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Cipher Hunt Alex Hirsch Bill Cipher Statue

Alex Hirsch next to the statue of Bill Cipher.

Cipher Hunt was an ARG (alternate reality game) about Gravity Falls, created by series creator Alex Hirsch. The goal of the entire game was to find an actual statue of Bill Cipher, briefly glimpsed in the series finale, by retrieving and decoding clues hidden in various locations around the world. The first ones to the statue received a prize, though the hunt was mainly about the journey and not the destination.[1] It began on July 20, 2016[2] and was finished on August 2, 2016.[3]

Creation[]

Alex Hirsch and Fon Davis set up the statue

Alex Hirsch and Fon Davis set up the Bill Cipher statue in Reedsport

In the Gravity Falls behind-the-scenes documentary One Crazy Summer, which was included as a special feature in the Gravity Falls: The Complete Series collector's edition DVD box set released by Shout! Factory, series creator Alex Hirsch discussed the origins of the Cipher Hunt. As Gravity Falls is a show about mystery, Hirsch wanted to give fans one final mystery that no one was expecting and that no show had ever done before. He very quickly came up with the idea of sending fans on a worldwide treasure hunt for a real life Bill Cipher statue. Hirsch recruited the show's art director Ian Worrel to assist him with planning out the hunt. Worrel designed a spreadsheet of all of the locations that would be used in the hunt. Hirsch got a friend of a friend of his, Fon Davis, a prop fabricator for movies and a judge on the ABC robot combat game show BattleBots at Fonco Studios, to design and build a statue of Bill Cipher out of plexiglass, as it's made to withstand the elements.[4][5] They rubbed glue with seeds in it on the statue, so that it would start to grow moss and look like it had been in the woods for years. Hirsch then took a trip to Reedsport, Oregon and got in contact with Fon's ex wife who had a friend there that was willing to let him install a statue on their property that people would hunt for. They then drove the statue up to Reedsport, installed the statue in the ground, and recorded a few seconds of footage of the statue to insert into the end of Gravity Falls' series finale, "Weirdmageddon 3: Take Back The Falls". After the finale aired on Disney XD on February 15, 2016, Hirsch took a trip to a couple of conventions and vacation spots and he would secretly leave behind a clue for the hunt at every place he visited.[5]

Rules[]

According to Hirsch, the official rules to Cipher Hunt were as follows:[6]

  • This is an unofficial fan tribute treasure hunt made just by Alex Hirsch! It has no affiliation with any company!
  • No trespassing/vandalism. Everything is in a public place. Be respectful of your surroundings! Don't be a dummy!
  • Be careful - you search at your own risk! Like PokĆ©mon Go, keep an eye out for Gyarados!
  • If you encounter Bill, whatever you do, don't shake his hand!

Summary[]

Location Spotter Clues
Kazan Cathedral, St. Petersburg, Russia @mindofaddict and a small group of fans Encrypted message found inside the cathedral.
Kanda Myojin Shrine, Tokyo, Japan @nyankun1 Encrypted message found at the back of one of the emas in the shrine.
400 Ponce De Leon Ave NE, Atlanta, Georgia, USA @Parsleymagnet Lost pet flyer for Waddles found with a contact number which plays a backwards message when called.
Ochre Court, Salve Regina University, Newport, Rhode Island, USA Clue was accidentally disposed by the university before Cipher Hunt began and replaced with another phone message from Stan.
Griffith J. Griffith statue, Griffith Park, Los Angeles, California, USA @ramblewheels Golden head of Grunkle Stan with an encrypted message and an invisible ink pen inside.
Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA @AchillesHeely, Jason Ritter, Ariel Hirsch, and a small group of fans A black pouch with a USB stick containing an audio file.
Sublevel of the California State Summer School for the Arts, Los Angeles, California, USA @DroveSouR, originally found by Discord user lune Graffiti with a drawn Bill Cipher and a series of hex codes that, when decoded, forms a series of coordinates.

Note: lune on Discord originally found the clue on Tumblr in a photo post from a week prior.

Piedmont Park, Piedmont, California, USA Nick, and fans @minecreatr, @xXxN0831xXx, @OMGMei, and others A pink key, and a small chest containing a Cryptex locked behind a five-letter keyword. Contained a key used to unlock a post office box and a message.
PO Box 27128, 1825 N Vermont Ave, Los Angeles, California, USA @OMGMei, Jason Ritter, and a slew of other fans waiting at the post office. A bag containing two thousand puzzle pieces, an envelope with an image of Bill saying "I HOPE YOU LIKE PUZZLES" in code filled with Stan Bucks, and decoy junk mail.
Corner of Rodney and Tillamook street, Portland, Oregon, USA @easykehl A message with a View-Master disc under a lawn gnome.
Confusion Hill, Mendocino County, California, USA @rylee_stanton A message under a jar of fake eyeballs only given when the passcode, FILBRICK, is said.
Stanley Street, Amity, Oregon, USA @annahinchcliff A message inside a geocache bolt near a telephone pole.
Enchanted Forest, Turner, Oregon, USA Child of an unknown family (Evidence tweeted by @Niltiac6) Encrypted message inside a jar buried in a dirt enclosure on the property.
Reedsport, Oregon, USA @shadow_wolfwind (currently @OfficialGFMayor) Bill Cipher's statue and a chest buried in front of it containing several items. Split with @mypresidents Family, @temp_cdcan, and @tyrnn.

Overview[]

The beginning[]

Bill Cipher statue torn page

The original Twitter image posted by Alex Hirsch, signalling the start of Cipher Hunt.

Fans theorized that there was a real-life statue of Bill Cipher exists somewhere in the world based on of the end of the series' final episode, "Weirdmageddon 3: Take Back The Falls," which contains both a clip of a real Bill statue surrounded by a wooded area and an encoded riddle hinting at the presence of buried treasure "deep within the woods" and a statue "beyond the rusty gates".

Alex Hirsch and the team behind Gravity Falls did not talk about the presence of a statue in the months following the end of the show until the silence was broken on July 20, 2016. On that date, Hirsch tweeted "Are you guys ready?"[7] and then proceeded to begin the game with a tweet containing the words "Let the games begin #FLSKHUKXQW" and the image shown above.[2] The image contained several cryptograms and clues.

Hirsch also posted the rules of the hunt on Twitter, which clarified that the hunt was an unofficial self-made fan tribute, unaffiliated with any company, including The Walt Disney Company. He also asked fans to be careful and to avoid trespassing and/or vandalism, since most of the clues' locations were in public areas. Fans utilized social media outlets such as Twitter, Tumblr, Periscope, and Reddit to communicate and share their findings.

  • After shifting the phrase "#FLSKHUKXQW" three letters back, the text reads "#CIPHERHUNT."
  • The text above the Bill statue reads:

"WKH XUEDQ OHJHQG KDV FRPH WUXH * FLSKHU'V VWDWXH'V FDOOLQJ BRX * WKH VHFUHW PDS LV LQ BRXU KDQG * WR WUDFH WKH FOXHV DFURVV WKH ODQG"

After shifting the message three letters back, the text reads:

"THE URBAN LEGEND HAS COME TRUE * CIPHER'S STATUE'S CALLING YOU * THE SECRET MAP IS IN YOUR HAND * TO TRACE THE CLUES ACROSS THE LAND"

  • The numbers above the Bill statue read "8-15-10-19-5." After putting the message through A1Z26, Atbash and shifting it three letters back, the text reads "PINES."
  • The text below the Bill statue reads:

"GRQ'W IRUJHW LW'V DOO IRU SOHDVXUH * WKH KXQW LWVHOI'V WKH UHDO WUHDVXUH * EXW D SULCH DZDLWV WKH ILUVW RQH WKHUH * EH VDIH, EH VPDUW, DQG RI FRXUVH EHZDUH"

After shifting the message three letters back, the text reads:

"DON'T FORGET IT'S ALL FOR PLEASURE * THE HUNT ITSELF'S THE REAL TREASURE * BUT A PRIZE AWAITS THE FIRST ONE THERE * BE SAFE, BE SMART, AND OF COURSE BEWARE"

St. Petersburg, Russia[]

Clue 1 location
Russia clue

Decoding the red letters placed across both sets of cryptograms creates the word "RUSSIA," hinting at the location of the first clue. The diagram at the middle left of the image was recognized by Russian fans as an architectural plan of the Kazan Cathedral in Saint Petersburg,[8] which Hirsch most likely visited during his trip to St. Petersburg to attend Big Fest Russia in April 2016.[9] The diagram at the middle right shows exactly where in the Cathedral it can be found. Using this image, the first clue was successfully found.[10] The text on the clue decodes to:

"Finally the hunt can begin
So switch your Rubles out for Yen
Turn left when you're at the shrine's door
When you reach the statue turn left once more
In the leftmost corner in the back
Is the info that you lack
A sword and a crescent mark the clue
Cipher's statue's calling you.
"

This points to the second clue being located in Japan, which uses yen as currency.

Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan[]

Clue 2 location
Japan clue

The exact location of the second clue is inside the Kanda Myojin Shrine, which Hirsch visited during his trip to Japan in February 2016.[11] On the back of one of the emas inside the shrine was a scimitar and crescent with an encrypted message.[12] The text on the clue decodes to:

"Consider in your quest for truth
the hunter of the fountain of youth
400 before his name is written
Outside the gate is where its hidden
Find what's LOST to pass the test
From a Shrine that's east to a Shrine that's west.
"

This points to third clue being located at 400 Ponce de Leon Ave NE, Atlanta, Georgia, as Juan Ponce de LeĆ³n was a hunter of the Fountain of Youth in a form of a missing poster titled LOST.

Atlanta, Georgia[]

Water damaged lost poster clue

The address found from the second clue led to a Shriners' temple.[13] A community stream found a missing poster for Waddles in the area, but it was water damaged and difficult to read. The poster contains a picture of and information about Waddles, a cryptogram, and a phone number to call if Waddles is found. When called, the number plays a backwards message.[14] The poster contained some information about Waddles: "NAME: Waddles. SEX: ??? BREED: Pig. WEIGHT: 15 lbs. Last seen sitting around some rocks near a creek. ADDITIONAL INFO: Oink Oink Oink Oink Oink Oink Oink Oink Oink Oink Oink Oink Oink Oink Oink Oink Oink Oink Oink Oink Oink Oink Oink Oink Oink"

Waddles Poster Scan

High resolution scan of the Waddles poster

The poster also contains an encrypted message:

"dfurvv iurp wkh vwrqhv ri wkh vsulqjv
brx'oo ilqg vrph shfxoldu wklqjv
wlhg wr d urrw lv d orqh slqn nhb
glj wr ilqg zkdw zdlwv iru wkhh.
"

While it was hard to see due to the rain damage, the text once decoded read:

"Across from the stones of the springs
you'll find some peculiar things
tied to a root is a lone pink key
dig to find what waits for thee.
"

The purpose of this message is to help find the eighth clue. The phone number, when reversed, played a message from Grunkle Stan while the X-Files theme plays in the background. The call says[15]:

"Hello, it's Grunkle Stan, and I have a riddle for you! What has two legs during the day, four legs during the night, and uh, it's red and white, and, I dunno, I'm no good at these riddles. It's at Ochre Court, all right? The next clue, it's at Ochre Court. It's, uh, it's like, it's a big old building in Rhode Island. And if you go up the stairs, there's gonna be a bunch of pictures of nuns on the wall. You gotta look behind one of the nun pictures. Sister Mary Hilda Miley. Real, real grouch, that nun. Lift up the picture to find a clue behind the nun, all right? That's the whole thing. So, you know, be careful with the picture. Don't break it. I don't want you to get anyone in trouble, all right? You don't want ol' Grunkle Stan going to jail. Anyway, go to the place, look behind the nun, find the thing, and uh, uh, always? Be...mys...look out for mysteries! That it, did, did I do it? All right."
ā€”Stan Pines

This shows that the fourth clue is located in the Ochre Court building of Salve Regina University in Rhode Island.

Newport, Rhode Island[]

Where the fourth clue would have been

The fourth clue was to be located in the Ochre Court building of Salve Regina University in Rhode Island.

Cipher Hunt Uh oh

However, the university accidentally disposed of the clue before Cipher Hunt began.[16] Alex Hirsch promised to give a replacement clue at July 21, 2016, 12:30 PST,[17] and asked people to stay out of the university in the meantime.[18]

GravityFallsCipher had also made a few cryptic tweets about Cipher Hunt in the meantime.

  • The first clue is:[19]

"The Nuns have won
But the battle's not lost
We are still far from done
Find the pink key or pay the cost
"
ā€”@TheMysteryofGF

This is allegedly an old clue people forgot to solve.[20] It relates to the "pink key" discussed on Waddles' missing poster.

  • The second clue is:[21]

"When one branch closes, another path may still be open. Return to what was and try again while awaiting something new."
ā€”@TheMysteryofGF

The fans took this to mean returning to Georgia in order to find out if something was added in their absence. In reality, these posts were made to buy time as Alex Hirsch and the others working on the hunt scrambled to figure out a new clue that would put fans back on track.[22] At 12:30 PST, Alex Hirsch tweeted Grunkle Stan's phone number (the same number on Waddles' missing poster), and said to leave a message.[23][24][25]


The phone number plays a message from Grunkle Stan. The message says:

"A man whose first name is his last, a statue honoring his past. Right behind him by the sign of his park, a golden head shows light in the dark. I dunno what that means. Well, I don't have to go out there 'n figure this out. Wonder what's on TV."
ā€”Stan Pines

This shows that the fourth clue is located near the Griffith J. Griffith statue at Griffith Park in Los Angeles.

Griffith Park, Los Angeles[]

Gold head clue
Cipher hunt invisible ink code

A golden head of Grunkle Stan was found in Los Angeles, which was the fourth clue.[26] The Stan head was created by Matt Chapman in 2014 for a preview shown at the 2014 San Diego Comic Con before the season 2 trailer was revealed. He had since used it to test out his 3D printer and Alex had it lying around. In a rush to salvage the hunt, Alex quickly painted it gold, shoved a clue in and left it where it would eventually be found.[27] Originally, it came with a slip of paper with a code written on it, as well as an invisible ink pen, which reveals hidden code.[28] The person who found the clue tried to trace the writing exactly. The text decodes to:

Cipher hunt traced code

the traced text

"50 + 50 THAT'S THE CITY
FROM ONE ANGLE IT'S QUITE PRETTY
YOU'LL FIND A BOW TIE AND ONE EYE
AT HIS HEAD IS A RECTANGLE
STONES BY STAIRS ATOP THE TOP RIGHT ANGLE
THE STONE WITH THE UV SWIRL CAN GLOW
FIND THE BLACK POUCH THAT'S BELOW.
"

Century City, Los Angeles[]

This clue shows that the fifth clue is located in Century City, Los Angeles. A certain park in the city is trimmed into the shape of the Eye of Providence. Jason Ritter, Ariel Hirsch and a small group of fans went down to Century City and successfully found the black pouch, which contained a USB stick with an image of Bill on it.[29] The USB stick contained an audio file that was later uploaded to SoundCloud.[30]

  • Music and sound effects from Super Mario World can be heard throughout the recording.

The full transcript of the sound file is as follows:

Grunkle Stan Howdy, treasure hunters! Grunkle Stan here to tell you about the next clue ā€” whoa! Who are you?!
Sister Mary Hilda Miley's ghost Mmmmm! It is me, Sister Mary Hilda Miley, and I decree that you shall never find the treasure! Muahahahaha!
Stan Um... Some kind of ghost has flown into the Mystery Shack here, she's, uh, she's got a ruler and a ghost hand ā€” *BASH* Ow! Hey!
Sister Miley's ghost I am the spirit of seriousness! I hate anything fun: carbonated beverages, boys and girls holding hands at school dances, and most of all, I hate treasure hunts! Also, knuckles! *BASH*
Stan Ow! Soos, get the vacuum cleaner.
Soos Ramirez Yes sir, Mr. Pines. *Vroooom...*
Sister Miley's ghost No! My one weakness! A creative solution! I'll be back! You'll never find the treasure!
Stan Good job, Soos. Have a chicken nugget.
Soos To me, this is a raise!
Stan Alright kids, the next clue is, uh, a kind of tricky one, you see. This is one that can only be found by someone who is currently in the building it is hidden in. That's right, I'm looking for students at the California State Summer School of the Arts. Only CSSSA students can find this clue. I don't want anybody else going to CSSSA, alright? It's, uh, you're not allowed in. Only students there are allowed in. Students, scour the sublevel! You'll know it when you see it. And watch out for Sister Miley's ghooooooost! Seriously.

