Situation puzzle

Situation puzzles are usually played in a group, with one person hosting the puzzle and the others asking questions which can be answered with yes or no only. (In some settings other answers (like irrelevant) can be accepted.)

These puzzles are inexact and many puzzle statements have more than one possible fitting answer. The goal however is to find out the story as the host has it in mind.

Critical reading, logical thinking, as well as lateral thinking may all be required to solve a situation puzzle.

The term lateral thinking was coined by Edward DeBono to denote a creative problem-solving style that involves looking at the given situation from unexpected angles.

Some typical puzzle statements are

• A man and his son were in a car accident. The man was dead on impact, and the son was severely injured and rushed to the hospital. The surgeon refused to operate on the injured boy, saying "I can't operate on him, he's my son!"

• Hunters came upon a cabin in the woods, where inside they found two dead. At first glance, it was obvious how they died.

• Tom is found dead in the living room, with a bar across his back.

• Adults are holding children, waiting their turn. The children are handed to a man, who holds them while a woman shoots them.

These are considered the classic type: all information needed to solve them is given in the statement.

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