How to play
Each puzzle hides a well-known quote or proverb. It uses a monoalphabetic substitution: the same cipher symbol always stands for the same letter. Your goal is to recover the mapping and restore the original text. The label above the board tells you whether you are solving a proverb or a quote; the author appears after you solve it.
- Tap or click a cell to select it; every occurrence of that cipher symbol is highlighted.
- Type the letter you think it represents using your keyboard or the on-screen keyboard. It fills every matching cell at once.
- If you assign one letter to two different cipher symbols, both are marked in red: that mapping is impossible.
- Use letter frequencies and short words as footholds. One-letter words in English are usually
AorI. - The “Letter frequencies” panel lists the current cipher symbols from most common to least common.
- Stuck? “Check” marks incorrect letters, and three hints per puzzle reveal one correct letter each. “Show answer” ends the puzzle without counting it as solved.
Daily and endless modes
The daily cryptogram is the same for everyone and refreshes once a day — come back to build a solving streak. In endless mode, you can keep playing fresh random puzzles one after another; each round uses a new substitution.
Your progress, best times and streak are saved in your browser when preference cookies are enabled. You do not need an account to play.
New to cryptograms?
A cryptogram is a classic pen-and-paper puzzle based on the substitution cipher used for centuries. If you want the full method — word patterns, frequency analysis and cribs — read our step-by-step guide on solving substitution ciphers, then come back and put it into practice here.