"How to Start Solving Cicada 3301" Script

Hello everybody, I am Puck, and this is my general guide for new solvers interested in Cicada 3301.

There have been a lot of people throughout the years that have heard about Cicada 3301 and want to help out, but they don't know where to start. I decided to take it upon myself to make a YouTube video that will point these people in the right direction. I will divide this video into four main parts, each with a different way to learn. Although you can skip to the next part, each one is very important in its own way so I suggest you watch all the way through.

The first method of learning is through reading. There are lots of resources out there on the internet about Cicada, but the wiki is far above all of them. On the Uncovering Cicada Wiki on FANDOM, there are great step-by-step descriptions of the past puzzles and messages from Cicada. It has information on PGP, OutGuess, RSA encryption, and about the organization itself. If you want a reliable source of information regarding Cicada 3301 in text form, the wiki is perfect for you. And if it isn't enough for you, there will be some links in the description to a few cryptography PDFs.

The second way to learn is through watching videos. Two fantastic places to find general information about Cicada are LEMMiNO and Great Big Story. LEMMiNO made a YouTube video about 18 minutes long that is very informative, interesting, and concise. Great Big Story made a longer, four part documentary on YouTube that includes past puzzle solvers and cryptography experts. One of the people in the documentary was Nox Populi, who has a YouTube channel by the same name that has videos on past puzzles, how they were solved, and a couple more explaining various facets of Cicada puzzles, like PGP.

Another great way to learn is through practice. I highly suggest that you go back to old puzzles and go through the steps of how they were solved. But, if you don't want to do that, there are some really good ARGs out there. A lot of people interested in Cicada have spent some time on ae27ff, which gets harder as you continue. It is really fun, great to learn with, and well made. Another good ARG is the Game Detectives Academy one, which, like everything else, will have a link in the description. A good place to find and discuss ARGs is in r/ARG on Reddit, along with the ARG channel in the CicadaSolvers Discord server.

If you know the basics of Cicada but want to learn more or help solving, the Discord server is for you. It has specific channels for every part of Liber Primus along with active solvers. One of the best features of the Discord is its voice sessions. Once or twice a week, people will get together in a voice channel and focus their solving efforts. Every month, a voice session takes place where we discuss everything ranging from new ideas to what to try next to how we can make the community better. All of these voice sessions have the added benefit of being really good places to ask questions and they help people learn a lot about the solving process and the community. There is also a CicadaSolvers IRC, which has a lot of the same people, but is more laid back and less solving gets done. There are two subreddits that both have their own purpose, and both are making a comeback with new moderators. r/cicada is the place for newcomers to ask any questions they have after reading the wiki. It is geared towards general ideas and discussions, and not actual solving, which takes place in r/CicadaSolvers. r/CicadaSolvers is a new subreddit with the goal of being a place for legitimate solving attempts without questions from new people, which makes it a good place for the documentation of ideas.

Overall, you should read the wiki. Granted, it may be a little hard to navigate, but it is still a really good place to learn. The videos mentioned are great, so if you have the time, you should watch them. The ARGs are all fantastic and will most certainly help you learn, even if you get stuck on a section for awhile. And if you want a community based around solving, join the Discord. There, you can learn a lot about all things Cicada.