This shows that the sixth clue is located on the California State Summer School of the Arts campus.

CSSSA Campus, Los Angeles[]

CSSSA clue

The fifth clue explicitly revealed the sixth clue's location, which was at the campus of the California State Summer School for the Arts (CSSSA), located inside Hirsch's alma mater, the California Institute of the Arts in Santa Clarita, California. It also said that the clue can only be accessed by students of the campus. The sixth clue was accidentally discovered by a student in the campus' sublevel in the form of a graffiti on a wall a week before the Cipher Hunt began.[31] A post made on Tumblr about it would be found by Discord users and then from there, a fan named Russel Red tweeted the image to Alex Hirsch who confirmed it was the clue. The graffiti shows a crudely drawn Bill Cipher and a series of hex codes that, when decoded, form co-ordinates: 37Ā°49'19"N and 122Ā°13'59"W. These co-ordinates are located in Piedmont, California, the hometown of Dipper, Mabel, and the Hirsch twins.

Piedmont, California[]

The rhyme on the Waddles missing poster along with the co-ordinates from the previous clue led fans to Piedmont Park where they searched for the next clue in the woods for over two hours, but found nothing. Eventually, Alex offered some guidance in the form of a map leading to the next clue.[32] After Alex posted the map, it did not take long for fans to find a Pink Key that resembled Waddles tied to a stump, in addition to a small chest with a Cryptex locked behind a five-letter keyword. Using the keyword from the original Cipherhunt image, "PINES," the cryptex was opened, revealing the seventh clue and another key.[33] The clue reads:

"LA HAS THE CLUE YOU WANT
1825 N VERMONT
27128'S THE BOX FOR THEE
DON'T BE PUZZLED, USE THE KEY.
"

This clue shows that the eighth clue is located at 1825 N Vermont Ave in Los Angeles, and that the provided key has to be used to open PO Box 27128.

1825 N Vermont Ave, Los Angeles[]

CoARzFAWYAAJ86L

Jason Ritter, Ariel Hirsch and a group of fans at the post office.

Fans gathered outside the post office awaiting the arrival of the person with the key. Jason Ritter hung out with fans while they waited. Jeffrey Rowe stopped by and gave out some copies of Dipper and Mabel and the Curse of the Time Pirates' Treasure which wasn't released yet. Additionally, Scott Jones who wrote and directed "Old Man" McGucket's Conspiracy Corner came to the post office with the Bill and McGucket puppets used in the shorts. Some fans who found previous clues in the hunt also showed up. After awhile, Ariel Hirsch showed up and fans went inside to read the Curse of the Time Pirates' Treasure book together. After an eight hour drive from Piedmont to LA, the person with the key made it to the post office box and used the key to open it. The eighth clue was a plastic bag containing two thousand jigsaw puzzle pieces.[34] The box also contained an envelope with a drawing of Bill saying "I HOPE YOU LIKE PUZZLES" in code, thirty-seven Stan Bucks with the word "FILBRICK" written in invisible ink on their backsides, one Stan Buck with "FILBRICK" in code written on the front side, and some decoy junk mail.

The fans almost immediately got stuck on the puzzle. At first, fans took the puzzle to the nearby House of Pies to work on. After the restaurant closed for the night, a small group of fans took it to someone's house to continue working on it over night. In the following days, the puzzle was brought to public places like local comic book shops so that anyone could come work on it. Jason Ritter and Scott Jones also showed up to help work on the puzzle. After two days, during which some took sleep shifts while some didn't sleep at all, they managed to complete scattered portions of it that show what the puzzle contained. It was of Bill Cipher, with a gnome under him and letters in Bill's cryptogram below and to the sides of him.[35][36]

After another day, Alex Hirsch sent a tweet which showed a rough idea what the puzzle should look like upon completion, but with a different code that said "THIS IS WHERE THE CLUE WILL APPEAR" when decoded in addition to what was previously completed. After two more days, Alex sent two images of different sections of the puzzle and a virtual version of the puzzle was created by a fan to get some help. Fans used Photoshop to piece these two images together and then decoded what they could make out. Within a few hours the puzzle was then digitally solved by a group effort.

  • The code reads "CORNER OF NE TILLAMOOK EN NE RODNEY." "CORNER" is below the gnome, with the other words being on either side of Bill. They are flipped 180Ā° around.

Progress on the puzzle eventually reached the point that a fan was able to guess the location of the next clue before the puzzle was completed. It was solved when a fan came across the gnome on the puzzle by complete accident on the corner of Rodney and Tillamook Street in Portland, Oregon, as shown in the code above.

Though the clue was found without completing the puzzle, Alex Hirsch provided incentive to complete both the physical and virtual puzzles by saying that if the physical puzzle got finished, he would release the Gravity Falls pilot[37] and if the virtual puzzle got finished, he would upload unreleased cut scenes from the show.[38] The physical puzzle was completed on August 1. Alex Hirsch showed up upon its completion, signed it and promised the release of the original pilot.[39]

Portland, Oregon[]

Cipher hunt gnome

The gnome with the View-Master slide and paper with the riddle.

Clue 9
View master

A fan was walking on the corner of Rodney and Tillamook street in Portland, Oregon where he spotted a lawn gnome from the puzzle. Having been keeping up with the hunt on twitter, and what had been solved with the puzzle so far, he decided to pick up the Gnome on a whim only to find a View-Master and the ninth clue underneath it.[40] The clue says:

"To the redwoods you must race
If you're Confused you're in the right place
The giftshop is not too far
The password will buy the Eyeball jar.
"
[[source]]

The View-Master contained slides depicting the area around Confusion Hill in Mendocino County, California. Confusion Hill is a tourist trap similar to the Mystery Shack. One of the slides also contains an image of Snoqualmie Falls, a waterfall known for appearing in the television show Twin Peaks, an inspiration to Gravity Falls. This points to the tenth clue being located at Confusion Hill.

Confusion Hill, California[]

A group of fans went to Confusion Hill early in the morning, but had to wait around for it to open. After they got in, they discovered a jar containing fake eyeballs in the gift shop which was located on a shelf behind the register. However, they needed to know a certain password to buy it. The password was "FILBRICK," the word written in invisible ink on the back of the Stan Bucks packaged with the jigsaw puzzle. Using the password, a fan retrieved the eyeball jar and found the tenth clue written on the bottom of it.[41] Alex Hirsch stated that fans would get a prize if they took a selfie with the picture of the Gravity Falls crew framed in the gift shop at Confusion Hill from Mystery Tour 2013. The clue says:

"WHERE HAS MY GRUNKLE GONE? / TO STANLEY ST. IN OREGON / A TELEPHONE POLE IS WHERE HE'S AT / WHY'D HE HAVE TO BOLT LIKE THAT?"

This points to the eleventh clue being located near a pair of telephone poles on Stanley Street in Amity, Oregon.

What wasn't told at the time was that the jar already had been found. The previous clue had been found and decoded after Confusion Hill had closed for the day, meaning no fan could have gotten there in time. What happened was that several days earlier, a girl named Rylee, while moving to Oregon, stopped at Confusion Hill and asked the staff there if they were part of Cipher Hunt. Unaware that the hunt had not yet gotten to that point, they told her they were and explained how to get it. After several guesses, Rylee managed to correctly say the password and got the jar. Once the staff there realized what had happened, they got in touch with her and were able to get Rylee to tweet the image of the jar online, allowing the hunt to proceed.[42]

Amity, Oregon[]

Clue 11

A group of fans went to Stanley Street as instructed and found a geocache bolt. After somehow losing the bolt and finding it again, they unscrewed it to find the eleventh clue inside, written double-sided on a very narrow strip of paper.[43] The clue says:

"ROGER TOFTE KNOWS THE PLACE
BEHIND A SIGN BURIED AT THE BASE
NEAR PA'S LAUNDRY ON THE HILL
'HERE LIE THE BONES OF A MAN NAMED BILL'
"

Roger Tofte is the creator of the Enchanted Forest amusement park, in Turner, Oregon.

