The cryptography club started an augmented reality game on Sept. 2 which leads students around campus to find clues, crack codes, and solve puzzles.

The prize for the first participant to finish is a $25 gift card to an undisclosed location. Subsequent participants will also receive prizes relevant to later puzzle events. 

“The cryptography club’s goal in this game is to promote mysterious events across campus,” Sophomore Henry Ahrabi, one of the club’s organizers, said. 

Junior Ryan Bagley, founder of the club, also emphasized the importance of mystery in the club’s events.

“We like the thrill of discovery, the thrill of the hunt,” he said. “It takes ordinary campus life, student life, and gives it a little twist, especially for people who are inquisitive and want to indulge their inner spy.”

For Sophomore Jacob Fox, one of the challenge participants, that twist adds new fun to campus. 

“I think it adds a level of mystery that we typically don’t get in everyday life,” he said. ”There are characters and places and things that you begin to look at in a new way because that’s what you have to do to solve these puzzles. It really uses Hillsdale to make it unique.” 

This first puzzle, the Phoenix Initiative, has two phases. 

“The first phase is getting people in a bit of a trust exercise and the second phase is when the competition kicks in, and that’s when you’re going for the prize,” Bagley said. 

The first phase officially ended on Sept. 18, but students can still join the second phase by visiting the club website, bit.ly/hillsdalecryptography, or Instagram, @hc_cryptography.

Bagley said he hopes to make the club official and offer more public events. 

“We want to do these events that are like these games and puzzles, but open to all of campus, a one and done kind of thing,” Bagley said. 

For students not already trying the puzzle, Fox recommends starting now. 

“Give it a go, don’t feel too intimidated by it,” he said. “Don’t view it as this gatekeeping intellectual thing for people that know how to do all these complicated code solving stuff because at the end of the day, it’s a lighthearted, casual puzzle.”

Ahrabi said people don’t need to connect with a club organizer to participate.

“Our offer is, you play the game and we will find you,” Ahrabi said. “There’s no limit. The more the merrier.”