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

John went to buy some expensive, foreign chocolates. He only had Rs 100 with him. When he reached the shop, he got out and know that on those chocolates, there was a 15% import duty and 5% VAT.

How much worth chocolate should he buy so that he can accommodate it in Rs 100?

Asked by Neha on 25 Oct 2024


Count the number of squares in the picture below.

Count The Magic Squares

Asked by Neha on 14 Dec 2024

Find the hidden panda in the image below.

Find The Panda

Asked by Neha on 13 Jun 2024


A man walked into a pub and went straight towards the Barman. He asked for a dirty martini from the Barman. The Barman thought something and then pulled out a pistol from his drawer and aimed it directly at the man. Why did he do that?

Asked by Neha on 09 Nov 2023

What is so fragile that saying its name breaks it?

Asked by Neha on 19 Oct 2021

One of the leprechaun is missing if you see the two pictures attached to this question. Where did he go? When he comes back, do you know where has he been?

Leprechaun Puzzle

Asked by Neha on 26 Apr 2026


Christina is practising her dance steps along with her friends. In a particular sequence, all of them form a row. At that point, Niharika is standing in the 4th position from either end of the row.
Can you find out how many girls are practising together?

Asked by Neha on 10 Oct 2024

What is black when you buy it, red when you use it, and gray when you throw it away?

Asked by Neha on 06 Jan 2021

Dwayne Johnson was running away with the loot from a heist in his car along with Vin Diesel. One tire was punctured and he dropped down to replace it. While changing the wheel, he dropped the four nuts that were holding the wheel and they fell into a drain. Vin Diesel gave him an idea using which they were able to drive till the rendezvous point.

What was the idea ?

Asked by Neha on 10 Apr 2023


What is red and smells like blue paint?

Asked by Neha on 22 Jul 2025

Hot Articles

Amazing Facts

Gamers

In 2011, people playing Foldit, an online puzzle game about protein folding, resolved the structure of an enzyme that causes an Aids-like disease in monkeys. Researchers had been working on the problem for 13 years. The gamers solved it in three weeks.