Mabel Park, Oregon (cancelled clue)[]

Scrapped Mabel Park Clue

The original plan for the final Cipher Hunt Clue

In the original Cipher Hunt plan, the location for the final clue was to have been buried under a tree in the unincorporated community of Mabel, Oregon. According to Ian Worrel, him and Alex only spent on Saturday in Oregon to hide the clues in that state for the hunt. While driving to Mabel Park, they were distracted by a billboard for the Enchanted Forest and stopped to check it out. After spending a majority of the day there, they decided to cut out the Mabel Park location. Their reasoning was due to the fact they still needed to go to Stanley Street and Mabel Park was several hours south from there and back. They also were more interested in the tourist trap vibe of the place, which they felt would be more fun for the Cipher Hunters. So, realizing they already had one location name with a show character, they made the choice to make Enchanted Forest instead the site of the final clue. Alex quickly scribbled up a new poem for both the new clue location and Stanley Street clue. Despite the change messing up the flow of the hunt, it ended up being the right call, as the original clue location in Mabel Park was on private property, which would have resulted in the location needing to be changed for the clue regardless.[44]

With Mabel Park scrapped, it was now a race to the final clue, at the Enchanted Forest amusement park, in Turner, Oregon.

Enchanted Forest, Turner, Oregon[]

Clue 12

front

Cipher hunt Here lies the bones of a man named Bill sign

The "Here lie the bones of a man named Bill" sign

A family raced to Enchanted Forest in pursuit of the clue. They dug around in the dirt at the base of a sign that reads "Here lie the bones of a man named Bill" which was located near Pa's laundry shop, but found nothing. Alex eventually realized that the clue was already taken by another fan before the family got there.[45] The fan uploaded the image of the twelfth clue online. It was written on ripped paper and was encoded.[46] The decoded clue says:

"RETURN TO WHERE IT ALL BEGAN / THE FINAL CLUE IS IN YOUR HAND / THE PARCHMENT CAN BE SUCH A TEASE / THE ANSWER'S WRITTEN IN THE TREES"

Cipher hunt dotted line map

back

This points to the twelfth clue being the final clue, with the next stop in Cipher Hunt being the location of the fabled statue of Bill Cipher. On the back of the final clue, there is a dotted red line leading to an X, as if it is a treasure map.[47] This dotted line can be combined with the dotted red line found on the initial Cipher Hunt image posted by Alex Hirsch.[48] This hinted at the final clue being hidden in the initial Cipher Hunt image in the trees behind Bill's statue. Fans used the initial image and last clue combined to search for the statue in several locations across the West Coast with no results. Meanwhile, many people made unsuccessful attempts to find an encoded message in the trees seen behind Bill's statue.

After several days with no progress, and after asking the fans on his Twitter account if they wanted it,[49] Alex Hirsch tweeted a hint for the final clue:

"An urban legend arcade game
Gives the methods correct name
Mathematically the letters hide
In branches & knots, no matter the side
"
ā€”Alex Hirsch[|[source]]

The urban legend arcade game is Polybius. From this hint, it was discovered that the code needed to solve the clue was a Polybius square, a code that uses pairs of numbers and turns them into letters via a grid, usually of 5x5 spaces, placing the whole alphabet in those spaces, and that may use a keyword to encrypt messages.

CipherHunters needed to find a pattern in the branches, needles and knots of the trees in the initial Cipher Hunt image that could be converted to pairs of numbers. They also had to find out which specific version of the Polybius square was used to encode the message. An anonymous at the time Reddit user named "RunningIsFunny" (later discovered to be American Cryptogram Association member Michael Antonucci[50]) would be the one to break the case. Through clever cryptoanalysis of the branches and knots, and by manipulating the possible results with the assumption that the decoded message was a location that had to end with the letters "OR" (Oregon), a "reverse" code cracking method was used. The most likely resulting message was "REEDSPORTOR," so the fans were able to narrow down the location of the statue to Reedsport, Oregon.[51] Alex Hirsch retweeted messages of fans that were heading there, reinforcing the assumption.[52][53] The treasure map was assumed to be a map through the city's parks or surrounding forests to find the statue, so the fans searched in Google Maps for a path where the map fitted, locating one at the end of S 22nd Street.[54][55]

"If you guys can stand another theory, here it is:

18 branches, 4 knots = 22 Polybius needs pairs, so 11 letters 5 different types - bare branch slanted up, bare branch slanted down, branch with "leaves" slanted up, branch with "leaves" slanted down, and knot.

Assign each of those type a number 1-5 randomly. The letters themselves will come out as gibberish, but it does tell us which letters repeat and which don't. There are 7 different letters in the 11. The pattern goes:

X-Y-Y-Z-A-B-C-X-D-C-X

It doesn't matter what letters you use. What's important is that the first, 8th and last letters are the same, the second and third are the same, and the 7th and 10th are the same.

Big deal, right? But if we assume the last two letters are "OR" as in Oregon, we then get...

R-Y-Y-Z-A-B-O-R-D, OR

If the first letter is a consonant, then 2 and 3 have to be a vowel, and since we've already used "O," the only possibility is "E." So now we have:

R-E-E-Z-A-B-O-R-D, OR

There's only one place that fits. Reedsport, Oregon.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Reedsport,+OR+97467/@43.6991042,-124.1415929,13z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x54c3c3b9ac656e47:0x7b79c93b5e4b888!8m2!3d43.7023389!4d-124.0967779

The biggest problem is that an entire town isn't specific enough, even with the map on the upper left and the "x." I just wanted to memorialize my theory here and see if anyone can add to it or shoot it down."
ā€”Michael Antonucci's Reddit post that led to Reedsport[[source]]

The complete code was cracked later that evening (the message already presumed to be "REEDSPORTOR"): an upwards branch with needles means 1; a downwards branch with needles means 2; an upwards branch without needles means 3; a downwards branch without needles means 4; and a knot means 5 (the side each branch is on is not a factor as Alex said in his hint). Read from top to bottom and from left to right, the resulting numbers, grouped in pairs, are "42-15-15-14-43-41-35-42-44-35-42." The Polybius square needed to decode the sequence and get the message "REEDSPORTOR" from those numbers is a 5x5 grid that combines the letters P and Q, with no key words.[3] The first digit of each pair is the number of a line, and the second digit is the number of a column.

1 2 3 4 5
1 A B C D E
2 F G H I J
3 K L M N O
4 P/Q R S T U
5 V W X Y Z
Cipherhunt reedsport map 2-

Using the dotted red line leading to an X on the twelfth clue, fans figured out the statue's exact location in Reedsport.

Reedsport, Oregon - Cipher's Statue[]

Cipher Hunt Bill statue found

Bill found.

Using the dotted red line leading to an X on the twelfth clue, fans were able to figure out the statue's exact location in Reedsport. Fans raced to the location to be the first one to find the statue of Bill Cipher. The statue was found on August 2 at 19:53 PDT (2:53 Aug 3 UTC) by @shadow_wolfwind (now @OfficialGFMayor), who tweeted a photo of it.[56][57]

Later, a treasure chest buried in front of Bill's statue was found and dug up by a series of other fans, with several of them (including a baby) shaking Bill's hand.[58] The treasure chest contained a wide array of loot, such as plastic coins and gems, Russian and Japanese currency, a copy of Gravity Falls: Journal 3 with special drawings by Alex Hirsch, a black light, a plastic crown and a sash that says "Mayor of Gravity Falls," a music box with Bill's eye that plays the Gravity Falls theme song and contains a slip of paper, a miniature Bill Cipher statue, a framed sketch of the main characters and the statue, and a USB drive. Some currency in the chest was marked by a person named Bradley who found the treasure before the hunt began.[59]

The drawings in the copy of Journal 3 are caricatures of Soos, Grunkle Stan, and Old Man McGucket, with Stan saying "ENJOY THE NERD BOOK, SMARTYPANTS!" and text reading "FROM GRUNKLE STAN, SOOS, & MCGUCKET -(ALEX HIRSCH)" shown below. When investigated via blacklight, Bill's name is added to the signature, Bill hovers over Stan's shoulder, and Bill says "STAY PARANOID!"[60]

When the slip of paper in the music box is investigated with a blacklight, a note from Alex Hirsch can be found:

"CONGRATULATIONS ON FINDING THE BILL CIPHER STATUE, BILL'S FINAL RESTING PLACE! WHOSOEVER FINDS THIS TREASURE IS HEREBY THE NEW "MAYOR OF GRAVITY FALLS" - SO USE YOUR TITLE WELL! CHANCES ARE YOU DIDN'T DO THIS ALONE, SO SHARE THE WEALTH! YOU ARE AN AMAZING FAN!
YOUR PAL, ALEX HIRSCH
"

  • Because of this, the user @shadow_wolfwind changed her username to @OfficialGFMayor.


