Prisoner to be freed

The warden meets with 23 new prisoners when they arrive. He tells them, "You may meet today and plan a strategy. But after today, you will be in isolated cells and will have no communication with one another.

"In the prison is a switch room, which contains two light switches labeled 1 and 2, each of which can be in either up or the down position. I am not telling you their present positions. The switches are not connected to anything.

"After today, from time to time whenever I feel so inclined, I will select one prisoner at random and escort him to the switch room. This prisoner will select one of the two switches and reverse its position. He must flip one switch when he visits the switch room, and may only flip one of the switches. Then he'll be led back to his cell.

"No one else will be allowed to alter the switches until I lead the next prisoner into the switch room. I'm going to choose prisoners at random. I may choose the same guy three times in a row, or I may jump around and come back. I will not touch the switches, if I wanted you dead you would already be dead.

"Given enough time, everyone will eventually visit the switch room the same number of times as everyone else. At any time, anyone may declare to me, 'We have all visited the switch room.'

"If it is true, then you will all be set free. If it is false, and somebody has not yet visited the switch room, you will all die horribly. You will be carefully monitored, and any attempt to break any of these rules will result in instant death to all of you"

What is the strategy they come up with so that they can be free?




Similar Riddles

Today is John's birthday.
A year ago, John had five candles and he lit all the candles except the one at the last.
Now he is going to light all the candles.

How old is John Today?

(He is not five today.....)

Asked by Neha on 04 Feb 2025


The captain of a ship is telling you an interesting story and then poses a question. He says, “I have travelled the oceans far and wide. One time, two of my sailors were standing on opposite sides of the ship. One was looking west and the other one east. And at the same time, they could see each other clearly. Can you tell me how that was possible?”

Asked by Neha on 11 Jun 2025

In a concert, Christina is performing a dance show with her group.
At 10:00, she and her crew were dancing in an absolutely straight line. At that time Christina was standing in 4th position from both the front and back end of the row.

What was the size of her crew?

Asked by Neha on 11 Aug 2024


James Bond is caught up in a mysterious scenario where the evil villain has him blindfolded. He somehow breaks through the handcuffs but is unable to get the blindfold off. Upon searching, he comes across a bow and 3 arrows. He can hear the villain speak, and thus tries to take a shot at him. He launches the first arrow, it misses the villain. He then launches the second arrow and it misses by a greater margin.

What is the probability that this third shot our James bond takes will be worse than the second shot?

Asked by Neha on 21 Jun 2023

John was working on a Chemical Mixture whose weight comprise 90% liquid and 10% solid. The total weight of the mixture is 20 pounds. After a while, John noticed that some of the liquid evaporated and now the liquid comprises just 50% of the weight.

What is the weight of the chemical mixture now?

Asked by Neha on 12 Feb 2024

Buy me, smell me or deliver me, I do not change.

Who am I?

Asked by Neha on 19 Feb 2024


I can write cow in 13 letters.

Can You?

Asked by Neha on 03 Oct 2024

Find the smallest sentence with all the English alphabet.

Asked by Neha on 21 Sep 2025

A mad serial killer kidnaps people and forces them to play the game of 2 pills with them, In this game, there are pills in the table and one of them is normal pill while the other one is deadly poisonous.
The victim will choose one pill and the killer will pick the other pill and both simultaneously will swallow the pill with water.
victim dies every time.

One day the serial killer kidnaps the Joseph and forces him to play the same game with him.

Joseph solves the mystery of the two pills and remains alive.

Explain?

Asked by Neha on 15 May 2021


When I got four, I have it none.
When I got two, I have it some.
When I got none, I have it all.

What is it?

Asked by Neha on 31 Aug 2024

Hot Articles

Amazing Facts

Challenging

There is a cryptic organization called Cicada 3301 that posts challenging puzzles online, possibly to recruit codebreakers and linguists.