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

A shepherd had 18 sheep, out of which, all but ten died.

Can you tell us how many sheep was he left with?

Asked by Neha on 10 Mar 2024


You walk into a creepy house by yourself. There is no electricity, plumbing, or ventilation. Inside you notice 3 doors with numbers on them. Once you open the doors you will die a particular way. Door No.1 You’ll be eaten by a lion who is hungry. Door No.2 You’ll be stabbed to death. Door No.3 There is an electric chair waiting for you. Which door do you pick?

Asked by Neha on 02 Sep 2025

You have an empty wine bottle with a cork that has been secured at the top in a normal way. There is a metal ring inside the bottle that is suspended by a string.

How can you make the metal ring drop to the bottom if you are not allowed to touch anything - not the bottle, not the cork, not the thread and not the ring?

Asked by Neha on 07 Aug 2023


On a magical land of Mexico , all the animal in the land are rational.

There are 10 tigers and one goat.
Tiger can eat goat but since it's a magical land , the tiger who eats the goat , turns into goat and then can be eaten by the remaining tiger(s).

If we leave them for some time then how many goat and tiger will be there , when we come back ?

Asked by Neha on 31 May 2021

Find The Next Number in the series:

12 13 15 17 111 113 117 119 123 ?

Asked by Neha on 01 Dec 2023

Can you count the number of quadrilaterals in the picture below?

Count the Quadrilaterals

Asked by Neha on 14 Mar 2023


John was so frustrated to be the suspect of being a sleeper terrorist that he shoot himself right between the eyes with a revolver in his toilet. The revolver and the bullets were accurate. Minutes later John walks out of the toilet unharmed.
How can this be possible?

Asked by Neha on 15 Nov 2023

If,

20 % 5 = 24

21 % 7 = 33

42 % 6 = 67

Then;

66 % 6 = ?

Asked by Neha on 11 Jul 2024

Some friends went on a vacation to a resort. It was raining heavily and it kept raining for thirteen days.

When it rained in the morning, the afternoon was beautiful and when it rained in the afternoon, the day was blessed with a clear morning.

Overall, the friends experienced eleven nice mornings and twelve nice afternoons. Can you find out the number of days they spent on vacation?

Asked by Neha on 08 Jun 2024


When we see 2 but call 10?

Asked by Neha on 14 Oct 2023

Hot Articles

Amazing Facts

No Solution

In 2007, a puzzle was released and $2 million prizes were offered for the first complete solution. The competition ended at noon on 31 December 2010, with no solution being found. Wiki