CicadaChallenge.com

1 Overview

CicadaChallenge.com (the “Site”) is an online puzzle-solving experience, alternate reality game (“ARG”), and skill-based competition (the “Challenge”) where participants solve puzzles, uncover clues, and progress through a structured sequence of challenges.

By accessing the Site, creating an account, or participating in the Challenge, you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service & Rules (“Terms”), our Privacy Policy, and any additional instructions or notices posted on the Site.

2 No Purchase Necessary

• No purchase or payment is required to access or win our annual Challenge or any free-tier content.
• Purchases (including merchanise, Patreon memberships, or content access) do not increase your chances of winning
• Certain games, competitions, or content areas are designated as membership-exclusive and require an active Patreon membership at the applicable tier to participate

3 Eligibility

• The Cicada Challenge is open to participants worldwide
• Individuals under 18 may participate but must have permission from a parent or legal guardian
• To be eligible to receive prizes, participants must be at least 18 years old and a legal resident of the United States or Canada (excluding Quebec)
  • Canadian winners may be required to complete a skill-testing question in order to claim a prize.
• Participants who do not meet prize eligibility requirements may still play but are not eligible to receive prizes
• Void where prohibited by law
• Employees, contractors, and immediate family members of the Company are not eligible for prizes

We reserve the right to verify age, identity, residency, and (if applicable) parental consent at any time. At our sole discretion, a minor may be permitted to claim a prize through a parent or legal guardian who completes all required verification and documentation.

4 Accounts

To participate, you are required to create an account. You agree to:

• Provide accurate information
• Maintain account security
• Use only one account

Accounts may not be shared, sold, or transferred. We may suspend or terminate accounts at our discretion.

5 Contest Structure & Gameplay

• Our Challenges consists of multiple puzzles and stages
• Puzzles must be solved in the intended order unless explicitly stated
• Some puzzles may require external tools or software, contain multiple parts, or include digital or physical components

We reserve the right to modify puzzles at any time, change progression systems, patch unintended solutions, or reset/adjust progress if needed.

6 Prizes

Prizes may be awarded based on successful completion of Challenges. The first eligible participant(s) to complete all required puzzles may receive the primary prize(s). Additional prizes or “secondary rewards” may be offered.

Prize Conditions:

• Winners may be required to demonstrate how puzzles were solved
• Winners are responsible for all taxes; a Form 1099 may be issued where required
• Prizes are non-transferable and may be substituted at our discretion

7 Paid Content, Hints & Patreon

The Site may offer paid merchandise, hints, optional unlockable content, and Patreon or membership-based content.

Terms for Purchases:

• Except where required by law or by the applicable payment platform’s policies, payments are non-refundable
• Purchases do not guarantee progress or success
• Paid content may provide guidance but will not directly bypass core gameplay unless explicitly stated

We reserve the right to modify or remove paid content at any time.

Membership-Required Games: Certain games, prize competitions, or content areas on the Site are accessible only to active Patreon members at a qualifying tier (currently: Nymph, Swarm, or Brood). Loss or lapse of a qualifying membership during an active competition may result in loss of access and eligibility.

8 Collaboration & Answer Sharing

This is a single-player challenge while a competition is ongoing unless otherwise stated.

• Sharing answers publicly during an active competition phase is prohibited
• Using leaked or shared answers may result in disqualification
• Collaboration rules may change depending on puzzle stages

After a competition phase ends, sharing solutions is allowed.

9 Prohibited Conduct

You may not:

• Use bots, scripts, scraping, or automation
• Brute-force URLs or puzzle answers
• Attempt to hack, exploit, or reverse engineer the Site
• Perform pentesting, DDoS, or server attacks
• Bypass intended puzzle mechanics
• Create multiple or fraudulent accounts

10 Proof of Work Requirement

To be eligible for prizes, participants may be required to:

• Provide detailed explanations of solutions
• Show work or methodology
• Verify independent completion

11 Technical Issues

The Site is provided “as is” and “as available.” We are not responsible for downtime, lost progress, server failures, email issues, or third-party outages. We may pause, reset, or modify the Challenge due to technical issues.

12 Disqualification

We reserve the right to disqualify any participant for:

• Rule violations
• Cheating or unfair advantage
• Suspicious activity
• Failure to verify eligibility or solutions

13 Intellectual Property

All puzzles, content, and materials are owned by or licensed to the Company. You may not:

• Reproduce or sell content
• Publish full solutions during active competition phases
• Commercialize any part of the Challenge

14 Privacy & Communications

By participating, you agree to receive account-related emails, gameplay updates, and prize notifications. You may opt out of promotional emails. We do not sell personal data.

15 Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, we are not liable for loss of progress, missed prizes, technical failures, data loss, or any damages related to participation.

16 Release

You release the Company from any claims arising from participation, prize use, or Site usage.

17 Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Michigan.

18 Modifications

We may update these Terms at any time without notice. Continued participation constitutes acceptance of updated Terms.

19 Contact

Cicada Productions LLC
Michigan, United States
xix@cicadachallenge.com