During the Sukhothai segment of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, players may come across an optional mystery called "Counting Letters." Similar to other puzzles in The Great Circle, the goal is to discover how to unlock a container by piecing together various clues. However, unlike many other side quests, "Counting Letters" is designed for players without needing prior knowledge. Everything required to solve it is right there in front of you—if you know how to use it.
The name "Counting Letters" is quite fitting: you’ll need to utilize a series of codes and ciphers to transform a group of letters into numbers needed to unlock a combination lock and access the treasure within the chest. This mystery may seem straightforward, but it promises a decent reward, which makes it worth your time to solve. Should you find yourself stuck, don’t worry—we’ve got the solution for you. Read on for the steps to complete the "Counting Letters" puzzle in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.
How to Start the Counting Letters Mystery
Where to Find Counting Letters
You can discover "Counting Letters" in the Sukhothai area of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, specifically in the main restricted section of Wat Mahathat. Look for a small wooden shack with a tarp roof located on the west side of the dig site, just south of the temple. You’ll know you’re in the right spot when you see a man in a tank top sifting through a pile of sand. Refer to the screenshots above for visual guidance on the Mystery’s location and the required position.
On the east side of the shack, you’ll find essential items: various code wheels, a cipher machine, notes, and a sizable lockbox. You can initiate the Mystery by interacting with any one of these objects, but for the most effective start, focus on the Mystery Note located closest to the far left side of the table: Bartolomeo’s Challenge.
How to Solve the Counting Letters Mystery
Bartolomeo’s Challenge
According to Bartolomeo’s note to Lorenzo, the safe’s code is JHHS. The catch is that the lockbox’s combination dial uses numbers, not letters. Bartolomeo reveals that this puzzle relies on a method of encoding used in Nazi battleships. To begin, insert a set of code wheels into the cipher machine, then use it to convert the code provided by Bartolomeo into a word. Afterward, reference a list of numbers to convert that word into the combination.
The Code Wheels and the Cipher Machine
You’ll find four code wheels on the table, and there are four slots in the machine. Ideally, you’d arrange them to spell out JHHS; unfortunately, it’s impossible to configure the wheels to create JHHS directly. Therefore, solving this puzzle will require a piece-by-piece approach.
Start by placing the wheel with the letters C, D, O, Ä, J, B, S, and R in the first slot. Next, put the wheel featuring A, H, I, G, U, V, Z, and Q in the second slot. Then, add the wheel with Ü, F, H, E, K, T, Ö, and L in the third slot. You can either use the fourth wheel or leave that slot blank and close the lid.
As you work, think of the top row of the cipher machine as your input and the bottom row as your output. Focus on getting J-H-H in the first three slots of the top row, which will yield B-I-E in the bottom row. At this point, you can place the first wheel into the fourth slot to determine the last letter, resulting in the word "BIER." However, you can still figure out the solution with just the first three letters.
The Code Table
Next, grab the Code Table document from the clipboard and convert your findings into numbers. There’s only one word that begins with B-I-E, and that’s BIER. Check the table for BIER in the first column and note the sequence of numbers next to it: 4134. Thus, the combination code for the "Counting Letters" mystery is 4134.
Rewards
To unlock the box, input 4134 on the lockbox and lay claim to your reward. Inside, you’ll find 75 baht and a skill book titled Street Scrapper III, which enhances damage with one- and two-handed melee weapons. Moreover, you will receive 250 Adventure Points for completing the mystery, a small portion of the 1,500 points necessary to learn your new skill. With these items in tow, you’ll have successfully cracked the "Counting Letters" puzzle and can continue your journey in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.