The framed image depicts Soos, Grunkle Stan, Dipper, and Mabel all posing next to the Bill Cipher statue with the word "CONGRATULATIONS" being displayed above. Bill can be seen floating next to the "CONGRATULATIONS." The image is signed by Alex Hirsch.[61] When investigated with a blacklight, the statue gains Bill's eyelashes and bowtie, and its pupil glows. In addition, the eyes of all the main characters glow, and "TRUST NO ONE" is written on top of "CONGRATULATIONS."[62]

On the USB drive was a text document titled "Hi" which contains a link to Bradley's Twitter account, an audio file of Grunkle Stan singing "We'll Meet Again" and congratulating the finders, and a text document with the title of "MyExWifeStillMissesMe.ButHerAimIsGettinBetter." When opened in Notepad, a text reading "RETURNBACKWARDSTOTHEPASTAGAINTHREE" appears, which is a reference to Back to the Future III, and is also a reference to part of a letter Blendin Blandin sent from the past to Dipper and Mabel, which is featured in Journal 3.

The complete transcription of Grunkle Stan's message is:

"We'll... meet again... Don't know where... Don't know when... But I know we'll meet again, some sunny day... *coughing noises* Oh, my esophagus. Hey guys. Congratulations on finding my, uh, mysterious treasure, of the-th-(stuttering) statue in the forest. Uh, this is it. This is, you reached the end, you really did it! You really, you looked for it, and you found it. And, um, now it's yours! Uh... You know, i-if you were hoping for some kind of, like, y'know like a cash prize... Y'know, I can't blame you but the real, the real treasure is the journey and the friends you made along the way. In case you don't have any friends, in which, y'know, at least you got some exercise. Um, anyway, y'know, take a picture with the statue. Y-go, shake his hand, that's kinda like a prize. And uh, tell everybody how you, you did it first, and that makes you the best. Also y'know, if any other people helped you, give 'em some of the gold plastic coins. Share the wealth! Anyway, congratulations! I'm Grunkle Stan, and as I always say... No refunds!"

Background music to "We'll Meet Again" plays throughout the entire message.[63]

Statue removal & Property dispute[]

Cipher hunt Bill at police station

The Bill Cipher Statue with its broken off hat and the treasure chest at the police station.

The next day on August 3, as fans were arriving at the location, the statue and its treasure were being taken away by local authorities because of a property conflict. Footage showed a man lifting the statue out of the ground and hauling it into the back of a pickup truck. Some fans were able to take final photos of the statue before it was removed. According to Fon Davis, the statue had been designed to deliberately be hard to remove out of the ground and footage showed removal requiring considerable force. The man claimed he had been told to do this by the property's manager. Fans removed as much from the treasure chest as they could before it and Bill were hauled away. The hashtag #SaveBill began to be used soon after.[64] Alex Hirsch was meeting with executives in Los Angeles while this was all going on and soon got an email stating he needed to contact the Reedsport police. After making an excuse to leave, Alex called Fon and they worked to get the issue resolved.

As the story was originally told, Alex and Fon had permission to place the statue on the property, but there was another person claiming ownership of the land where it was located who had the statue removed.[65] In reality there was never a dispute and in actuality the statue had been placed on the wrong land the whole time. When looked at in comparison with the Cipher Hunt map, the location of the statue fell 117ft over the property line (and the Reedsport's own border) of the land Alex and Fon had permission to put it on. The statue instead ended up being on the property of a woman named Linda Parker who was never informed of anything, given it wasn't known the statue fell on her side of the property. Given that, no permission had ever been granted from her for the statue to be there for the hunt or for fans to be there. Upset about all the people on her property and the liability that went with it, she had the statue removed. As she clarified, she was not intending to ruin any of the fun of that day, but just had no idea about what was happening and feared about the risks associated with the events unfolding.[64][66]

The hat, already damaged beforehand, was broken off in the process. The police ended up temporarily holding the statue, its broken off hat, and the treasure box for Alex, while he arranged for it to be moved somewhere else. While at the police station, the statue's hat went missing. Initially, it was stated it had been stolen by a fan who claimed it was theirs. Alex put out a now deleted tweet asking the fan to return the hat, but no one ever came forward with it. In reality, it was revealed that the Reedsport police had thrown the hat out.[67] By August 5, the statue ended up in Bicentennial Park, in Reedsport, Oregon. It was bolted to the top of a tree above the ground to prevent people from stealing it. The treasure box was located beneath the statue. Fans continued to visit Bill.[68]

Final resting place & Aftermath[]

Cipher hunt Bill in Bicentennial Park

The Bill Cipher Statue in Bicentennial Park, lacking its hat.

"The Cipher Hunt was one of the greatest things I've ever seen. And I've once seen a dead rat floating in a bucket."
ā€”Michael Antonucci

Entering "RETURNBACKWARDS" as a username and "TOTHEPASTAGAINTHREE" as a password on themysteryofgravityfalls.com/pilot will let users watch the unaired pilot of Gravity Falls. It is a prototype of "Tourist Trapped" with a radically different art style and some altered dialogue and scenes.

Cipher hunt bill was here sign

The "Bill was here" sign

On August 15, Alex called for volunteers to move the statue via truck to a new location.[69] Three days later, on the 18th, Bill had been removed from Bicentennial Park with a sign in his place that read "BILL WAS HERE" in Bill's substitution cipher.[70] The other side of the sign contained a stylized image of Bill. On August 19 (around twelve hours after the discovery of the sign), Twitter user @Knarkill34 tweeted that they had moved Bill to an undisclosed location, but provided pictures.[71]

Cipher hunt puzzle at Confusion Hill

The completed puzzle framed in the gift shop at Confusion Hill.

On August 20, several fans discovered that Bill's new location was Confusion Hill.[72] Bill acquired a new hat within a week, and the treasure box was not transported to Confusion Hill.[73]

Billinconfusionhill

The Bill Cipher Statue now resides in Confusion Hill.

Bill and the Puzzle are now both housed at Confusion Hill, along with a new treasure box for anyone who wishes to seek him out.[74] The new treasure box is located behind the counter at the gift shop and can be viewed at request. The box contains a message congratulating fans on finding Bill and encourages fans to take and leave treasures for future fans' pilgrimages so there's always something for someone on their own Cipher Hunt. In September 2016, the treasure box was replaced with a newer larger treasure box to hold all the items that fans had since left that could no longer fit in the previous box. It also contains a log book for fans to document their name, date they "found Bill", and where they traveled from.[75]

The promised reveal of deleted scenes from Gravity Falls was fulfilled on the Collector's Edition Discs released by Shout! Factory.

Bradley[]

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Photo posted by Bradley showing him finding the treasure before Cipher Hunt began

Although @shadow_wolfwind who got the mayor sash is the official person to have found the Bill Cipher statue, opening the treasure chest reveals Stan Bucks that have been signed by a person named Bradley Pic who found it on July 12th, making him the actual first person to find it.[76] During an appearance on the Mystery Shack Lookback Podcast in 2022, Alex Hirsch revealed the full story behind what happened and how Bradley's name ended up in the chest.[77]

Bradley was a resident of Reedsport, Oregon who one day, accidentally found the statue while going out for a walk. According to Alex, this was shortly after he had placed the statue there as Gravity Falls had not even ended. Luckily, Bradley had never heard of the show, but posted an image of the statue to an unsolved mysteries Sub Reddit. The post didn't gain much attention.[59] However, the person behind the @TheMysteryofGF Twitter page managed to find the post, and being in the know about the Cipher Hunt, contacted Alex about it.

