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A series of four 1000-piece Lost Mystery of the Island jigsaw puzzles have been created by TDC Games: The Hatch, The Others, The Numbers, and Before the Crash. The first two were released in July 2006, the third in August 2006, and the fourth in February of 2007.

Puzzle1

Box for Jigsaw Puzzle #1

Secret writing on back side[]

The website proclaims that the puzzles reveal secrets, and the boxes come with a Spoiler Warning.

When completed, they each have glow-in-the-dark secret images on the reverse side of the puzzles, including a complete blast door map image (same as that shown on the show and Season 2 DVD, but with a little more clarity for areas blocked by the door).

Codes

Codes

Along the borders, there are several mysterious number codes, some of which are preceded by the letter 'c', also in glow-in-the-dark ink. In February of 2007, there was a clue in French on the back of Puzzle #4, which confirmed the theory that the codes do refer to chapter and verse (see below).

LOST totalback

Images of the glow-in-the-dark backs of all 4 puzzles, pieced together

The cipher on the back of the box is an Ottendorf cipher, and refers to the "turn of the screw." The first numbers after the "C" correspond to chapters of The Turn of the Screw (a Lost literary reference found in the Swan). The second number after the slash (/) corresponds to a paragraph (first letter). In the case of numbers after a plus (+), count that many letters over from the first letter.

For example:

C14/12+3

Refers to:

  • Chapter 14
    • 12th paragraph
      • 3rd letter from the first (4th letter from the start of the paragraph)

[TRANSLATIONS OF CODE ARE GIVEN WITHIN BRACKETS]

For the completely decoded messages in order, scroll to the bottom of this article.

* For the chronicle of how the puzzle code was broken, see discussion page.

Jigsaw pattern #1: The Hatch[]

Hatch puzzle

Image of completed Hatch puzzle

Images (front)[]

See bottom gallery for more close-ups
  • Center:

Map (back)[]

LOST 1-3

Image of glow-in-the-dark section on the back of puzzle #1

  • The back of the puzzle has the upper right part of the blast door map that Locke couldn't see, printed in glow-in-the-dark ink that cannot be seen in regular light.

Arrow Station Primary Function: Restocking and staging area for DIHG
Possible terminal point for subterranean EFP tunnel network?
Final destination in case of code 42?
Hub of DIHG road system or other major route of overland travel
Possible manufacturing facility with light industrial equipment
Suspected shutdown date 10 28 84
Geological composition of rocks likely to cause magnetic disturbances interfere with weather
forecasting project
Interference might also prevent location from use as a listening station / cryptography research / communications analysis facility.

Number codes (back)[]

Three clusters along the top:

C12/1+3 C14/8 C21/9 C6/1 C1/5 C7/37 C6/1 C2/5

[PERIODIC]

C21/9 C14/8 C18/5 C20/1+1 C12/1+3 C12/6+5 C12/2 C1/7

[RESUPPLY]

C7/8 C10/1+1 C8/2 C12/1+3

[DROP]

C10/4 C12/2 C8/2+5 C2/7 C21/9

[ALVAR]

C18/3 C7/2 C11/3 C10/8 C8/2

[HANSO]

C14/1 C3/1 C10/4 C9/2 C7/4+3 C1/5 C5/1 C7/37 C7/1 C10/8

C12/6+5 C14/8 C2/7 C1/13 C16/6+9 C9/2

C16/20 C20/1+1 C9/2 C12/2 C14/8 C21/9 C10/4 C8/8 C7/8

C2/5 C16/13 C10/1+1 C10/1+2 C10/4 C12/2

C14/1 C1/2 C9/2 C3/1 C5/1 C3/1+5 C15/1

C20/2 C6/1 C12/2 C14/1+3

[WHAT GOOD IS PEANUT BUTTER AND CEREAL WITHOUT MILK]

Along the right side (connects to the right side of #3):

+3 C21/9 C1/6 C3/1+5 C12/1+3

[(G)ROUP]

Jigsaw pattern #2: The Others[]

Puzzle-2-TheOthers

Image of completed Others puzzle

Images (front)[]

See bottom gallery for more close-ups
  • Background:
Dave-caps648

Puzzle image (shown left); Dave screencapture (shown right)

LOST 2-1

Image of glow-in-the-dark section on the back of puzzle #2

  • The glue bottle used for the fake beard disguise
  • The vaccine
  • Peculiarly interesting, one of the images in the left center of this puzzle has a sign that says "Rec Room Rules: Listen Respect Others". This exact sign appears in Dave, from a scene at Santa Rosa Mental Health Institute. No explanation as to why it would appear in a puzzle with images of the Others is given, or what the relationship is, though there is the possibility it is just a play on words for the phrase "respect Others". (see pictures at right)
  • Center: The ?

Map (back)[]

  • The back of the puzzle has the lower left part of the blast door map printed in glow-in-the-dark ink that cannot be seen in regular light.

