RULE REMINDER: Rapid fire multiple submissions put an unreasonable load on the servers and make it difficult for others to submit. Anyone who makes an unreasonable number of submissions will be open to disqualification. In the first instance this will mean that anyone who submits more than 20 times in 10 minutes will be disqualified.
Fogged
YK PQMD YMPQYAUEQXXQ NQDZTMDPF, U MY EADDK FA FQXX KAG FTMF PQEBUFQ AGD NQEF QRRADFE IQ TMHQ NQQZ GZMNXQ FA DQBMUD FTQ PMYMSQP BXMFQ. U RQMD FTMF FTQ RGYQE RDAY FTQ MPTQEUHQE IQ MBBXUQP YMK TMHQ PMYMSQP UF UDDQFDUQHMNXK, EUZOQ QHQZ FTAGST IQ IQDQ MNXQ FA DQMEEQYNXQ FTQ BMDFE, FTQ UYMSQ UE NMPXK RASSQP. FTQ FUYUZS UE GZRADFGZMFQ, IUFT FTQ BDUZOQ’E HUEUF MF TMZP, NGF U NQXUQHQ IQ YMK NQ MNXQ FA DQFDUQHQ YMFFQDE IUFT M ZQI EUFFUZS UR KAG MDQ MNXQ FA RUZP FTQ FUYQ FAPMK. YK EGBBXUQD TME ARRQDQP YQ FTQ ABBADFGZUFK FA FDK M ZQI BTAFASDMBTUO EKEFQY NMEQP AZ M RXQJUNXQ, BMBQD NMOWQP RUXY, ITUOT ETAGXP NQ DQEUEFMZF FA FTQ EADF AR MOOUPQZF FA ITUOT FTQ AFTQD UYMSQ EMPXK EGOOGYNQP. U WZAI FTMF KAG MDQ PQQBXK UZFQDQEFQP UZ FTQ MDF AR BTAFASDMBTK, MZP FTUE IAGXP NQ MZ QJOQXXQZF ABBADFGZUFK FA QJMYUZQ FTQ XMFQEF UZZAHMFUAZ. OMZ U OAZHUZOQ KAG FA MFFQZP M EUFFUZS FTUE MRFQDZAAZ, MRFQD FTQ YMFUZQQ?  AZ FTQ YMFFQD AR XQMDZUZS FA PQOUBTQD FTQ MPHQDFUEQYQZFE UZ XQ RUSMDA, U FTUZW KAG IUXX NQ PUEMBBAUZFQP! FTQ YQFTAPE GEQ FA QZODKBF FTQY MDQ ZAF EABTUEFUOMFQP, DQXKUZS AZ EUYBXQ EGNEFUFGFUAZE, ZGYQDUO OAPQE AD MZMSDMYE. YADQAHQD, FTQ OAZFQZFE FTQYEQXHQE MDQ YAEFXK XAHQ XQFFQDE AR FTQ RADXADZ EADF MZP GZXUWQXK FA QZFQDFMUZ KAG, FTAGST U PUP RUZP AZQ YQEEMSQ FTMF TMP NQQZ QZODKBFQP UZ M EXUSTFXK YADQ EABTUEFUOMFQP IMK MZP ITUOT EQQYQP M XUFFXQ AGF AR BXMOQ. UR KAG MDQ UZFQDQEFQP, U IUXX NDUZS UF FA FTQ EUFFUZS FTUE MRFQDZAAZ. UZ FTQ YQMZFUYQ, U FAAW FTQ XUNQDFK AR QZOAPUZS FTUE XQFFQD IUFT FTQ RMYAGE OUBTQD AR OMQEMD, ME U WZAI KAG MDQ RMYUXUMD IUFT UF.  UR KAG MDQ MHMUXMNXQ FTQZ BXQMEQ PA EQZP M YQEEQZSQD FA XQF YQ WZAI, MZP U IUXX BDQBMDQ FTQ EFGPUA.  KAGDE ME QHQD,  RDMZOAUE.
Once you have deciphered the message, you, or your team captain if that is someone different, need to paste the decrypt into the box below the cipher text and press submit. That will record your team’s answer and give you a score. If  you don’t get it quite right first time you can try again until you do.
Top Secret: For your eyes only
My dear Mademoiselle Bernhardt, I am sorry to tell you that despite our best efforts we have been unable to repair the damaged plate. I fear that the fumes from the adhesives we applied may have damaged it irretrievably, since even though we were able to reassemble the parts, the image is badly fogged. The timing is unfortunate, with the Prince’s visit at hand, but I believe we may be able to retrieve matters with a new sitting if you are able to find the time today. My supplier has offered me the opportunity to try a new photographic system based on a flexible, paper backed film, which should be resistant to the sort of accident to which the other image sadly succumbed. I know that you are deeply interested in the art of photography, and this would be an excellent opportunity to examine the latest innovation. Can I convince you to attend a sitting this afternoon, after the matinee?  On the matter of learning to decipher the advertisements in Le Figaro, I think you will be disappointed! The methods use to encrypt them are not sophisticated, relying on simple substitutions, numeric codes or anagrams. Moreover, the contents themselves are mostly love letters of the forlorn sort and unlikely to entertain you, though I did find one message that had been encrypted in a slightly more sophisticated way and which seemed a little out of place. If you are interested, I will bring it to the sitting this afternoon. In the meantime, I took the liberty of encoding this letter with the famous cipher of Caesar, as I know you are familiar with it.  If you are available then please do send a messenger to let me know, and I will prepare the studio.  Yours as ever,  Francois.Down at heel
Check out our beginner’s guide for help if you are stuck.
