Spy Hunt: Cryptography Game – Practical Lab

Objective: 

You act as spies, some trying to secure intel, others trying to intercept and decrypt it. The game simulates asymmetric cryptography using paper-based or digital “key pairs.” 

Setup 

• Participants: individual member or Team of 2 members 
• Roles per Team: 
  • Field Agent: Sends messages.
  • Encryption Specialist: Encrypts outgoing intel.
  • Decryption Specialist: Decrypts incoming messages.
  • Interceptor (optional): Attempts to break into opposing messages.

Materials 

• Pre-prepared “public/private key” sheets for each team. 
• Message templates (plaintext intel). 
• Encrypted versions using simple RSA-like substitution or letter-matching techniques. • Envelopes or secure digital folders (optional). 
• Timer and leaderboard. 

Game Flow (Rounds) 

Each Round Includes: 

1. Mission Briefing: Each team receives a secret message to deliver (plaintext).
2. Encryption Phase: Teams encrypt their message using another team’s public key.
3. Delivery Phase: Messages are exchanged between teams. 
4. Decryption Phase: Each team must decrypt the message they receive using their private  key. 
5. Spy Intercept Challenge (optional): One team gets a bonus if they partially decrypt  another team’s message without the key.

Example Message Exchange 

• Team A has Public Key A and Private Key A. 
• Team B wants to send secret intel to Team A. 
• Team B encrypts: MEET AT 9PM 
• They use Public Key A to encrypt and send it.
• Team A uses Private Key A to decrypt and read.

Winning Conditions 

• ✅ Decrypt and understand 3 messages correctly.
• ��️ Bonus: Successfully intercept an opposing team’s message.
• ⏱️ Fastest time = leaderboard advantage.

Simulation Ideas for Public/Private Keys
For a low-tech classroom: 

• Use simple numeric substitution:
  e.g., Public Key = shift letter by 4, Private Key = shift back by 4. Or simulate RSA with:
• Assign numeric IDs and use modulo-based encryption (simplified). 

Learning Outcomes 

• Understand the core concept of public/private key encryption.
• Appreciate why asymmetric cryptography is secure
• Practice message security, encryption, and decryption hands-on.
• Experience real-time problem-solving under pressure.
  

Submission:
Compile all the results in a single PDF document or folder and upload that as a single file.