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

Jenifer is learning to drive her car. She went down a one way lane and in the wrong direction. But she do not break any law.

How come ?

Asked by Neha on 30 Jun 2021


The Brit lives in the red house.
2. The Swede keeps dogs as pets.
3. The Dane drinks tea.
4. The greenhouse is on the immediate left of the white house.
5. The greenhouse’s owner drinks coffee.
6. The owner who smokes Pall Mall rears birds.
7. The owner of the yellow house smokes Dunhill.
8. The owner living in the centre house drinks milk.
9. The Norwegian lives in the first house.
10. The owner who smokes Blends lives next to the one who keeps cats.
11. The owner who keeps the horse lives next to the one who smokes Dunhill.
12. The owner who smokes blue masters drinks beer.
13. The German smokes Prince.
14. The Norwegian lives next to the blue house.
15. The owner who smokes Blends lives next to the one who drinks water.
Now, the question is…Who owns the fish?

Asked by Neha on 12 Sep 2025

Can you find the next number in the below sequence
3 , 7 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 17 ?

Asked by Neha on 04 Mar 2025


On a special event at the prison, 5 prisoners John, Jacob, Krist, Tang, and Dang given a chance to go to a sauna and can bring one thing with them.

Following are the things that the prisoners bring with them.
John: A soda
Jacob: Thermos
Krist: Book named "How to kill"
Tang: A Walkman
Dang: Harmonica

Since it is a Sauna, no one can see each other. After a while When the steam is switched, Tang was found dead and there was blood all around.
J Bond was called and he instantly come to know who can be the murderer. How?

Asked by Neha on 07 Jul 2024

On a certain day, John celebrated his birthday. Two days later, his older twin brother Jacob celebrated his birthday.

Is this even possible? How can it be?

Asked by Neha on 19 Jan 2021

Solve this tricky question. You are trapped in a forest. With you, you have a gun preloaded with two bullets in it. In front of you, there is a tiger, a leopard and a jaguar.

How do you survive?

Asked by Neha on 24 Mar 2024


I am eight letters long - "12345678"
My 1234 is an atmospheric condition.
My 34567 supports a plant.
My 4567 is too appropriate.
My 45 is a friendly thank-you.
My 678 is a man's name.

What word am I?

Asked by Neha on 02 Dec 2024

P is the father of Q and S is the son of R. T is the brother of P and has a daughter U. If R is the sister of P, then what is the relation between U, Q and S?

Who is Who

Asked by Neha on 16 Mar 2021

The answer I give is yes, but what I mean is no. What was the question?

Asked by Neha on 04 Sep 2025


The day before yesterday I was 25 and the next year I will be 28. This is true only one day in a year. What day is my birthday?

Asked by Neha on 07 Dec 2025

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.