Cipher — Free Daily Cryptogram Puzzle
Crack the substitution code.
Cipher is a free daily cryptogram: a famous quote has had every letter swapped for another, consistently, throughout the whole line. Your job is to work out the substitution — which letter really stands for which — using nothing but letter patterns, repeated words, and a feel for how English sentences are put together. A couple of letters are given free to get you started. Free, no signup, one new quote every day at 00:00 UTC, with unlimited practice in between.
Game settings
Difficulty
Unlock with ProHow to play
Rules
A quote has had every letter swapped for another, consistently, throughout the whole line.
Two letters are given for free. Type your guess for the rest under each cipher letter.
Each real letter can only be used once — reassigning it frees it up from wherever it was.
The puzzle solves itself automatically once your guesses match the real quote.
A new quote appears every day at 00:00 UTC. Practice mode is unlimited.
How to play Cipher
- 1A quote is shown with every letter substituted for another, consistently, throughout the whole puzzle.
- 2A couple of letters are given for free to get you started — everything else is up to you.
- 3Type your guess for what a cipher letter really stands for; it fills in every occurrence of that letter at once.
- 4Each real letter can only be used once — assigning it to a new cipher letter frees it up from wherever it was before.
- 5The puzzle solves itself automatically the moment your full set of guesses matches the real quote.
- 6A new quote appears every day at 00:00 UTC and is the same for every player.
Cipher strategy
Start with short words
A lone cipher letter surrounded by spaces can only be "A" or "I". A three-letter word ending the same cipher letter twice is very often "THE" or "AND" — short words narrow the alphabet fast.
Look for doubled letters and common patterns
A cipher letter that repeats back-to-back is usually one of a handful of English doubles — LL, SS, EE, OO. Spotting one and testing it against a plausible word often unlocks several letters at once.
Let confirmed letters cascade
Every letter you lock in constrains every word it appears in elsewhere in the quote. After each confident guess, scan the rest of the puzzle for words that are now one or two letters short of readable.
Cipher — frequently asked questions
What is Cipher?
Cipher is a free daily cryptogram puzzle. A famous quote has every letter substituted for another, consistently, and you work out the substitution to reveal the original line.
How do you play Cipher?
Type your guess for what each cipher letter really represents. Each guess fills in every occurrence of that letter across the whole quote, and the puzzle solves itself once your guesses match the original text.
Is Cipher free?
Yes, the daily quote and unlimited practice mode are both free with no account required.
Do I get any letters for free?
Yes — two letters are revealed for free at the start of every puzzle to give you a foothold.
What's the difference between Normal and Hard mode?
Normal draws from well-known quotes and proverbs. Hard mode (Pro) adds longer, less familiar quotes into the mix.
Can two cipher letters stand for the same real letter?
No — a substitution cipher is one-to-one. Assigning a real letter to a new cipher letter automatically frees it from wherever you'd used it before.
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