GCHQ releases a brain-teasing Christmas challenge — can you solve the spy-grade puzzle?
Wrap your grey matter around these puzzles instead of watching YouTube Shorts
GCHQ, the agency intended to keep the UK safe from security and cyber threats, has taken some time out of its Mission Impossible antics to bring us a Christmas quiz.
As you’d hope, this one is made to be a proper brain teaser.
It’s split up into seven riddles (and change), and each reveals the name of a famous place in the UK.
It is presented like a Christmas card, which you can download from GCHQ if you like. But you’ll find the seven main puzzles replicated below.
There are also a few more puzzles on the front of the digital card, including some morse code to translate.
“Puzzles have always been at the heart of GCHQ, and the skills needed to solve them are just as relevant in 2024 as they were over 100 years ago. This year's Challenge features seven puzzles, plus several hidden elements for those who want an extra test,” says Anne Keast-Butler, GCHQ’s director.
The challenge is made for kids, and schools were invited to sign up early to grant teachers access to the puzzles. But there’s no reason the adults out there shouldn’t give it a go, instead of yet another round or Wordle or Geoguessr.
Here are those puzzles: