Minute Mystery: The Secret Safe

Bite-sized brain teaser to solve in a minute or less.

 

 

The Secret Safe

Lucy has discovered a hidden safe in her grandfather's attic, which is protected by three locks. Each lock has a plaque with an inscription: "Treasure" for the gold lock, "Trap" for the silver lock, and "Empty" for the bronze lock. However, each plaque is affixed to the incorrect lock. Behind one lock lies the treasure, behind another lies a trap, and behind the third lies nothing. Lucy has only two attempts to open the locks.

How can Lucy navigate the locks to find the treasure in either the first or second try, given she must avoid opening the trap?

 

 

Solution

 Since each plaque is on the incorrect lock, Lucy can deduce the following:
  • The lock labeled "Treasure" does not contain the treasure.
  • The lock labeled "Trap" does not contain the trap.
  • The lock labeled "Empty" does not contain the empty space.

Let's analyze the possibilities:

  • The lock labeled "Treasure" can be either empty or a trap.
  • The lock labeled "Trap" can be either empty or contain the treasure.
  • The lock labeled "Empty" can be either a trap or contain the treasure.

Lucy should start by opening the lock labeled "Trap":

  • If the lock labeled "Trap" contains the treasure, she has found the treasure on the first try.
  • If the lock labeled "Trap" is empty, she knows that the lock labeled "Treasure" contains the trap (because each label is incorrect, and the "Empty" lock can't be empty), so the lock labeled "Empty" must contain the treasure.

By following this strategy, Lucy ensures that she has a chance to find the treasure in either her first or second try while avoiding the trap.

 

 

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Find more full-size mystery games with:
+ A longer playtime for hours of fun
+ Life-like evidence, such as newspaper clippings, cryptic letters, suspects' statements, and more
+ Engaging clues to test your problem-solving skills

 

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