Number codes (back)[]

Along the bottom:

C2/5 C14/8 C21/9 C16/20 C16/13 C10/1+1 C20/1+1 C3/2 C8/2+5 C3/2+2 C1/13 C9/2

[CERBERUS VENT]

Along the left side (connects to the left side of #4)

C16/13 C20/2 C14/8 C21/9 C7/4+3 C14/8 C11/3 C7/10 C8/3

[EMERGENCY]

C3/2+2 C18/5 C2/1+4 C10/4 C12/6+5 C10/1+2 C16/1+6 C21/9

[ESCAPE PR(OTOCOL)]

Jigsaw pattern #3: The Numbers[]

Images (front)[]

See bottom gallery for more close-ups
  • Background:
Puzzle3

Image of completed Numbers puzzle

  • Inside 4:
  • Inside 8:
  • Inside 15:
  • Inside 16:
  • Inside 23:
  • Montage of several instances where 23 is brought up, including license plate, combination dial to the gun vault, the countdown clock, airport gate signs, Hurley's alarm clock, police cars, soccer girl shirts, car display and mousetrap board
  • Inside 42:

Map (back)[]

LOST 3-1

Image of glow-in-the-dark section on the back of puzzle #3

  • The back of the puzzle has the lower right part of the blast door map printed in glow-in-the-dark ink that cannot be seen in regular light.

Number codes (back)[]

Along the bottom:

C12/8 C20/1+2 C7/2 C10/1+1 C10/4 C11/3 C14/2 C17/1 C8/8 C10/1+2 C7/1 C3/4 C2/7 C18/3 C5/1 C7/2 C18/1+5

[QUARANTINE IS A HOAX]

Along the right side (connects to the right side of #1):

C22/1+10 C3/1 C7/2 C10/1+1 C20/2 C10/5 C6/2 C11/3 C1/1 C9/2 C7/1 C10/11 C14/2 C6/1 C13/1+8 C16/13 C3/3 C10/4 C8/1 C2/4 C5/1 C7/4+

[DHARMA INITIATIVE HANSO G(ROUP)]

Jigsaw pattern #4: Before the Crash[]

UPDATE: As of Feb 8th, 2007, now available online from TDC Games

Images (front)[]

See bottom gallery for more close-ups
Lostpuzzle4front

Image of the completed Connections puzzle

  • Center:
  • Four corners (clockwise from upper left):
Total4back

Image of the glow-in-the-dark back of Puzzle #4

  • In between:


UNVISCLASSIQUE

Picture of Un Vis Classique on the back

Map and text clue (back)[]

Un Vis Classique, Chapitre et Vers*
DHARMA Protocol no stations past security barrier

* Translates to "A 'Screw' Classic, Chapter and Verse". Note: Un Vis (masculine) means in French, having a bad habbit, a weakness. Une vis (feminine) means in French, a screw. It may have been mistranslated on the puzzle. The official French name for The Turn of the Screw is Le Tour d'écrou.

  • As a French speaker, I feel obligated to chime in here: "un vis classique chapitre et vers" translates roughly to "a classic screw chapter and verse". But it's not proper French at all. The thing is, this phrase makes much more sense in English: "chapter and verse" is not an expression used in French. Also, the word "vis" ("a screw", no sexual connotation here) is feminine, but the article that preceeds it ("un") is masculine. The masculine word you alluded to is spelled "vice", the same as in English. Regardless of the poor grammar, the function of this phrase is clear (see cipher explanation at the top of this article)

Number codes (back)[]

Two clusters above the map:

C14/2 C18/3 C24/8 C31/9 C3/2+2 C1/1 C10/8 C8/8 C8/2 C3/2 C1/1 C2/1+4 C7/35 C22/3 C16/13 C18/5 C3/4

[THERE IS NO SICKNESS]

C1/13 C16/13 C14/8 C7/8 C20/2 C8/2 C10/1+1 C14/8 C16/7 C7/10 C7/2 C8/8 C7/8 C7/10 C18/3 C3/2+2 C16/13 C3/4 C14/8

[NEED MORE MAC AND CHEESE]

Along the left side (connects to the left side of #2):

C8/2 C14/2 C6/1+3 C2/5 C1/5 C12/2

[(PR)OTOCOL]

Completed secret messages, decoded[]

These are read from the upper left corner of the map, in a clockwise direction.

THERE IS NO SICKNESS

NEED MORE MAC AND CHEESE

PERIODIC RESUPPLY DROP

ALVAR HANSO

WHAT GOOD IS PEANUT BUTTER AND CEREAL WITHOUT MILK

QUARANTINE IS A HOAX

DHARMA INITIATIVE HANSO GROUP

CERBERUS VENT

EMERGENCY ESCAPE PROTOCOL

The underlined text (decoded from the corresponding underlined code) corresponds to abbreviations seen on the blast door map notations, which were previously not fully explained. This decoded message clarifies that shorthand.

  • P.R.D.
  • A.H.
  • D.I.H.G.
  • C.V.
  • E.E.P.

Canonicity[]

Per Gregg Nations, script coordinator for the show, the messages revealed on the map can be considered canon:

I'd have to say yes, they can be considered canon. But keep in mind who wrote those coded messages to begin with -- Radzinsky and then Kelvin. What were their states of mind when creating it? And can they really be trusted? --Gregg Nations[1]

Galleries[]

Jigsaw pattern #1[]

Jigsaw pattern #2[]

Jigsaw pattern #3[]

Jigsaw pattern #4[]

See also[]

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