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

What's a single-digit number with no value?

Asked by Neha on 06 Aug 2025


Two Twins Jack and Jill were standing back to back and suddenly they started running in opposite direction for 4 kilometres and then turn to left and run for another 3 kilometres.

what is the distance between the Baggio twins when they stop ?

Asked by Neha on 31 Jul 2021

Manish has to secure 40% marks to pass his B.tech final exams.
He got just 40 marks and failed by 40-marks.

What is the maximum marks?

Asked by Neha on 04 Aug 2023


This is a famous paradox which has caused a great deal of argument and disbelief from many who cannot accept the correct answer. Four balls are placed in a hat. One is white, one is blue and the other two are red. The bag is shaken and someone draws two balls from the hat. He looks at the two balls and announces that at least one of them is red. What are the chances that the other ball he has drawn out is also red?

Asked by Neha on 17 Oct 2024

Can you complete the sequence?

192, 021, 222, 324, 252, 627, 2__, 9__?

Asked by Neha on 07 Nov 2025

Ten coins have been arranged as you can see in the given picture. In this arrangement, a triangle is formed pointing upwards. You have to invert the position of the triangle and make it point downwards while changing the position of 3 coins only. Can you do it?

Visual Thinking Riddle

Asked by Neha on 05 May 2026


You have two jars of chocolates labelled as P and Q. If you move one chocolate from P to Q, the number of chocolates on B will become twice the number of chocolates in A. If you move one chocolate from Q to P, the number of chocolates in both the jars will become equal.

Can you find out how many chocolates are there in P and Q respectively?

Asked by Neha on 11 Apr 2023

Take number 1000 and then add 20 to it.
Now add 1000 one more time.
Now add 30.
Now add 1000 one more time.
Now add 40.
Now add 1000 one more time.
Now add 10.

What is the total?

Asked by Neha on 18 Jan 2024

f you were running a race, and you passed the person in 2nd place, what place would you be in now?

Asked by Neha on 14 May 2021


When my father was 31 I was 8. Now he is twice as old as me. How old am I?

Asked by Neha on 01 Oct 2021

Hot Articles

Amazing Facts

Rubik’s Cube

The inventor of the Rubik’s Cube didn’t realize he’d built a puzzle until he scrambled it the first time and tried to restore it.