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

Count the squares in the matchstick puzzle below?

Count the Squares

Asked by Neha on 17 Sep 2023


A word I know,
Six letters contain,
Subtract just one,
And twelve is what remains.

Asked by Neha on 18 Feb 2024

In the Chess Board picture below white army is arranged. You need to add a black army on the board such that no piece is under any threat.
Note: Army comprised of 1 king, 1 queen, 2 rooks, 2 bishops, 2 knights, and 8 pawns.

Game of Chess

Asked by Neha on 14 Nov 2023


What four weights can be used to balance from 1 to 30 pounds?

Asked by Neha on 25 Apr 2022

I am a five-letter word and people eat me. If you remove the first letter I become an energy form. If you remove the first two letters, I am needed to live. Scramble the last three letters and I am a drink. What word am I?

Asked by Neha on 28 May 2025

The husband and wife were jogging in the morning. To match every two steps of the husband, the wife required three steps. If Both of them start with the here right foot. After how many steps do their left foot be together?

Asked by Neha on 08 Feb 2025


What has no start, end, or centre?

Asked by Neha on 02 Sep 2023

What is in seasons, seconds, centuries and minutes but not in decades, years or days?

Asked by Neha on 25 Dec 2024

Which country gets ill every time?

Asked by Neha on 14 Feb 2025


My location can be determined by the below rebus.
So where am i ?

Find my Location

Asked by Neha on 15 Aug 2021

Hot Articles

Amazing Facts

Out of the Box

The phrase “thinking outside the box” was popularised from the solution to a topographical puzzle involving 9 dots in a box shape.