Each Monday, MysteriousWritings releases a Puzzle to exercise the mind on the MW Forum. These are for practice in thinking outside the box, which is often beneficial when trying to solve Armchair Treasure Hunts. MW Puzzle Fun #14 featured Sudoku. In Sudoku the grids are to be filled in such a way that the digits 1 through 9 only appear once in any row, column, and in each of the nine 3X3 sub sections. 

codes and ciphers

Once the Sudoku is completed, the number within the grid, marked by the colored dot, relating to the matching colored square below, is used to Shift the letter within the colored square by that number amount.

For instance, Q is in the red square. When the Sudoku is completed, the number marked by the red dot is 2. Q would be shifted by 2 to give the letter ‘S’. The next letter, B, within the Orange square, would be shifted by 3 (the number which would be placed in the grid marked by the orange dot). This would give the letter ‘E’. And so on.

Following this method, QBBLAO would be shifted to reveal the word SECRET.

You might also be interested in reading:

The History of Sudoku, Mystery of Magic Squares, and Howard Garns