News Release | 10-12-2025 | 12:00
Ready to brighten the holidays with a real brain teaser? Perfect! The AIVD Christmas Puzzle is back. Often called the hardest puzzle of the year. We warmly invite everyone to join in the coming weeks. Alone or with a team. Are you the smart cookie who scores the most points this year? Then, besides eternal fame, the coveted trophy awaits you.
The first copy was handed over to Brankele Frank, neurobiologist and recent winner of The Smartest Person!
One of the most enjoyable things in life for me is making puzzles. It really gets your prefrontal cortex working, you feel all those gears clicking together. Now that I am The Smartest Person, maybe I will finally manage to solve the AIVD Christmas Puzzle!
Junior Edition
Besides the adult puzzle, there is also a junior edition. It is intended for young people between 12 and 15 years old. Of course, everyone can do the puzzle - it is a nice stepping stone for those who find the adult edition too challenging. Only puzzlers aged 15 or younger can compete for a spot on the leaderboard.
About the AIVD Christmas Puzzle
The puzzle consists of a series of cryptic tasks that can be solved independently. For fifteen years, the AIVD has been releasing the puzzle in this form, and in 2019 the junior puzzle was added. The puzzle is created by AIVD employees. They do this in their free time.
Stuck? Brankele has a tip:
Make sure to get moving for a bit. For example, by dancing. Your body will produce certain hormones that make you alert. This might help you see things differently and maybe even gain new insights.
Download the AIVD Christmas Puzzle and the Junior Christmas Puzzle
Ready to get started? The puzzles can be found on the Christmas puzzle page. Here you can also practice with previous editions. Dont forget to submit your answers on time, the deadline is Wednesday, January 14, 11:59 PM.
We wish everyone good luck and happy puzzling!
