Hide a secret message in a puzzle
Write a message, pick a puzzle, send the link. It stays sealed until your friend solves the puzzle.
How it works
- Write your message (up to 200 characters) and your name. Stuck for words? Tap an idea: birthday, a gift clue, a love note.
- Pick a puzzle and a level, then press Lock it in a puzzle.
- Send the link by WhatsApp, text or email. Your friend sees a sealed envelope with your name and a puzzle.
- When they complete the puzzle the envelope opens and your message appears. They can send one back with their time.
Six puzzles to hide it in
- Sudoku: Fill the 9×9 grid so every row, column and 3×3 box has the digits 1 to 9 once.
- Zip: Draw one line from 1 through every number in order, filling every square without crossing a wall.
- Mini Sudoku: Fill the 6×6 grid so every row, column and 2×3 box has the digits 1 to 6 once.
- Patches: Split the grid into rectangles; each one holds exactly one clue, which gives its area and shape.
- Wend: Find the hidden words: drag through touching letters (no diagonals). Every letter is used once.
- Pips: Place every domino so each coloured region keeps its rule: a sum, all equal, all different, more or less than.
Hiding a message for a class or a party? The word search maker takes your own words and shows your message when the last word is found.
Questions
How does the secret message work?
You write a message and pick a puzzle. We scramble the message using the puzzle’s answer as the key and put it in the link. The page that opens the link rebuilds the same puzzle, and when your friend completes it, the answer unscrambles the message.
Do you store my message?
No. Everything is in the link, after the # sign, and browsers never send that part to a server. We have no copy and no way to read it.
Can someone read it without solving the puzzle?
Not by looking at the link: the message in it is scrambled. But the page itself can work the puzzle out, so a programmer who takes the page apart could read it. It is a game lock for friends, not a safe. Don’t put passwords or bank details in it.
What if my friend gets stuck?
Hints are free and each one fills in a correct step, so anyone can get to the message. Pick Easy for someone who has never played the game.
Which puzzle should I pick?
Zip is the quickest to learn (draw one line). Sudoku is the one most people know. Wend suits word lovers. Pips and Patches are for friends who like a real challenge.
Can they send one back?
Yes. After the message opens there is a “Send one back” button, with their solving time already filled in.
Is it free?
Yes, with no sign-up and no limit.