How to play Daily Cryptogram
Daily Cryptogram is a relaxing codebreaking puzzle. Crack the substitution cipher to reveal a famous quote or proverb. A fresh puzzle every day.
How to play
Pick a cipher letter
Tap a coded letter in the quote to select it. It will highlight everywhere it appears.
Guess its real letter
Use the keyboard to type the letter you think it stands for. Every matching cipher updates instantly.
Use letter frequency
Short words and repeated letters are big clues. Common letters like E, T, A, O, I, N appear most often in English.
Spend hints carefully
Reveal a letter or the author if you get stuck. Each hint costs you on the final score.
Solve the quote
Decode every letter to win. Finish with no mistakes and no hints for a Perfect run.
Tips
- One-letter words are almost always 'A' or 'I'.
- Three-letter words ending in the same cipher letter are often 'THE' or 'AND'.
- Double letters in short words usually decode to LL, EE, SS, OO, or TT.
- Look for apostrophes: they usually precede S, T, or RE.
About Daily Cryptogram
Daily Cryptogram is a free, browser-based codebreaking puzzle. Each puzzle is a famous quote or proverb encrypted with a simple substitution cipher: every letter has been swapped for another, and your job is to figure out the mapping by spotting patterns, common words, and letter frequencies.
A new daily puzzle drops every day, with practice puzzles available any time you want to keep playing. Scores reward clean solves. Fewer mistakes and fewer hints earn higher tiers, with a Perfect tier reserved for flawless runs.
If you enjoy word puzzles, cryptograms in the Sunday paper, or logic games like Wordle and Word Ladder, Daily Cryptogram is a satisfying daily ritual that exercises pattern recognition and vocabulary at the same time.
Frequently asked questions
How do you play Daily Cryptogram?
Each puzzle is a quote with every letter swapped for another. Tap a coded letter and type what you think it stands for. Every matching cipher updates across the puzzle. Decode the whole quote to win.
When does the daily puzzle reset?
A new puzzle unlocks every day at midnight US Eastern Time. Practice puzzles are available any time.
What counts as a Perfect solve?
A Perfect tier is awarded when you decode the entire quote with no wrong guesses and no hints used.
Is Daily Cryptogram free?
Yes. It is free to play in your browser, with optional Plus features for extra perks. No download required.