Literal Code

One of the most fun ways to hide a secret message is to literally write out the message, but place it in a context that suggests a different meaning to the word. Take, for example, this note that players might find.

At first glance, this appears to be a useless piece of information. It just says that an access code is wrong, but it doesn’t say what the wrong or right code is.

On second glance, well, it still doesn’t help.

The trick to this puzzle is to realize that the words can be interpreted in another way. The message literally tells you that the access code is wrong. The word “wrong” is used to open a combination lock or some other access code. This leap in interpretation is difficult to make but seems so obvious in retrospect.

This hidden in plain sight code can be formulated in many ways. The main point is that the code word serves another function in the sentence it is in. There should also be at least one other distracting sentence. Here is another example.

Watch the players flail as they try to make sense of the first sentence without the letter P. Then hear them groan when they figure out the password is simply “that”. (“that” with all P’s removed is “that”.)