GCHQ Christmas card 2025 sets annual festive challenge

Fans of code cracking, maths and brain teasers can now try their hand at the latest crypto Christmas challenge organized by the UK’s intelligence agency GCHQ.

GCHQ published its annual Christmas cards on WednesdayIt’s full of puzzles and secret codes designed to help kids ages 11-18 develop their “might need to be spies” range skills.

According to GCHQ, the card was created by “schoolchildren and spies” after hundreds of young people entered a design competition ahead of the festive period.

It features seven puzzles set by “GCHQ’s in-house puzzlers” to test a range of problem-solving skills, including intuitive reasoning and lateral thinking.

Students were asked: “What do you think GCHQ looks like on Christmas Day?” They were asked to draw their answers to the question. They were asked to embed secret codes and passwords into their designs.

The three winners were selected by a panel of judges comprising three age groups.

GCHQ said challenging puzzles “are not meant to be solved alone”, adding: “We believe the right mix of minds means we can solve seemingly impossible problems.”

“Puzzles are at the heart of GCHQ’s work to protect the country from hostile states, terrorists and criminals, challenging our teams to think creatively and analytically every day,” said GCHQ Director Anne Keast-Butler.

He said he hoped the puzzle would encourage the next generation to “explore STEM subjects and consider the rewarding careers available in cybersecurity and intelligence.”

Meanwhile, the spy agency’s “Chief Puzzle,” known only as “Colin,” said the puzzles were designed to test “the same mix of skills our teams use every day to keep the country safe.”

The answers will be announced on Wednesday evening.

Question 1:

There is a special seven-letter word somewhere on the card that has no repeated letters and no adjacent letters in the alphabet. Can you find it?

Question 2:

There’s some driftwood in these streams… but where should it be?

Question 3:

The robber needs to find a way inside the house. He cannot pass through the same colored door twice in a row, nor can he move against any arrows.

He is eventually caught by the police. How was he acting?

Question 4:

My gifts from Santa were wrapped in pairs this year – but which one is missing?

Question 5:

The letters in TWO UV PAIRS have the values ​​0,1,2,…,9 in a specific order and each letter represents a different number.

What is 1234567?

Question 6:

Solve this code. There are a lot of four letter words in there!

Question 7:

Find a suitable 7-letter word…

✓ = is the letter in the right place?

? = letter exists but is in the wrong place