ABXOM OLCSX KAFSB OFOBZ BFSBA QEBCL IILTF KDIBQ QBOCO LJQEB ABMXO QJBKQ XKAFO BXIIV ALKQH KLTTE XQQLA LFXJS BOVDO XQBCR ICLOV LROPR MMLOQ XKAAL KQTXK QQLDB QVLRF KQLXK VQOLR YIBPL FQLLH QEBIF YBOQV LCIFD EQIVB KZOVM QFKDQ EFPJB PPXDB QLEFA BFQCO LJMOV FKDBV BPFHK LTVLR RKABO PQXKA JVKBB AQLTL OHQEB PQFMB KAMXF ACLOQ BXZEF KDEXP KLQHB MQRMT FQEQE BZLPQ LCIFS FKDXK ATFQE LRQQE BTLOH XQQEB XDBKZ VFJFD EQEXS BQLAO LMLRQ QEBJL KBVFP DLLAY RQLKL KBQEF KDFAL XDOBB TFQEQ EBABM XOQJB KQZEX FOPKB XHFKD XOLRK AQXHF KDMEL QLPLC BJMIL VBBPP QBXIF KDCOL JQEBQ FIIFP KLQEL TFTXK QQLRP BJVQF JBBFQ EBOFZ LRIAO BXIIV ALTFQ EPLJB XASFZ BFPQE BOBPL JBYBQ QBOTX VQLJX HBBKA PJBBQ VLROP BIFMP FJFDE QYBXA AFKDQ TLXKA QTLQL DBQCF SBYRQ FPQEB DFOIT ELTLO HPLKQ EBQFI IXQJX OZVPQ EBABX KPAXR DEQBO ABXOJ OBIIF LQQEB ABXKE XPXPH BAJBQ LTOFQ BQLVL RQLOB JFKAV LRQEX QPQRA BKQPP QRAVF KDCLO XOBPB XOZEA BDOBB FKQEB JXQEB JXQFZ PABMX OQJBK QXQQE BFKPQ FQRQB XOBOB NRFOB AQLAB SLQBQ EBFOC RIIXQ QBKQF LKQLQ ELPBP QRAFB PTEFI BQEBO BFPKL PRDDB PQFLK QEXQV LRXOB CXIIF KDYBE FKAXP XPBKF LOLKL ROMOL DOXJJ BVLRP BQXSB OVYXA BUXJM IBTFQ EVLRO BUQOX ZROOF ZRIXO XZQFS FQFBP JLOBL SBOQE BTLOH VLREX SBRKA BOQXH BKFPR KTLOQ EVLCQ EBMOL CBPPF LKXKA OFPHP YOFKD FKDQE BABMX OQJBK QFKQL AFPOB MRQBM IBXPB JXHBX OOXKD BJBKQ PQLZB XPBVL ROBUQ BOKXI TLOHX KAOBQ ROKQL CRIIQ FJBOB PBXOZ ETFQE FJJBA FXQBB CCBZQ MOLCY RII
Top Secret: For your eyes only
Dear Prof Vandiver, I received the following letter from the department, and I really don’t know what to do. I am very grateful for your support and don’t want to get you into any trouble, so I took the liberty of lightly encrypting this message to hide it from prying eyes. I know you understand my need to work. The stipend paid for teaching has not kept up with the cost of living and without the work at the agency I might have to drop out. The money is good, but on one thing I do agree with the department chair: sneaking around taking photos of employees stealing from the till is not how I want to use my time either. I could really do with some advice. Is there some better way to make ends meet? Yours, Eli PS, I might be adding two and two to get five, but is the girl who works on the till at Marcy’s the Dean’s daughter?   Dear Mr Elliot,  The Dean has asked me to write to you to remind you that students studying for a research degree in the mathematics department at the Institute are required to devote their full attention to those studies. While there is no suggestion that you are falling behind, as a senior on our programme you set a very bad example with your extra-curricular activities. Moreover, the work you have undertaken is unworthy of the profession and risks bringing the department into disrepute.  Please make arrangements to cease your external work and return to full-time research with immediate effect.  Prof BullThis challenge closed on 14/10/2026. Please click the Official Decrypt button above to see the correct answers.
RULE REMINDER: Rapid fire multiple submissions put an unreasonable load on the servers and make it difficult for others to submit. Anyone who makes an unreasonable number of submissions will be open to disqualification. In the first instance this will mean that anyone who submits more than 20 times in 10 minutes will be disqualified.