The Challenge

The Crypto Box Challenge are scrambled pieces of text that you decrypt by shifting the rows and columns in a text square. Retrieving the original position of the letters has proven to be a real challenge due to the large number of possible moves and the complex way the letters travel around the square. Even the simplest shuffles with a few steps create a true brain-teasing puzzle. You can download the free Crypto Box tool to shift the letters.

The Challenge consists of three scrambled poems or rhymes in English. Each of the boxes has another difficulty level. The easiest one is Box 1, which can be solved in only 5 steps. Box 2 is more challenging and needs 10 steps to solve. Box 3 is a very complex and challenging puzzle that requires 20 steps to complete. What's in it for you? A place in the Table of Honor and the respect of fellow codebreakers, crypto amateurs and puzzle freaks from all over the world!

You can also participate in the Elite Box Challenge. However, that one is much more difficult, and we therefore recommend to first sharpen your skills by solving the Crypto Box Challenge on this page, although not mandatory.

NEWS	Armin Krauß from Germany is the 11th to solve all boxes on January 29, 2024. You can also participate in the Crypto Box Challenge! Your results will be listed in the Table of Honor 85 codebreakers from 26 countries have already joined the challenge.

How To Participate

You must solve the boxes in order 1, 2, 3, by shifting the rows and columns. You may solve the boxes in more or fewer steps than indicated. When you solved one or more boxes, send an e-mail with your name and country, and in attachment the solution(s) in a .txt file (UTF-8 format in Notepad or TextEdit). The solution must contain both the decrypted text and the key used (use the Crypto Box tool and select Menu Key, To Clipboard, as Steps).

The Crypto Box tool is optional but very useful. You can copy and past the text boxes into the Crypto Box tool, it's easy to shift rows and columns and the tool remembers the key you used, which you need to submit a solution. The software is also handy to create your own puzzles or encrypt short messages.

Tips on Cracking the Boxes

• To limit the complexity there are never more than two successive identical steps.
• The words are written out without any space or other character between them.
• The text might be trailed with one or more letters X to complete the box.

Important note: It is not allowed to publish or distribute the copyrighted encipered challenge messages or their deciphered version on the Internet or anywhere else, electronically, in print or in any other form, in order to preserve the value of current and future challenge table results.

STARTHFHRS
EEREESIOAS
QCARYITNNO
STUASACLSE
AEEREREUOR
DRARFDAWCI
NSLENTTNRI
GGTURTIOTH
HECLETLEEE
SSHECIGSTX

HTHLYTHXUG
TTHETINEHE
BOXAECRLTS
EVSRWIULCN
OMEEUTBYTA
SMAOTGUEBR
OKERHEKDYA
DSTREADALN
LTHPWORXSO
XUTEOUDOTX

RLITAEKXWW
WHETTSRYES
NAHWRTRDNW
SOWECWEAAE
EIOYHETHWK
RSGPYISYSE
OESHEDSPSC
EWTAAEXTWE
ETRSXNDEHE
EETEWHONXW