Who is behind it:
- Intelligence recruitment
- Hacker group
- Secret society
- ARG/game
- Unknown
The Winners
What happened:
- Some completed puzzles
- Contacted by Cicada
- Sworn to secrecy
- Never revealed more
- Mystery continues