The 2024 GCHQ Christmas Puzzle Has Landed

Every year, the government’s secret communication service sets a festive puzzle for the British public to set their minds to and decipher. Whether you’re looking to test yourself or inspire a budding young mind to pursue a tricky career in cybersecurity or intelligence in the future, here’s what you need to know about the 2024 GCHQ Christmas puzzle – plus a few clues to get you started.

What Is The GCHQ Christmas Puzzle?

Every year, GCHQ – the UK Government Communications Headquarters – sets the British public a festive brainteaser instead of sharing a Christmas card, signed by the organisation’s director Anne Keast-Butler. This year, the GCHQ Christmas Challenge delves into ‘the surprising geography of GCHQ’ and challenges the public to decode the names of UK landmarks across seven puzzles.

‘You can see from the range of puzzles that some parts are trickier than others,’ says ‘Colin’, a pseudonym for GCHQ’s chief puzzler who designed this year’s Christmas puzzle. ‘However, you do not have to be a genius or top of the class to solve them – you just have to be able to work in a team and embrace the mix of minds and approaches teamwork brings.’

If you think you’ve solved it, think again: GCHQ has set a many-layered puzzle, meaning new elements are hidden within the code as you begin to decipher it.

‘This year’s Challenge features seven puzzles, plus several hidden elements for those who want an extra test,’ says Anne. ‘The puzzles are aimed at teenagers and young people, but everyone is encouraged to give them a try – they might surprise you.

‘Whether you have an analytical mind, a creative brain or prefer engineering, there’s something for everyone,’ Anne adds. Fancy giving it a go? ‘The challenge has been designed for a mix of minds to solve, so is best tackled in groups of classmates, families or friends.’

The 2024 GCHQ Christmas Puzzle

See the 2024 puzzle below, or download it here.

2024 Clues

GCHQ has offered seven hints for 2024. They are:

1. Maybe one of your PALs can help you with the fourth picture.
2. What Code do you follow to Cross the road safely? Which show features a panther?
3. Not all of the sequences read forwards.
4. The letter in the top left box is E, as that is the only letter in both GHEE and DENIM.
5. What sort of insects live in colonies? Was not knowing that the CAUSE of you needing a hint for this puzzle?
6. Write out the numbers 1-20, and then write the numbers in the question underneath them. What are the numerical differences?
7. The first two words in are ‘PERHAPS READING’. Use this to work out which letters represent A, D, E, G, H, I, N, P, R and S. These will help you find out how the MESSAGE is CIPHERED.

Why Does GCHQ Set A Christmas Puzzle?

Responsible for providing signals intelligence and information assurance to the UK government and armed forces, puzzles are at the heart of GCHQ’s work, and many members of the workforce like to keep their minds sharp by creating and solving puzzles. ‘Ingenuity, creativity and lateral thinking are just some of the skills we value and need to harness to understand an ever more complex world,’ GCHQ says. ‘You don’t have to be a quiz champion or Mensa member to work at GCHQ, but we’re a place where an analytic mindset can be developed and thrive.

‘While we can’t reveal much of what we do in our day jobs, we can share instead some of the fun and fiendish puzzles devised by our puzzling community here to test their minds,’ the organisation continues. ‘They may appear difficult at first but you can learn to spot patterns, think around a problem and apply your own mind to solving the seemingly impossible.’

The annual GCHQ Christmas puzzle – which has been created every year since 2015 – is a festive addition to the organisation’s ever-growing roster of publicly available puzzles, which you can challenge yourself to complete at any time at gchq.gov.uk

‘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,’ Anne says. ‘As a mathematician, I also am passionate about STEM subjects and encouraging young people to give them a try. I hope the card will inspire young people to explore these STEM subjects and to consider what a career in cybersecurity and intelligence might have to offer.’