CuWTGwfUEAE2DDt

Prize Bradley received from Alex Hirsch

Knowing the hunt could be ruined if the post was found by fans, Alex was able to get in touch with Bradley and informed him about what the statue was and asked him to take the post down. In exchange for taking it down and his silence about the statue, Alex paid Bradley $100, gave him a prize and let him take the credit for finding the statue after Cipher Hunt was over.

Prior to the hunt starting but after being paid off by Alex, Bradley returned to the statue, dug up the treasure chest, signed his name on the money inside it and left a text file named "Hi.txt" which contains the link to his Twitter account on the USB drive. He would later upload a video of him finding the statue to help answer questions fans had about why his name and link to his Twitter account were in the treasure, however the full story would not be revealed until 2022 by Alex.[78]

In a follow up interview with Bradley and TheMysteryofGF, Bradley claimed that he found the statue in actuality in the summer instead of just before Gravity Falls had ended and got about $300 from Alex, while TheMysteryofGF claimed to never actually have messaged Alex about it, instead saying Alex let him know about the leak and containing it. He further stated it may have instead been a conversation about a Journal 3 leak at the same time. It is therefore disputed exactly if him, Alex or someone else had seen Bradley's Reddit post and got in touch with him.[79]

Bradley also claimed that he had tagged Alex in tweets which may have been how he was found. Furthermore, Bradley revealed that he didn't tamper with the USB as the story was told or knew of the treasure's existence, but that in reality, Alex asked him to replace it with a new one due to worrying the USB currently buried in the chest was corrupted. After getting the new one, he added his Twitter to it and replaced it. As he didn't check to see if the claim of corruption was true or not, Bradley has no idea how Alex knew about that or if the drive really was corrupted (joking instead that Alex may have in reality buried the wrong USB). When asked, Alex Hirsch later clarified that in the original USB drive, he hadn't included the Grunkle Stan recording and thought having that included would be better, so he employed Bradley's help for that, also saying his addition of his Twitter URL was a "legendary" move.[80]

Trivia[]

  • Several of the locations for clues have been tied to religion ā€” the cathedral in Russia, the shrines in Japan and Georgia, and the paintings of nuns in Rhode Island.
  • Several of the locations for clues have been tied to Gravity Falls ā€” the Eye of Providence-shaped building in Century City, the post office near the House of Pies (the House of Pies being the place where Alex Hirsch thought of the name "Gravity Falls"), and Confusion Hill, which is a tourist trap similar to the Mystery Shack.
    CipherHunt Big Dipper
  • The first few locations of the Cipher Hunt, when connected together, make a Big Dipper, aka Dipper's birthmark.
    Cipher hunt mayor sash

    "you are now canon"

  • When hunters tried to decode the CSSSA code with the A1Z26 cipher, it led to the middle of the Bermuda Triangle.
  • Alex Hirsch took a picture of himself posing next to the statue eight months before Cipher Hunt began.[81][82]
  • The girl who was the first to find the treasure took the "Mayor of Gravity Falls" sash to Farewell to the Falls: A Gravity Falls Art Show where Alex signed it and wrote "You are now canon" on it.
  • Had Bradley not taken his Reddit post down, it went viral or if Alex and The Mystery of GF did not find it in time, Cipher Hunt would have been ruined before it even would have begun.
  • Despite Confusion Hill staff later saying the eyeball jar had been stolen, it was in reality found earlier than expected by a fan who brute forced the password needed to get it.
    Co6PTI6WAAEQLTo

    Cipher Hunt trending on Twitter

  • Fans who took part in working on the jigsaw puzzle signed the cardboard the puzzle was held on while it was still being worked on. Fans planned to give the cardboard to either Alex or Ariel as a gift, but it's unknown if it was ever actually delivered to them.[83][84][85][86]
  • At its peak, the hashtag #CipherHunt ended up trending on Twitter.
  • In 2017, fans created an unofficial sequel to the Cipher Hunt called "Codemageddon", in which various fans hid a variety of Gravity Falls inspired codes and clues around the world for other fans to find leading to a grand prize.[87][88][89][90] Codemageddon was made without Disney or Alex Hirsch's involvement, but it was acknowledged by the voice of Dipper, Jason Ritter.[91] Despite a successful 2017 event, popularity dried up by the time of the 2018 event and later events were cancelled.
  • The 2,000 piece Bill Cipher puzzle was only 99.9% completed, due to missing two pieces that were lost. When Alex made a surprise appearance after the puzzle's completion, he used a piece of paper and a yellow highlighter to fill in the missing pieces.
  • The Enchanted Forest clue was the only clue to be found by a child.
  • According to the fan who found the Japan clue, the emas are burned after a while, implying the Bill clue Alex left has since been burned.
  • The Journal 3 found in the chest contained another blacklight message on the "property of" page where below that it has written in invisible ink, "Winner."[92]
  • Given Linda Parker's land which the statue was on was outside of Reedsport's current boundaries, the statue was technically never located in the town at all.
  • Ian Worrel shared the original Cipher Hunt puzzle image and spreadsheet he used to plan the event in 2024.

Gallery

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External links[]

References[]

