Great puzzles
This repository hosts a curated collection of quality puzzles of different
nature (mostly logical or mathematical). You can immediately start by choosing
one of the puzzles below. You are strongly encouraged to contribute to this
list, but please read our guidelines below. Please also send suggestions,
corrections or clarifications.
Choose a puzzle
- Grouped by color
- Burning ropes
- Strange round trip
- Missing square
- Blindfolded tricks
- Fork in the road
- Ants on a meter stick
- Rational pirates
- The lake monster
- Blue eyes
- 100 prisoners
- 21 wires
- Wizards and Dwarves
Guidelines for new puzzles
The following list tries to describe the type of puzzle that we are looking
for. These rules are highly subjective. They might make more sense if you
have already solved a few of the puzzles above.
-
Puzzles should be fun to think about. We like puzzles which can be
solved by out-of-the-box thinking. We like puzzles which can be solved by
logical reasoning. We don't like puzzles which can be solved by repetitive,
dreary calculations or brute forcing. -
Solutions should be satisfying. We like puzzles with Eureka moments
where it is suddenly obvious that you found the solution, sometimes without
even checking. We like puzzles with surprising or counter-intuitive solutions.
We don't like puzzles where you go "meeh.. seriously?" if you see the
solution. -
Puzzles should be self-contained. Puzzles should be clearly stated. If
additional questions arise while solving the puzzle, they should be irrelevant
to the solution.
Examples of puzzles that do not belong on this list
-
Zebra puzzle. This can be
solved by putting a lot of work into it. While this can be great fun, it is
similar to solving a Sudoko - it involves long, repetitive work. -
String girdling Earth.
While this is a nice question with a counter-intuitive answer, it is just a
simple math exercise that doesn't require puzzle-solving skills.