Situation puzzle facts for kids

Situation puzzles are fun brain teasers often called minute mysteries or lateral thinking puzzles. You might also hear them called "yes/no" puzzles because of how they are played.

These puzzles are usually played in a group. One person, the "host," knows the full story. The other players ask questions that can only be answered with "yes" or "no." Sometimes, the host might give a small hint or explain why an answer is "yes" or "no." The game ends when a player figures out the host's secret story, especially the tricky part that made the situation puzzling.

Situation puzzles don't always have just one right answer. The main goal is to discover the specific story the host has in mind. To solve them, you need to use your critical thinking, logical thinking, and especially lateral thinking.

What is Lateral Thinking?

Lateral thinking is a special way of solving problems. It means looking at a situation from new and unexpected angles. It's about thinking outside the box! This term was created by Edward de Bono. He used it to describe a creative style of problem-solving. Lateral thinking is often needed to solve situation puzzles.

A writer named Paul Sloane helped make the term "lateral-thinking puzzle" popular. He did this with his 1992 book, Lateral Thinking Puzzlers.

How to Play Situation Puzzles

Playing these puzzles is like being a detective! You gather clues by asking questions. Each "yes" or "no" answer helps you get closer to the truth. It's a great way to practice asking smart questions and connecting different pieces of information.

An Example Puzzle

Here's a famous situation puzzle:

A man walks into a bar, and asks the bartender for a drink of water. The bartender pulls out a gun, points it at the man, and cocks it. The man pauses, before saying "Thank you" and leaving. What happened?

To solve this, players would ask questions. Here's how some of them might go:

• Question: Could the bartender hear him? Answer: Yes
• Question: Was the bartender angry? Answer: No
• Question: Was the gun a water pistol? Answer: No
• Question: Did they know each other? Answer: No (or: "irrelevant")
• Question: Was the man's "thank you" sarcastic? Answer: No (He was truly grateful.)
• Question: Did the man ask for water in a rude way? Answer: No
• Question: Did the man ask for water in a strange way? Answer: Yes

Eventually, the questions would lead to the solution. The man had the hiccups. He wanted water to stop them. The bartender realized this. Instead of water, the bartender scared the man with the gun. This surprise cured the hiccups! Once the man's hiccups were gone, he didn't need water anymore. He thanked the bartender and left.

Puzzle Terms You Might Hear

When playing situation puzzles, you might hear some special words:

• Yope: This word means "yes and no" at the same time. It's used when a simple "yes" or "no" would be misleading. It's like saying, "Yes, but..." and "No, but..." at the same time.
• N/a (or "irrelevant"): This means the question doesn't apply to the situation. Or, a "yes" or "no" answer wouldn't help solve the puzzle.
• Irrelevant, but assume yes: This is used when the situation stays the same no matter the answer. But, assuming "yes" might make it easier to ask more questions. For example, if someone asked, "Was the gun loaded?" in the puzzle above, the host might say this.