  1. ā†‘ Hirsch, Alex (July 21, 2016). Tweet Number 755964068427550721. Twitter. Retrieved on August 1, 2016. ā€œTo follow the unfolding madness, check https://www.reddit.com/r/gravityfalls/comments/4tte1f/cipher_hunt_megathread/ "A prize awaits the 1st one there! Be safe, be smart, & of course BEWARE!"ā€
  2. ā†‘ 2.0 2.1 Hirsch, Alex (July 20, 2016). Tweet Number 755870882027802624. Twitter. Retrieved on August 1, 2016. ā€œLet the games begin #FLSKHUKXQWā€
  3. ā†‘ 3.0 3.1 Hirsch, Alex (Aug 2, 2016). Tweet Number 760714517869387777. Twitter. Retrieved on August 2, 2016. ā€œDAY 13- #CipherHunt is COMPLETE! Our BRILLIANT fans cracked the cipher & discovered the map led to Reedsport OR!ā€
  4. ā†‘ Kaiser, Vrai (July 14, 2017). Interview: Gravity Falls' Alex Hirsch Talks About Disney's Censors, Pacifica's Parents, and Future Plans.
  5. ā†‘ 5.0 5.1 Alex Hirsch talks about the origin of Cipher Hunt (April 7, 2019).
  6. ā†‘ Hirsch, Alex (July 21, 2016). Tweet Number 755948098036260864. Twitter. Retrieved on August 1, 2016. ā€œ@_AlexHirsch ~YE RULES~ā€
  7. ā†‘ Hirsch, Alex (July 20, 2016). Tweet Number 755870103783124992. Twitter. Retrieved on August 1, 2016. ā€œAre you guys ready?ā€
  8. ā†‘ Kazan floor plan.
  9. ā†‘ https://twitter.com/_AlexHirsch/status/714765574707003392?s=20&t=m_2opmmZR3gpbTvbVmOJOg
  10. ā†‘ Hirsch, Alex (July 21, 2016). Tweet Number 755921257439174656. Twitter. Retrieved on August 1, 2016. ā€œIn Soviet Russia, clue finds you! First clue has been found! #CipherHunt https://twitter.com/mindofaddict/status/755918395359494146ā€
  11. ā†‘ Hirsch, Alex (February 4, 2016). Tweet Number 695393614172520448. Twitter. Retrieved on August 1, 2016. ā€œThere's a shrine in Tokyo where you're supposed to specifically pray for cartoon-related luck! Let's hope it works!ā€
  12. ā†‘ Hirsch, Alex (July 21, 2016). Tweet Number 755962611158519808. Twitter. Retrieved on August 1, 2016. ā€œThe second clue has been found in Japan! Well done! Where does it lead?? #CipherHunt https://twitter.com/nyankun1/status/755961361008656384ā€
  13. ā†‘ Yaarab Shrine Temple 400 Ponce de Leon Ave NE Atlanta, GA Associations (January 17, 2016). Retrieved on August 1, 2016.
  14. ā†‘ Hirsch, Alex (July 21, 2016). Tweet Number 755982533175545856. Twitter. Retrieved on August 1, 2016. ā€œTHIRD CLUE found! Damaged by Georgia Rain... But GF fans are forensic experts! #CipherHunt https://twitter.com/steelcurtaingam/status/755979639038672896ā€
  15. ā†‘ Hirsch, Alex (July 21, 2016). Tweet Number 755984590657859584. Twitter. Retrieved on August 1, 2016. ā€œThe 3rd clue had a phone number with a mysterious backwards message! Fortunately a GF fan reversed it.. #CipherHunt https://bakurapika.tumblr.com/post/147731940286/hello-its-grunkle-stan-and-i-have-a-riddle-forā€
  16. ā†‘ Salve Regina (July 21, 2016). Tweet Number 756142450872320000. Twitter. Retrieved on August 1, 2016. ā€œAttn #CipherHunt We regret to share that there no clue in Ochre Court nor anywhere else on our campus. Good luck on your hunt. Keep it fun.ā€
  17. ā†‘ Hirsch, Alex (July 21, 2016). Tweet Number 756165342758522880 (broken link). Twitter. Retrieved on August 1, 2016. ā€œThe new clue goes live at 12:30PM west coast time! Prepare yourself treasure hunters! #CipherHuntā€
  18. ā†‘ Hirsch, Alex (July 21, 2016). Tweet Number 756132588683538432. Twitter. Retrieved on August 1, 2016. ā€œIn the meantime, stay out of Ochre Court! Unless you want to invoke #SisterMileysCurse #CipherHuntā€
  19. ā†‘ GravityFallsCipher (21 July 2016). Tweet Number 756156741633581056. Twitter. Retrieved on August 1, 2016. ā€œThe Nuns have won But the battle's not lost We are still far from done Find the pink key or pay the cost #CipherHuntā€
  20. ā†‘ GravityFallsCipher (July 21, 2016). Tweet Number 756157024661037057. Twitter. Retrieved on August 1, 2016. ā€œ@cartoon_army it's an old clue people forgot to solveā€
  21. ā†‘ GravityFallsCipher (July 21, 2016). Tweet Number 756159098253635584. Twitter. Retrieved on August 1, 2016. ā€œ@sppectrdetectrs when one branch closes, another path may still be open. Return to what was and try again while awaiting something new.ā€
  22. ā†‘ https://youtu.be/FjF7HpQQvRc?t=2593
  23. ā†‘ Hirsch, Alex (July 21, 2016). Tweet Number 756209644331073538. Twitter. Retrieved on August 1, 2016. ā€œ323-283-8650 #CipherHuntā€
  24. ā†‘ Hirsch, Alex (July 21, 2016). Tweet Number 756210704768643073 (broken link). Twitter. Retrieved on August 1, 2016. ā€œ@_AlexHirsch #LeaveAMessageā€
  25. ā†‘ Hirsch, Alex. Tweet number 756211569109839872 (broken link). Twitter. Retrieved on November 15, 2020.
  26. ā†‘ Hirsch, Alex (21 July 2016). Tweet Number 756231313099665408. Twitter. Retrieved on August 1, 2016. ā€œThe 4th clue has been found- right in sunny LA! But what secrets lay inside? #CipherHunt https://twitter.com/ramblewheels/status/756230254553817088ā€
  27. ā†‘ https://youtu.be/FjF7HpQQvRc?t=2915
  28. ā†‘ Ramble Wheels (July 21, 2016). Tweet Number 756240500496052224. Twitter. Retrieved on August 1, 2016. ā€œThis may take a little time. I am trying to do it as fast as I can. #CipherHunt https://twitter.com/ramblewheels/status/756240500496052224ā€
  29. ā†‘ Hirsch, Alex (21 July 2016). Tweet Number 756266493638127616. Twitter. Retrieved on August 1, 2016. ā€œThe 5th Clue has been found! Right in Illuminati headquarters! But what does the flash drive contain? #CipherHuntā€
  30. ā†‘ GravityFallsCipher (22 July 2016). Tweet Number 756283490178662401. Twitter. Retrieved on August 1, 2016. ā€œThe next clue for #CipherHunt features a surprise guest. Thanks @AchillesHeely https://soundcloud.com/user-187491043/nextclueā€
  31. ā†‘ Hirsch, Alex (22 July 2016). Tweet Number 756292146609557506. Twitter. Retrieved on August 1, 2016. ā€œThe 6th clue has been found, deep within the bowels of CalArts! But what does it mean? #CipherHunt https://twitter.com/drovesour/status/756291515937239040ā€
  32. ā†‘ Map by Alex Hirsch.
  33. ā†‘ Hirsch, Alex (22 July 2016). Tweet Number 756327164065095680. Twitter. Retrieved on August 1, 2016. ā€œ7th clue found! Gravity Falls fans are incredible- someone should write a song about these heroes #CipherHunt https://twitter.com/fobluverlife/status/756326130853044224ā€
  34. ā†‘ Hirsch, Alex (23 July 2016). Tweet Number 756681861057785857. Twitter. Retrieved on August 1, 2016. ā€œ8th clue has been found! *Some assembly required #CipherHunt https://twitter.com/themysteryofgf/status/756678260415668224ā€
  35. ā†‘ Kendall M (23 July 2016). Tweet Number 756997873108029441. Twitter. Retrieved on August 1, 2016. ā€œI can't believe we're back! So much fun! #CipherHunt @_AlexHirsch @JasonRitterā€
  36. ā†‘ Nate Ruegger (24 July 2016). Tweet Number 757009916447985664. Twitter. Retrieved on August 1, 2016. ā€œLive from #CipherHunt in Burbank, CAā€
  37. ā†‘ Hirsch, Alex (26 July 2016). Tweet Number 757814314245824516. Twitter. Retrieved on August 1, 2016. ā€œDon't throw the irl jigsaw puzzle away just yet though! If it's completed, I will upload the unreleased pilot to Gravity Falls! #CipherHuntā€
  38. ā†‘ Hirsch, Alex (26 July 2016). Tweet Number 757814418331676673 (broken link). Twitter. Retrieved on August 1, 2016. ā€œ@_AlexHirsch And if the digital version is complete, I will upload some cut scenes from the actual series! #CipherHuntā€
  39. ā†‘ Hirsch, Alex (August 2, 2016). Tweet number 760323097090150401. Twitter. ā€œā€œThe ImpossiPuzzle is complete, thanks to the effort of our brilliant/insane #CipherHunters. Prize coming soon!ā€ā€
