Detroit Puzzle Competition Concludes Final In-Person Round for $11,239 Prize

DETROIT - EntSun -- Cicada Detroit, a Metro Detroit alternate reality game (ARG) and puzzle hunt featuring 42 online and offline challenges, is completing its final in-person round of Season 1 on Friday, December 12, 2025. Qualified finalists will gather at the Origin Point of Detroit in Campus Martius at 7:35 p.m. to begin Round 2, competing for a share of the $11,239 second-chance prize awarded at the end of 2025.

Season 1 launched in January 2025 and includes a structured progression of 42 puzzles, with Puzzles 1–37 completed online and Puzzles 38–42 located across Metro Detroit. Earlier in the year, the first in-person finals weekend crowned the grand prize winner, who earned $21,347 during the August 2025 event.

Cicada Detroit has drawn a large number of participants during its inaugural year, accumulating more than 1.4 million page views, 280,000+ visitors, and 18,000+ sign-ups. The project was created to introduce cryptography, ciphers, and puzzle-solving experiences to Detroit while fostering a welcoming community of solvers who enjoy creative problem-solving.

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In addition to closing out Season 1, Cicada Detroit has begun expanding its reach through fully online national puzzle events. The first national challenge - the 2025 Halloween Puzzle -launched in October, and the most recent event, the XIXMAS Challenge, begins December 15, 2025. The XIXMAS Challenge features 12 digital puzzles and prizes including a RDY Element Pro R07 pre-built PC and limited-edition XIXMAS beanies for the first 20 solvers.

Season 2, planned for 2026, will also launch as a nationwide online competition, allowing solvers from across the country to participate from day one.

For more information about Cicada Detroit visit https://www.cicadadetroit.com/info.

A community-maintained Fandom Wiki is available at https://cicada-detroit.fandom.com/, and discussion takes place on Discord at https://discord.com/invite/zXpKADBy.

About Cicada Productions LLC

Cicada Productions LLC is a Detroit-based creator of interactive puzzle experiences, alternate reality games, and online problem-solving challenges. The organization designs community-focused events that blend digital exploration, real-world discovery, and creative puzzle mechanics. Cicada Detroit, its flagship project, launched in 2025 and continues to expand with new seasonal and nationwide puzzle experiences.