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 have one eye but still cannot see?

Asked by Neha on 27 Dec 2025


I have a big mouth and I am also quite loud! I am NOT a gossip but I do get involved with everyone's dirty business.

Asked by Neha on 24 Apr 2026

A train leaves from point A for point B at 80 mph. After half an hour, another train leaves from point B for point A at 60 mph.

Which of the trains will be farther from point A when they meet ?

Asked by Neha on 23 Jan 2021


Three people check into a hotel. They pay $60 for the rent of the room. After they check-in, the manager realize that the rent for the room is $55. So, he gives $5 to the bellboy and asks him to give it to them. The bellboy thinks that it will be difficult for the three people to share $5 among them and seeking the personal benefit, he pockets $2 and gives the remaining $3 to them.

Now, each person paid $20 and got back $1. In this manner, each of them paid just $19 which totals to the amount of $57. The bellboy has $2 with him and adding them, we get $59. So where is the remaining $1?

Asked by Neha on 02 Aug 2023

If you go to the movies and you're paying, is it cheaper to take one friend to the movies twice, or two friends to the movies at the same time?

Asked by Neha on 16 Apr 2022

You have two strings whose only known property is that when you light one end of either string it takes exactly one hour to burn. The rate at which the strings will burn is completely random and each string is different.

How do you measure 45 minutes?

Asked by Neha on 19 Feb 2025


It is Secret Agent Bond Girl Friend's birthday but he is on a secret mission

Mr Bond has a secret device by which he can only use the below words for sending the message.

Dumbo, Nazi, Carrot, Ronda, Zambia, Racing, TinTin, Seou, Zareeba, Laltain, Saphire, Tar, Orphan, Audition, Biscotti.

Mr Bond sends the following message to her girlfriend:
Carrot Dumbo Nazi Racing Ronda Zambia TinTin Seou Laltain Zareeba Tar Biscotti Orphan Audition Snake

What does Mr. Bond's Message say?

Asked by Neha on 12 Apr 2026

The following four words might seem abrupt to you. But you can make them meaningful by just adding vowels.
RDSH
GGPLNT
TMT
NN

Hint: All of them are vegetables.

Asked by Neha on 13 Nov 2025

If Japan and Panama decided to merge into a single country, probably people will name it Japanama.

Can you think of two more such country's unions that could produce similar names like Japanama by overlapping their three letters?

Asked by Neha on 08 Sep 2024


In the four images below, can you find the odd one out?

Odd One Out Riddle

Asked by Neha on 08 Jul 2021

Hot Articles

Amazing Facts

Crossword puzzles

In the 1920s, people feared that crossword puzzles would contribute to illiteracy.