  40. ā†‘ Hirsch, Alex (26 July 2016). Tweet Number 757813820135907328. Twitter. Retrieved on August 1, 2016. ā€œINCREDIBLE! Deducing from all parts of the incomplete puzzle, Clue #9 has been FOUND under a lawn gnome in Oregon!ā€
  41. ā†‘ Alex Hirsch (26 July 2016). Tweet Number 757973330041315328. Twitter. Retrieved on August 1, 2016. ā€œCLUE #10 has been found! By an amazing fan at Confusion Hill! The race is on! Could Bill Cipher be near? #CipherHunt https://twitter.com/rylee_stanton/status/757972387539279872ā€
  42. ā†‘ https://youtu.be/FjF7HpQQvRc?t=7453
  43. ā†‘ Alex Hirsch (26 July 2016). Tweet Number 758053643014725633. Twitter. Retrieved on August 1, 2016. ā€œClue #11 has been FOUND!! Great job CipherHunters! Things are about to get nuts! #CipherHunt https://twitter.com/amyallendorf/status/758052387676360705ā€
  44. ā†‘ https://youtu.be/FjF7HpQQvRc?t=8152
  45. ā†‘ Hirsch, Alex. Tweet number 758061457678274561 (broken link). Twitter. Retrieved on November 15, 2020.
  46. ā†‘ Alex Hirsch (26 July 2016). Tweet Number 758062700135976960. Twitter. Retrieved on August 1, 2016. ā€œClue #12 found by the fastest CipherHunter on earth, racing to beat the Periscopers! #CipherHunt https://twitter.com/themysteryofgf/status/758061853583020033ā€
  47. ā†‘ Alex Hirsch (26 July 2016). Tweet Number 758073773241225217. Twitter. Retrieved on August 1, 2016. ā€œWhat's this? Looks like there was a little something on the back of the clue...#CipherHuntā€
  48. ā†‘ Image for the Cipher Hunt posted by Alex Hirsch (broken link).
  49. ā†‘ Alex Hirsch (Aug 1,2016). Tweet 760158616485715971. Twitter. Archived from the original on August 1, 2016. Retrieved on August 22, 2016. ā€œSo....Who wants a clue? #CipherHuntā€
  50. ā†‘ https://youtu.be/FjF7HpQQvRc?t=9096
  51. ā†‘ RunningIsFunny (Aug 2, 2016). Cipher Hunt Megathread. Reddit. Retrieved on August 2, 2016. ā€œIf you guys can stand another theory, here it is: 18 branches, 4 knots = 22 Polybius needs pairs, so 11 letters 5 different types - bare branch slanted up, bare branch slanted down, branch with "leaves" slanted up, branch with "leaves" slanted down, and knot. Assign each of those type a number 1-5 randomly. The letters themselves will come out as gibberish, but it does tell us which letters repeat and which don't. There are 7 different letters in the 11. The pattern goes: X-Y-Y-Z-A-B-C-X-D-C-X It doesn't matter what letters you use. What's important is that the first, 8th and last letters are the same, the second and third are the same, and the 7th and 10th are the same. Big deal, right? But if we assume the last two letters are "OR" as in Oregon, we then get... R-Y-Y-Z-A-B-O-R-D, OR If the first letter is a consonant, then 2 and 3 have to be a vowel, and since we've already used "O," the only possibility is "E." So now we have: R-E-E-Z-A-B-O-R-D, OR There's only one place that fits. Reedsport, Oregon.ā€
  52. ā†‘ @TheMisteryofGF (Aug 2, 2016). Tweet Number 760655495497650176. Retrieved on August 2, 2016. ā€œAll Gravity Falls fans nearby are converging on Reedsport, OR w/ confidence. Who'll be the victor in this wacky raceā€
  53. ā†‘ @mypresidents (Aug 2, 2016). Tweet Number 760654794994307072. Retrieved on August 2, 2016. ā€œ#CipherHunt on our way to Reedsport @_AlexHirsch @billthe8thā€
  54. ā†‘ @abood_5403 (Aug 2, 2016). Tweet Number 760630970466828288. Twitter. Retrieved on August 2, 2016. ā€œ@_AlexHirsch look Alex NO CRAP HERE BUT I SWEAR IM POSITIVE I FOUND IT IM OUT OF TOWN BUT THE MAP IS 100%ā€
  55. ā†‘ Hirsch, Alex (Aug 2, 2016). Tweet Number 760714517869387777. Twitter. Retrieved on August 2, 2016. ā€œDAY 13- #CipherHunt is COMPLETE! Our BRILLIANT fans cracked the cipher & discovered the map led to Reedsport OR!ā€
  56. ā†‘ @shadow_wolfwind (Aug 2, 2016). Tweet Number 760669915250425856. Retrieved on August 2, 2016. ā€œGuys, I found him. #CipherHunt @_AlexHirschā€
  57. ā†‘ @shadow_wolfwind (Aug 2, 2016). Tweet Number 760670787611140097. Retrieved on August 2, 2016. ā€œI'm just going to hang out here, wait for you guys, take more pictures and be eaten by bugs. #CipherHuntā€
  58. ā†‘ Hirsch, Alex (August 3, 2016). Tweet number 760689120758857729. Twitter.
  59. ā†‘ 59.0 59.1 Marlowe, Charley et al. (July 13, 2022). That GF FAN:That Time Alex Hirsch Bribed A Child To Keep Cipher Hunt A Secret - ft. Jason Ritter. Mystery Shack Lookback. YouTube.
  60. ā†‘ Blacklight clue image.
  61. ā†‘ Congratulations picture.
  62. ā†‘ Congratulations picture under blacklight.
  63. ā†‘ Grunkle Stan's Message. Soundcloud.
  64. ā†‘ 64.0 64.1 https://youtu.be/FjF7HpQQvRc?t=11860
  65. ā†‘ Alex Hirsch (Aug 3, 2016). Tweet 760942700250005504 (broken link). Twitter. Retrieved on August 22, 2016. ā€œUpdate! #CipherHunt 'I got permission from the property owner to install Bill in his forest path, but it turns out there's another property owner I never heard of who disputes the location. No worries! Rather than get into a Hatfields /McCoys situation we're having the statue moved to a new spot!'ā€
  66. ā†‘ https://youtu.be/FjF7HpQQvRc?t=12242
  67. ā†‘ https://youtu.be/FjF7HpQQvRc?t=13265
  68. ā†‘ @NightoftheLark (Aug 5, 2016). Tweet 761647878313914368. Twitter. Retrieved on August 22, 2016. ā€œUpdate to those still on #CipherHunt, Bill is no longer in police custody! He's hidden himself in Bicentennial Park!ā€
  69. ā†‘ Alex Hirsch (Aug 15, 2016). Tweet 765325080565985280. Twitter. Archived from the original on August 22, 2016. Retrieved on August 22, 2016. ā€œWANTED: Someone with truck/adventurous spirit to drive Bill on a 5 hour road trip from Reedsport to his new home! Not kidding! #CipherHuntā€
  70. ā†‘ Bill Cipher wood panel.
  71. ā†‘ @Knarkill34 (Aug 19, 2016). Tweet 766482897435930624. Twitter. Retrieved on August 22, 2016. ā€œ#CipherDriver changed me (sic) life. Best experience ever. Don't ask me for a location. That isn't my job. My job is done.ā€
  72. ā†‘ @TheDannyHopkins (Aug 20, 2016). Tweet 767070490879938560. Twitter. Retrieved on August 22, 2016. ā€œI found him lol #cipherhunt #confusionhill #worthfivedollars @steppblaiseā€
  73. ā†‘ @SaturnInGF (Aug 20, 2016). Tweet 767096481350160384. Twitter. Archived from the original on August 22, 2016. Retrieved on August 22, 2016. ā€œfound em! visit bill! Faq: no treasure box, bill in parking lot, next week get a new hat #GravityFalls #cipherhuntā€
  74. ā†‘ https://hollycrowned.tumblr.com/post/161723445423/the-original-2000-piece-puzzle-from-cipher
  75. ā†‘ https://youtu.be/B-Awo1GSXRs
  76. ā†‘ https://twitter.com/littlepyro20152
  77. ā†‘ https://mysteryshacklookback.libsyn.com/49-cipher-hunt-ft-alex-hirsch-jason-ritter
  78. ā†‘ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGm9aoWA9Uk&ab_channel=LandonMeadows
  79. ā†‘ https://youtu.be/FjF7HpQQvRc?t=11577
  80. ā†‘ https://youtu.be/FjF7HpQQvRc?t=11658
  81. ā†‘ Hirsch, Alex (August 3, 2016). Tweet number 760721935672156166. Twitter.
  82. ā†‘ Hirsch, Alex (August 3, 2016). Tweet number 760722815238737920. Twitter.
  83. ā†‘ https://twitter.com/Saturn_Designs/status/764656139115999232?s=20&t=5idZQKVqA5WdLj6nl-6mrQ
  84. ā†‘ https://twitter.com/Saturn_Designs/status/764652957187002370?s=20&t=VyXxXqqrYxrhD0XsS3riQQ
  85. ā†‘ https://twitter.com/Saturn_Designs/status/763566753150414848?s=20&t=5idZQKVqA5WdLj6nl-6mrQ
  86. ā†‘ https://twitter.com/Saturn_Designs/status/765380370418114560?s=20&t=5idZQKVqA5WdLj6nl-6mrQ
  87. ā†‘ https://youtu.be/A4Vj0CXfS8Y
  88. ā†‘ https://youtu.be/MaLst3AANP8
  89. ā†‘ https://twitter.com/Codemageddon_GF
  90. ā†‘ https://www.youtube.com/@Codemageddon
  91. ā†‘ https://twitter.com/JasonRitter/status/879060066258767872
  92. ā†‘ https://youtu.be/FjF7HpQQvRc?t=10274
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