Once you received your first case file you'll have access to the Cipher Decoding Screen and your first objective. Find the Secret Message In The Advertisement.


The first case is a simple Steganography puzzle. If you're stuck try reading through Amy's notebook for useful information.

Hint #1 - Read Types of Secret Writing
Hint #2 - Specifically the Pin Prick Method

Once you've entered the solution, maverick , you'll unlock the games first achievement.


Secret message #1
Completed secret message #1

Once you've found and opened the letter at the front door you'll have your second objective.
Find the First Two Words in the Secret Message.


The second case is a Transposition Cipher. (You'll really want to check Amy's notes for this one).

Hint #1 - Read Types of Secret Writing > Transposition
Hint #2 - Specifically Amy's notes on Rail Fence .

Hint #3 - The first and last rail of a Rail Fence Cipher will always;

• be equal in character length
  
• or the first rail will be one character longer.

Hint #4 - The Ciphertext is 46 characters long. Even though it's written in four lines;

• the first and last line are 11 and 9 characters respectively.
  
• which means it's not using a four rail Cipher.
  
• 46 is divisible by 2 and 23. So, the Cipher probably has 2 rails .

Hint #5 - A 46 character two-rail Cipher is arranged by;

• Taking the first 23 characters and spacing them apart by 3.
  
• Arranging the last 22 characters underneath the first 23.
  
• With an extra space at the beginning and 3 spaces between each character.

The result can be read as;
WELL DONE WE WILL MAKE CONTACT SOON REMAIN WHERE YOU ARE.

Once you've entered the solution, well done , you'll unlock your second achievement.

Secret Message #2
Completed secret message #2

Once you answer the door NBI agents will shuffle you into a car and drive you to a top-secret location where you'll obtain your third case file and objective.

Figure Out What Words Three and Four Are.


Case No. #003 ramps up the difficulty by combining a Steganography Key and a Transposition Cipher.

Hint #1 - Read Types of Secret Writing > Steganography > Null
Hint #2 - And Amy's notes on Types of Secret Writing > Red Fence .

Hint #3 - Key (Null) tells us the encryption key is 213 .

Hint #4 - Because Red Fence is just a Rail Fence Cipher with a key;

• We know we're using three rails
  
• That rail #1 and rail #3 will have the same number of characters (11).
  
• And that we need to arrange the rails as; Rail #2, Rail #1 and Rail #3.

Hint #5 - A 44 character three-rail Cipher is arranged by;

• Taking characters 22 to 33 and spacing them apart by 4.
  
• T K W L T S H W E A U
  
  
• Taking the first 22 characters and spacing them apart by 3.
  
• W N L T I K E I T E T R O I O D R H T O A E
  
  
• Taking characters characters 33 to 44 and spacing them apart by 4.
  
• I E N L L A W N W Y R.

The result can be read as;
TWINKLE TWINKLE LITTLE STAR HOW I WONDER WHAT YOU ARE .

Once you've entered the solution, little star , you'll unlock your third achievement.

Secret message #3
Completed secret message #3

Once you've answered the door you'll be recruited to join the NBI. After the cinematic find Mrytle and begin work, on Case No. #46504, at your desk. Find Out Who Rat, White and Night Are .


This case is more of a logic puzzle. All you need to do is match the coded name entries in the drug dealers logbook to the names mentioned in the NBI agents notes.

Hint #1 - Black is the only person who stopped buying after April 15th. He must be Jerry who has been in prison since the 17th.

Hint #2 - Rat made the most purchases of any buyer (6) and two the night before Ted was found dead from an overdose. Rat must be Ted..

Hint #3 - Every remaining buyer pays between $6.30 and $9.40 per gram except for White. White pays about $0.50 per gram so he must be Mark, the dealers friend.

Hint #4 - Dry buys about 14g per visit. If we assume the average amount a user buys is the what they use per session Dry should have about 86 grams leftover after three sessions. Dry must be Ivy.

Hint #4 - This just leaves two names left. It makes some sense that a Dog Breeders codename might be Cat.. Or you can just guess until you get it right.

Once you've entered the solution;

mark
ted
brian

you'll unlock the games 4th achievement.


Secret message #4
Completed secret message #4

Once you make friends with Hank, grab the case file on your desk, sit down and get cracking.
The objective?

Figure Out;

• How Many Letters the Alphabet Has Been Shifted By and
  
• What Words 15 and 16 Say

This case file uses a shifted alphabet to create the cipher which is possible to solve in just a few steps.

Hint #1 - Read Amy's notes on Types of Secret Writing > Ciphers.
Hint #2 - Specifically the Caesar Shift Cipher.

