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Solving cryptograms is fun!
Would you like to see how it can be even more fun?

Cryptograms (sometimes called "cryptoquips" or "cryptoquotes") are fun to work out, but solving them with paper and pencil is slow and messy. Imagine how much easier it would be if you didn't have to use a pencil.

That's why I created Crypto!™, a Windows program that acts like an electronic paper and pencil to eliminate this drudgery. Solving cryptograms with Crypto! is more fun because:

• It is easier to try various letters and undo mistakes--no more tedious erasing!
• Letter frequencies are computed for you--no more counting!
• You can make the letters as big as you want--no more squinting!
• There are various hints and helps to get you started quickly--no more getting stuck!
• It comes with over 20,000 puzzles, so you don't have to buy puzzle books or wait for the newspaper to come.

Sound interesting?

• View a short demonstration to see how it works!
• Or click here to try it free for 30 days. The trial version includes 50 puzzles.

When you order Crypto!, you'll get over 20,000 puzzles for a lifetime of solving fun!

• Order within the first 10 days of your free trial and you'll receive a 10% discount!

Runs on

All current versions of Windows, including 7, 8, and 10.

Price

US$16.95. You will be able to download Crypto! immediately after placing your order.

Revision status

The current version is 4.4. View a list of the new features in this version. Users of versions 4.0, 4.1, 4.2 and 4.3 can download a free update to the current version (installation instructions are included). Registered users of version 3.0 or later can download a free update to 3.10.

Detailed description

Crypto! selects a quote or phrase and encrypts it by scrambling the letters (for example, A stands for M, B stands for H, etc.) To solve the cryptogram, you have to figure out what the letters stand for. To give you an idea how this is done, here is a Crypto! puzzle that has been partially solved:

The left part of the window shows the quote: the red letters are the cryptogram, and the blue letters above them are the player's guesses of what they stand for. On the right you will see a list of the letters that haven't yet been used, a table showing the letter frequencies in the puzzle, and the number of hints used and time elapsed so far.

To work the puzzle, you use the mouse to click the letter you want to solve. It is easy--watch this example of a puzzle being solved!

Letter frequencies

One of the best clues to solving cryptograms is the letter frequencies. The most common letters in English text are e, t, o, a, n, i, r, s, and h; the letters that appear most often in the puzzle may (but are not guaranteed to) be one of these. When solving puzzles by hand, you have to compute the frequencies yourself--Crypto! makes solving puzzles more fun by taking care of this chore for you.

Selecting letters

To guess at a letter in the puzzle (called ciphertext), click on it with the mouse. Then click on the letter in the Unused Letters box you think it stands for. Your chosen letter (called plaintext) will appear above each of the ciphertext letters you first clicked.

If you prefer, you can make selections with the keyboard instead of the mouse. First, type the ciphertext letter, then type the plaintext letter. The result is the same as if you had clicked them with the mouse.

Fixing mistakes

The worst part of solving a cryptogram puzzle with pencil and paper is all the erasing needed to correct a mistake. With Crypto!, fixing a mistake is easy: just click the letter with the right mouse button to erase it! Solving puzzles is more fun because it is easier to try different letter combinations.

Clues and hints

If you get stuck solving a puzzle, you can ask for a hint. A big hint tells you about a letter that is used many times, and a little hint tells you about an infrequently used letter. You can confirm that your choices so far are right, or undo any errors you may have made. But each hint you ask for adds seconds to your time, so if you're watching the clock, you'll want to use hints sparingly.

You can also point to a word in the puzzle and get a list of the words that it might be.

Making the print larger

To make the print bigger, go to the Options menu and choose Change Font. Pick whatever font and size you prefer. After doing this, you may want to resize the screen so that everything fits in the window. Take a look at an example of 15 point bold Courier.

Entering your own puzzles

You can also solve puzzles from books or newspapers with Crypto! Just type in the puzzle, and Crypto! will calculate its letter frequencies. You can also create puzzles of your own--enter an ordinary phrase or quote and Crypto! will make a cryptogram from it.

Printing puzzles

You can print puzzles to solve when you're away from your computer, or print puzzles you've created for your friends to solve!

Customizing the game

You can choose the font and text size you prefer. You can also choose the colors for different text elements. The letter frequencies and scores can appear on the left or the right, or you can choose not to show them at all. Purists will prefer to show the puzzle either as all capital letters or all small letters. If you wish, you can change the time penalties for the various hints. Finally, you can change (or turn off) the sounds that are played when you ask for a hint, make an error, or solve a puzzle.

Why not try it out for yourself?

It's a lot more fun to play Crypto! than it is to read about it! Why not download the 30-day free trial and try it out?