New Year's Party Puzzles

[S.J.]

Across the island, there's a flurry of activity as Tom Nook, Isabelle, and the villagers prepare a grand celebration to ring in the new year! Decorations are half-hung, schedules are scattered, and someone has misplaced the party guest list. They could use some help... and that's where you come in! Put your thinking cap on and help untangle their party plans one puzzle at a time!​

How to Participate

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Three puzzles will be released over the course of the event, each with its own instructions and submission deadline. When a puzzle opens, follow the instructions provided, solve the puzzle, and submit your completed answer to the New Year's Party Puzzle Submissions board before the listed deadline! Each correctly answered puzzle will award event currency to spend in the Shop!

Task	Puzzle opens	Submission deadline
Puzzle 1: Hugh's Hidden Holiday Message	Sunday, 28 December 2025	Thursday, 01 January 2026 at 11:59 PM EST
To be revealed	Friday, 02 January 2026	Tuesday, 06 January 2026 at 11:59 PM EST
To be revealed	Wednesday, 07 January 2026	Sunday, 11 January 2026 at 11:59 PM EST

Submission Guidelines

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• Each puzzle is an individual task. Please don't share answers or discuss solutions with others.
• Please don't post hints in this thread!
• Once you've completed your puzzle, submit your answer to the New Year's Party Puzzles Submissions board by the listed deadline.
• You may only submit one answer per puzzle. Editing a submission is not allowed.
• Edited submissions or submissions posted after the deadline will not be eligible for event currency.
• Follow all instructions that come with a puzzle, including:
  • Selecting the correct "Round" number in the submission post.
  • Writing your TBT username on the puzzle, if required.
  • Filling in the puzzle completely if asked.
  • Submitting before the deadline.

Most importantly, have fun!


Rewards

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Each correctly answered puzzle awards 4 Countdown Coins!
Participating in all three puzzles awards 2 Lucky Tickets, regardless of whether your submissions are correct!
(Maximum possible currency is 12 Countdown Coins and 2 Lucky Tickets.)


FAQ

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Will there be a prize for those who solve the puzzle correctly before anyone else?
Sorry, no!

Can I print the puzzle and submit a photo of it completed instead?
Absolutely!

I forgot to write my username on my puzzle. Can I edit my submission?
If you forget to add your username to your completed puzzle, contact the event host (@S.J.). Don't edit your submission unless a staff member instructs you to do so.

What if I’m stuck or don’t understand a puzzle?
If you're unclear on the puzzle's rules or instructions, we can try to explain them in a different way. However, we can't provide hints or help with solving the puzzle.

 

[S.J.]

Puzzle 1: Hugh's Hidden Holiday Message


Hugh's excited to ring in the new year! He's got a toast prepared, but after getting distracted with too many snacks, it's been scrambled amongst this puzzle!​

Find all the listed words in the word search. Words may appear in a straight line in any direction: up, down, left, right, diagonally, and forwards or backwards. After all the words are found, read the remaining letters from left to right, top to bottom. These letters spell out a hidden phrase. Write the phrase into the spaces provided at the bottom of the page to reveal Hugh's New Year's message!

Submit the solved message to the New Year's Party Puzzles Submissions board no later than Thursday, 01 January 2026 at 11:59 PM EST. (Note: When using the submission board, your "thread title" and "message" do not matter. Under "Your Submission" you should include the solved hidden message, including correct spelling and grammar. Under "Round #", you should select "Round 1".)

Submission checklist:
You are submitting the solved message in the box saying "Your Submission" in a new thread in New Year's Party Puzzles Submissions board.
You have checked that all spelling and grammar are correct.
You have selected "Round 1" in the submission post.
You are submitting before Thursday, 01 January 2026 at 11:59 PM EST.​