Hint #3 - There are only two single words in the English language. So, W11 must be A or I.
Hint #4 - Plugging A or I into the Substitution table test followed by the other letters in Alphabetical order, you'll be able to read the decoded message.

The result can be read as;

HEY RYAN HERE IS THE PLAN. FRIDAY TWO PM HALLWAY-C.
I WILL PULL THE FIRE ALARM. WE DUCK OUT THE BACK OF THE SCHOOL.
NO TEST FOR US .

Once you've entered the solution;

6
fire alarm

you'll unlock the games 5th achievement.

Secret message #5
Completed secret message #6

After a very awkward conversation with your family it will be a new day. Which means a new case on your desk to crack. Figure Out What Words 1, 2, 3, 21 and 22 Say.


For this case the Substitution table test is going to be your best friend.

Hint #1 - There are only two repeats in the English language that would fit for W22. 'EE' or 'OO'.
Hint #2 - W17 is a two letter word. Using Hint #1, 'Q' must be 'O'.
Hint #3 - 'GW' occurs repeatedly in the text. If 'Q' is 'O', GW must be a two-letter word like HE IN AN AT and MY.
Hint #4 - If GW is MY, W19 must be MONEY.
Hint #5 - Several words in the cipher are names of people.

After a certain point you'll be able to guess enough words to complete the puzzle. The result can be read as;

JASON - MY HOUSE. TROY - THE HOLIDAY HOUSE. JUSTINE - MY CAR. CAROLINE TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS. MICHAEL - REST OF MY MONEY. PAUL - COMIC BOOK COLLECTION.

Once you've entered the solution;

jason my house
comic book

you'll unlock the games sixth achievement.

Secret message #6
Completed secret message #6

After an awkward interaction with Sasha there will be a new casefile on your desk to solve. Figure Out The Keyword Used In The Cipher.


This case isn't the hardest to decrypt but identifying the key word being used has caused people a lot of trouble.

Hint #1 - There are only two words in the english language W11 could be. A or I .

Hint #2 - QAE appears repeatedly and is likely a common word like 'THE' .

Hint #3 - Pay attention to W25. There are only a few candidates for repeated letters that would make sense in a word this size.

After a certain point you'll be able to guess enough words to complete the puzzle. The result can be read as;

SARAH WILL PICK ME UP FROM PRISON. HAVE THE CAR I PICKED OUT FOR HER READY. WE WILL BE BACK AT THREE IN THE AFTERNOON.

But we're not quite done yet. The next step is identifying the key word being used to encrypt the plaintext. Here's how it works;

The transposed letters in the new alphabet are all in alphabetical order except for C E D B A F G.

These letters correspond to C E I O S T Y respectively.

So, in order A = S, B = 0, C = C, D = I, E = E, F= T and G = Y.

Once you've entered the solution;

society

you'll unlock the games seventh achievement.

Secret message #7
Completed secret message #7

You know the drill—new case file ready and waiting on your desk to be solved.
Identify The Name Of The Graffiti Artist.


This one will require some plug and play to figure it out.

Hint #1 - The weakest point of this cipher is W6. There are only two letters it could be, A or I.

Hint #2 - W2 must be Ass, Add, Ill or I'll if Hint #1 is true.

Hint #3 - W5, W7 and W12 are diagraphs that share a common letter. E.g. ME, AM, MY.

After a certain point you'll be able to guess enough words to complete the puzzle. The result can be read as;

YOU WILL NEVER CATCH ME
I AM STILL WAITING
I'LL WRITE MY NAME NEXT
WAYNE DESMOND

Once you've entered the solution;

wayne desmond

you'll unlock the games eighth achievement.

Secret message #8
Completed secret message #8

After you start the new day you'll want to make your way to the kitchen where today's edition of the Philadelphia Daily will be waiting—with an ominous encrypted message from the elusive Q-Bomber.
Discover The Next Bombing Target.


There appears to be a spelling error in this cipher that will make it difficult to decode.

Hint #1 - You'll want to read Amy's notes under Types of Secret Writing > Ciphers > Homophonic.

Hint #2 - W18 must be A or I.

Hint #3 - W10, W19 and W30 all share a repeat.

Hint #4 - Plug and play expected words like BOMB, NEXT or TARGET.

Hint #5 - This puzzle will have duplicates. I.e. 3 and G may both be substitutes for the letter A.

The decoded message reads something like;

HOW ABOUT WE GO BIGGIER THIS TIME.
THE SENATOR WILL BE THE TARGET.
TO MAKE IT FAIR I WILL GIVE YOU MORE TIME.
TWO O'CLOCK TODAY. YOU WORTHLESS PEONS WILL SEE ME.

Once you've entered the solution;

senator

you'll unlock the games ninth achievement.

Secret message #9
Completed secret message #9