Can You Crack The Code? #3 (Solved)

+13

Preface

As many of you will know, almost all JetPunk Daily Word Searches utilise their leftover letters to spell out a word or phrase, often related to the theme that day.

Many have enjoyed finding them, and most of the time they have been spelled in order, with no scrambling or decryption necessary to read it.

Following the previous "Crack the Codes", the winner will once again get the opportunity to create a grid of their own. However, is Abby or overtired win again, they will not be eligible to create another grid (to keep it fair!).

Word Search #218 - Capitals

Once again, the puzzle containing the puzzle is yet another Tuesday Geography puzzle filled with National Capitals. It is slightly smaller, being only 11x11 with 21 capitals this time.

Once again the leftover letters appear... garbage. I can confirm, they are not! Logic and reason has been used to determine what these leftover letters should be.

Your task is to complete the Word Search, analyse the remaining letters and anything else you think may be helpful, and once you crack the code and find the answer, you can come back here! You may discuss on this blog your findings and progress if you wish.

The first person to find the correct answer, and correctly say how they achieved (necessary), will be awarded the chance to create a word search of their own to be featured later in September.

At 12pm ET I will reveal a hint if nobody has solved it. Further hints will appear at 3pm ET and 5pm ET, if needed.

If nobody solves by tomorrow, since the grid will be gone, I will update this blog with the solution!

Hint #1

The position of the letters on the grid is not relevant for this puzzle, other than the order they appear (as usual for all word search messages).

Hint #2

The method involved in decoding would not work if the theme of this puzzle (Capital Cities) was something different.

Hint #3

1. Calculate keyword

2. Decode remaining letters

3. Success!

Hint #4

A world map might prove useful in Step 1.

Congratulations to Simon1006 for solving!

+2
Level 65
Sep 6, 2022
From just the pattern of the letters, if it is the name of a capital city itself, I'm pretty sure it must be one of these:

Nairobi

Tripoli

Now I will try actually codebreaking it lol

+3
Level 74
Sep 6, 2022
Another hint...???
+1
Level 57
Sep 6, 2022
Hey, you forgot the hint !
+4
Level 68
Sep 6, 2022
Sorry was out this evening, I will add now!
+1
Level 57
Sep 6, 2022
Oh, don't worry !
+2
Level 70
Sep 7, 2022
Sad to hear nobody solved that one on time. Next time will be the right one!
+6
Level 65
Sep 7, 2022
It's Bishkek
+8
Level 65
Sep 7, 2022
Took me long enough to figure this one out, but it works as follows (the second hint and third hint puzzled me, but the fourth hint came in big time):

All answers are capital cities, and you have to calculate something with them on a map to get the key.

Taking the coordinates of every capital city answer and averaging them gives the coordinate 25.2738N, 30.5968E , located near Khagra in the desert of Egypt.

The key is Egypt. Running a Vigenère cypher on the remaining letters FOQWDIQ with key EGYPT returns BISHKEK

+3
Level 68
Sep 7, 2022
Perfect answer!
+1
Level 57
Sep 12, 2022
Hm, but now I just asked myself : What did you use to "average" the coordinates ?
+4
Level 68
Sep 12, 2022
Just normal mean. Add all coordinates together and divide by the number there are. Do this for longitude and latitude separately. Negatives should be subtracted, so 35 + -45 would be -10, and average -5 (aka midpoint between the two)
+1
Level 57
Sep 13, 2022
Oh, I get it
+3
Level 57
Sep 7, 2022
Phew, well that was complicated ! I used Google Earth to draw lines and lines between the capital cities to be able to find the "center" of all of them, and didn't do maths, but since it was a bit imprecise, I ended up in Libya... But still, I wouldn't have got the idea of taking the country as a key. Great job, Simon !
+5
Level 70
Sep 7, 2022
Well done Simon! That was a tough one. Congrats :)
+6
Level 84
Sep 7, 2022
Nice one Simon! Look forward to your wordsearch :)

And thanks for other devious challenge Stewart!