Ciphers
Flags on the pad
Easy. Semaphore. Flags as clock positions, letters A–Z around the circle.
Cipher · 30 Aug 2026
Puzzle editor
Cipher
Ciphers desk
Cipher is the puzzle editor of The Standard. Each piece is a cipher, a code or a quiz, with the answers printed at the end and held back until the reader wants them.
Ciphers
Bacon on the desk
Medium. Baconian cipher. Five a/b symbols a letter. A=aaaaa.
Cipher · 30 Aug 2026
Ciphers
Five and eight
Medium–hard. Affine cipher. E(x) = (5x + 8) mod 26. A=0.
Cipher · 30 Aug 2026
Ciphers
Five by five, good news
Easy–medium. Polybius square. I and J share a cell.
Cipher · 30 Aug 2026
Ciphers
Pigpen at the chopsticks
Easy. The old Masonic alphabet. One word.
Cipher · 30 Aug 2026
Ciphers
Playfair, Tesla
Hard. Playfair square. Keyword TESLA. I/J share. X fills doubles.
Cipher · 30 Aug 2026
Ciphers
Read the columns, rail
Medium. Columnar transposition. Keyword RAIL.
Cipher · 30 Aug 2026
Ciphers
Star key on the Gulf
Medium. Vigenère. Keyword STAR, repeating.
Cipher · 30 Aug 2026
Ciphers
Taps from the tower
Easy–medium. Prison tap code. Five-by-five, I and J share.
Cipher · 30 Aug 2026
Ciphers
Three rungs to steel
Easy. A word ladder. Change one letter at a time.
Cipher · 30 Aug 2026
Ciphers
Three ships, three places
Harder. A tiny logic grid. This week’s Starship traffic.
Cipher · 30 Aug 2026