Cicada 3301: The Internet's Elusive Puzzle

Introduction

• Date: January 4, 2012
• Platform: 4chan's /b/ board
• User: Anonymously posted as 3301.
• Challenge: Uncover a hidden message within an image.

Initial Discovery

• Text Editor: Users found readable text and cipher in the image.
• OutGuess Application: Allowed extraction of hidden information.
• Subreddits and Books: Led to a phone number with a recorded message.

Community Engagement

• Growth of Interest: Many online users began to solve the puzzle.
• Speculation:
  • Some viewed it as a joke.
  • Others theorized involvement of secret societies or intelligence agencies.

The First Puzzle Phase

• Image Dimensions: Two missing numbers from the recording led to a web address.
• Cicada Website:
  • Featured a countdown and cicada image.
  • Upon reaching zero, a list of 14 global coordinates was shared.
• Physical Posters: Found at locations with a QR code leading to further clues.

Final Stage of Puzzle

• Exclusive Access: Limited group accepted into a final stage.
• Caution: Participants were instructed not to share details.
• Conclusion: Announcement of puzzle completion after nearly a month.

Second Puzzle Introduction

• Year: A new image on January 5, 2013 (one year after the first).
• Structure: Similar to the first puzzle, included messages, books, and recordings.
• Physical Hunt: Coordinated locations demanded real-world engagement again.

Third Puzzle Developments

• Release: Beginning of 2014.
• Focus: Liber Primus (First Book) written in runes.
• Content: Philosophical ideas and multiple clues leading to deeper mysteries.

Challenges and Speculations

• Translation Issues: Many pages in runes remain untranslated (only 19 of 74 pages translated).
• Reevaluation of Liber Primus: Suggested in early 2016, with limited progress since then.
• Rumors:
  • Speculations about the aim behind the puzzles.
  • Ideas about recruitment for a secret society.

Historical Context

• ARG Comparisons: Similarities with corporate alternate reality games (e.g., Microsoft, Google, US Navy recruitment).
• Cicada's Self-Description: Group claiming to value privacy and seeking like-minded individuals.

Experiences from Recruits

• Reported Outcomes:
  • Interviews with alleged winners detailed recruiting experiences and a dark web forum.
  • A decentralized organization formed but lost interest post-puzzle.

Current Status

• Silence Post-2017: Last public communication in April 2017 regarding misinformation.
• Ongoing Mystery: Questions about the purpose of the puzzles and Cicada's identity remain unresolved.