About

Cicada Detroit is an alternate-reality puzzle competition created by Cicada Productions LLC and built around cryptography, logic, digital clues, and real-world exploration. Season 1, running through the end of 2025, features 42 puzzles that begin online and culminate in in-person final rounds held in Metro Detroit. The first 37 puzzles are completed digitally, with the last five delivered through physical and location-based challenges. A grand prize winner for Season 1 was crowned in August during the first in-person weekend, and additional finalist rounds continue through December 31, 2025.

Alongside the main season, Cicada Detroit offers optional off-shoot events such as the Halloween Challenge and Christmas Challenge, giving both new and returning solvers extra content throughout the year. With Season 2 launching in 2026 as a nationwide, fully online competition, Cicada Detroit continues to expand while staying rooted in its Detroit origins and the community that helped shape it.