Here’s a selection of lateral thinking puzzles ranging in difficulty. You can find the solutions at the bottom of the page.
Questions
Three Switches One Light Bulb
You’re in a mansion with a lightbulb in the attic and three switches in the basement. It’s late in the evening, and you’re tired, so you can only go from the basement to the attic once. How do you figure out which switch controls the lightbulb?
The Deadly Cocktail
Two people ordered the same cocktail at a restaurant. They both drank it but at different paces, but one person died while the other survived. How?
Heaven and Hell
You’re standing in front of two doors, one leading to hell and the other to heaven. There are two guards: one always lies, and the other always tells the truth (but you don’t know which is which). What single question can you ask to determine which door leads to heaven?
The Pair of Socks
You have 12 red socks, 12 white socks, and 12 black socks in your drawer. Without looking, how many socks do you need to remove to ensure that you have at least one matching pair?
The Burning Rope
You have two ropes. Each rope burns in exactly one hour, but they don’t burn evenly (one half might burn faster than the other). How do you measure 45 minutes using these ropes?
The Driver Who Didn’t Break the Rules
A driver was going the wrong way down a one-way street. He passed several police officers, but they didn’t stop him. Why?
High-Rise Jumper
A man who lives in a 30-story building decides to jump out of his window. He survives the fall with no injuries. How did that happen?
Missing Family Member
Three-year-old Lily goes missing, and her parents are devastated. They desperately try to find her, searching everywhere and putting up flyers asking for her safe return, but the FBI and even local law enforcement refuse to help. Why?
Elevator Mystery
A woman lives on the 30th floor and hates taking the stairs. Every day, she takes the elevator down to the lobby floor to go to work. When she comes home from work, she takes the elevator to the 20th floor and walks the rest of the way up, except on days when it rains. Those days, she takes the elevator all the way up. Why does she walk the last 10 flights of stairs if she hates it so much?
10 Weddings
A woman married 10 different men over the course of her lifetime, but she never got divorced, she wasn’t widowed and she wasn’t a polygamist. How is this possible?
A Walk in the Woods
Tom was walking through the woods when all of the sudden, he was shot repeatedly. He survived the attack without serious injury. How is that possible?
Highway Hazard
A man is driving down the highway at 65 miles per hour in a 65 mph zone. He passes three cars going 60 miles per hour, then gets pulled over by a police officer and is given a ticket. Why?
Mass Murderer
Lucy commits a murder every single day, yet no one reports that the victims are missing. She even keeps trophies of the killings and displays them for the rest of her family to see, yet no one calls the police. Why?
Jack and Jill
Jack and Jill were found dead on the floor the living room, surrounded by broken glass and water. They don’t have any obvious signs of trauma, and no weapons are found nearby. What happened?
Endgame
Sam’s dad couldn’t keep his son from playing video games. To keep Sam from playing video games all the time, the dad grabbed a hammer and solved the
problem. Now he can play video games but Sam cannot. What did the dad do?
Capital Punishment
A man is condemned to death. He has to choose from three rooms to accept his punishment. The first room has a firing squad with guns loaded. The second
room has a blazing fire. The third room is full of tigers that haven’t eaten for six months. Which room should he choose?
The Door of Death
A woman opened a door, screamed, and then was found dead a few minutes later. No gunshots were heard in the area. What happened to her?
Solutions
Three Switches One Light Bulb
Turn on the first switch and wait for 5 minutes. Then turn it off and turn on the second switch. Go to the attic. If the light is on, the second switch controls it. If the light is off, touch the bulb: if it’s warm, the first switch is the correct one; if it’s cold, the third switch controls the light.
The Deadly Cocktail
The cocktail contained poison in the ice. One person drank quickly before the ice melted, while the other waited, allowing the poison to spread.
Heaven and Hell
Ask one of the guards which door the other guard would say leads to heaven. Whether you’re speaking to the liar or the truthful guard, their answer will always be the incorrect door. Then, choose the opposite door.
The Pair of Socks
You need to remove 4 socks. Since there are only 3 different colors, the 4th sock will definitely match at least one of the previously removed socks.
The Burning Rope
Light one rope from both ends and the other from one end. When the first rope finishes burning (30 minutes), light the other end of the second rope. The second rope will burn in 15 minutes, totaling 45 minutes.
The Driver Who Didn’t Break the Rules
The driver was walking, not driving.
High-Rise Jumper
He may live in a 30-story building, but he jumped out a first-floor window.
Missing Family Member
Lily is a dog.
Elevator Mystery
The woman is too petite to reach the button for the 30th floor. She can only reach the 20th-floor button. On days when it rains, she uses her umbrella to hit the button for the 30th floor.
10 Weddings
She was an actress, and she “married” 10 different men while playing different roles.
A Walk in the Woods
Tom was playing paintball.
Highway Hazzard
The man is driving the wrong way down the highway.
Mass Murderer
Lucy is a cat, and she’s killing mice and birds, then leaving them as “gifts” for her owners.
Jack and Jill
Jack and Jill are goldfish, and someone knocked over their fishbowl.
Instant Weight Loss
The room is actually an elevator. When she gets inside to go down, the elevator accelerates downward, making her weight temporarily lower.
Endgame
The dad built a shelf out of Sam’s reach and put the video game console up there. The dad can still reach it to play but Sam cannot.
Capital Punishment
The room of tigers. If the tigers haven’t eaten in six months, they’d be dead.
The Door of Death
She was on an airplane and opened the door while the plane was in flight, falling to her death.