By participating in this contest, you agree to follow all rules and terms of service below: 

Cicada Detroit is dedicated to fairness, integrity and the principle of solving challenges through individual effort. Our game is designed as a single player experience and sharing answers online is not only against our code of conduct but it diminishes the challenge for others - and yourself. Players found sharing or using shared answers will be disqualified and ineligible for all prizes.

  • Rule Changes and Updates:
    • The contest organizer reserves the right to change or update these rules at any time, without notice.
  • Eligibility:
    • The contest is open to legal residents of the United States who are 18 years or older.
    • Employees, contractors, and immediate family members of the contest organizer are not eligible to participate
  • Prize:
    • Prize winner(s) will be solely responsible for any taxes related to the prize.
    • Prize winner(s) must supply all necessary tax information and will receive a Form 1099 which requires them to declare the amount of their winnings to IRS.
    • Puzzles must be solved in their correct order and by the player to be eligible to win the prize.
    • Prize winner(s) must be able to demonstrate how they solved each puzzle by providing detailed explanations or proof of work to be eligible for the prize.
  • Selection of Winner(s):
    • The First Place Prize of $21,347 will be awarded to the first player to complete all 42 puzzles successfully, assuming this player meets all Eligibility requirements and has followed all contest Rules/Terms of Service.
    • The Secondary Prize (or Second Chance Prize) of $11,239 will be divided equally among all players who complete all 42 puzzles successfully by December 31st, 2025 at 11:59PM, assuming individuals meet all Eligibility requirements and have followed all contest Rules/Terms of Service.
  • Puzzles:
    • Puzzles may change at any time without notice.
    • Some puzzles will contain multiple parts that require solving to move on.
    • For many puzzles, the solution to the puzzle will be appended to the www.cicadadetroit.com URL
      • For example, if the puzzle was “What is a baby cicada called?” the next puzzle would be found at https://www.cicadadetroit.com/nymph
    • Some puzzles are limited by geographic location and contain physical clues.
    • The contest organizer makes no claims to maintain those physical clues in the instance of damage or vandalism. 
  • Purchases:
    • No Refunds and No Returns. All Sales are Final.
  • No Purchase Necessary
    • There is no purchase necessary to enter or win. 
    • One entry per person.
  • Liability and Release:
    • By participating, contestants agree to release the contest organizer from any liability related to the contest.
    • The contest organizer is not responsible for technical issues, lost user info, or any other problems that may arise during the contest.
  • Publicity:
    • Prize winner(s) may be required to provide a photo and a brief statement for promotional purposes.
    • The contest organizer reserves the right to use winners’ names and likenesses in marketing materials.
  • Disqualification:
    • Contestants who are unable to solve rounds of the puzzle can be eliminated from the contest.
    • Players found sharing answers online and/or using shared answers for the first 37 puzzles will be disqualified and ineligible for the prize.
      • From puzzle 38 to 42, users are allowed to collaborate as long as said collaboration is not publicly available to be seen online.
    • If requested, failure to provide satisfactory proof of solving the puzzles may result in disqualification and ineligibility for the prize.
    • Any violation of the contest rules may result in disqualification.
    • The contest organizer reserves the right to disqualify any participant for any reason.
  • Governing Law:
    • The contest is governed by the laws of the state of Michigan.