2022 Christmas Puzzle
Password Perils
Erm, Christmas is in peril, for stupid reasons. A password has gone missing and the elves need you to help find it. All they have to go on is an unnecessarily complicated reminder note, but they are so full of candy canes and hot cocoa, they can’t think straight.
Can you solve this fiendish puzzle and save the holidays for everyone?
Here’s a Note from the North Pole (pdf) outlining the situation, but everything you really need to find the password is in this document (pdf). Solve the cryptic puzzles, find the password, and figure out where to use it.
But hurry, there is no time to lose….
Good luck and Happy Christmas!
Note: A password checker will appear on this page in time so you can be SURE you’ve found the correct password.
Another note: if you think you’ve found an error or need a hint, please e-mail elf@ingridj.com. Any updates, corrections or hints will be listed on this page.
Mailing List
If you want to be informed of updates to this puzzle and future Christmas puzzles, feel free to add your e-mail here.
(I’ll only use this for puzzle corrections and announcements of new puzzles. I anticipate at most one new puzzle a year, around Christmas, so there won’t be much mail.)
2020 Christmas Puzzle
Christmas Carol Chaos!
Disaster! Christmas is in danger! The elf in charge of pressing the big, red button to launch Christmas Cheer is missing, and The North Pole is in a tizzy! Thankfully, the elves have found an encrypted file which they think should detail exactly how to do it, but they can’t figure it out…without your help!
Can you solve this fiendish puzzle and save the holidays for everyone?
Here’s a Dispatch from the North Pole (pdf) outlining the situation, but everything you really need to find the password and launch Christmas Cheer is in Dibbledorrit Thundersleeves III’s Dossier (pdf). Solve the cryptic puzzles, find the password, and figure out where to use it.
But hurry, there is no time to lose….
Good luck and Happy Christmas!
Note: if you think you’ve found an error or need a hint, please e-mail elf@ingridj.com. Any updates, corrections or hints will be listed on this page.
Errata
25 Dec 2020 12:07 GMT: The wrong pdf was uploaded yesterday; a new version of the PDF has now been uploaded with multiple changes. In particular: page 1 image has been moved revealing important detail; pg 4 numbers in right-hand lower circle have been changed; pg 5 slight difference to clue in box on upper left and change to numbers in b&w oval on the right; pg 6 change to orange text in left-hand circle; pg 9 line removed on top left puzzle; bottom right puzzle has changed significantly.
2018 Christmas Puzzle Archive
A Christmas to Remember…Or Not!
The North Pole desperately needs your help to SAVE CHRISTMAS….
Oh no! Christmas is in peril! A well-meaning but forgetful elf forgot her password for the all-critical Christmas Systems Launch. Luckily, she wrote it down. Since it’s such sensitive information, she encrypted it in this elaborate document; unfortunately, she encrypted it so well that she can’t now remember how to decode it!
Unless Elfie Elfkins recovers the password in time, Christmas will be lost forever! Can you solve this fiendish puzzle and save the holidays for everyone?
Here’s a secret letter (pdf) explaining the situation in more detail, but all you really need is Elfie’s Notes (pdf). Solve the cryptic puzzles, find the password, and figure out where to use it. But hurry, there is no time to lose….
Good luck and Happy Christmas!
Note: if you think you’ve found an error or need a hint, please e-mail elf@ingridj.com. Any updates, corrections or hints will be listed on this page.
Errata:
- 25 Dec 2018 10:45. A new version of the pdf has been uploaded with slight changes to the verse on Page 1.
- 25 Dec 2018 11:03. A new version of the pdf was uploaded with a cosmetic change only: the addition of page numbers.
- 25 Dec 2018 17:11. A new pdf was uploaded, with the spelling of ‘fluorine’ corrected on Page 1.
- 29 Dec 2018 11:20. A new pdf will soon be uploaded with the following changes:
- Page 1: No changes (including Christmas To-do List).
- Page 2: The yellow numbers in the bottom right box now read ‘#15 – #17’.
- Page 3: The star over ‘ortvaavat’ and red border around the wreath were re-added.
- Page 4: The spelling of ‘mnemonic’ was corrected.
- Page 5: A few elements (including the arrow) were moved in the central box (with holly).
2017 Puzzle Archive
Where Have All the Reindeer Gone?!
The North Pole desperately needs your help to SAVE CHRISTMAS!
Disaster! All Santa’s reindeer have been kidnapped by a disgruntled elf who didn’t receive any Christmas cards this year! This dispatch from the North Pole explains the situation in more detail, but here’s the summary: the only way to save Christmas is to solve the devious puzzles in this cryptic ransom note (pdf) and follow the instructions. Can you help us figure out how to get Santa’s reindeer back before it’s too late?
Good luck and Happy Christmas!
Errata:
- 27 Dec 2017 14:08 New pdf posted which includes a change to the red-bordered section at the top of page 1 and a change to the silver-bordered section at the top left of page 2.
- 26 Dec 2017, 21:54. One black dot is missing from the middle-left of page 7. This has now been corrected in the .pdf.
2016 Christmas Puzzle Archive
A Tale of Two Kidnappings?!
The North Pole desperately needs your help to SAVE CHRISTMAS!
Oh no! The library of all Christmas stories has gone missing without a trace! Without stories of festive warmth and cheer, Christmas will be ruined forever! We here at the Clausplex need your help to track down the missing elf librarian so that Christmas can be restored, but unfortunately, all we have to go on is this somewhat mangled copy (pdf) of a Christmas story that we found stuffed behind the toilet in one of the library’s loos…. Can you solve the clues and help save Christmas for everyone??!
File last updated: 19:50 am 29 December 2016. (Changes to pages 3 & 4)