Today’s lateral mystery · Wednesday, October 7

Forget the obvious.
Wander a little.

There’s no clock and no score. Turn the problem around, question the wording, and see where your strangest idea takes you.

Today’s puzzleAcross the Room
ApproachableModerateTricky

A locksmith opens a locked safe while standing across the room. He never touches the safe, uses no remote control or tool, and nothing is broken. The owner is standing beside it. How?

A correct answer unlocks your achievement and share card.

The permanent puzzle archive

Every mystery keeps its own address.

Explore 49 permanent puzzles, including short brain-benders and longer story mysteries. New originals will keep joining the collection.

Puzzle 1The Masked Welcome
ApproachableModerateTricky
Puzzle 2Twenty Feet
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Puzzle 3The Long Way Up
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Puzzle 4A Strange Thank-You
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Puzzle 5An Hour Later
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Puzzle 6The Locked Room
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Puzzle 7Sudden Bankruptcy
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Puzzle 8Reading After Dark
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Puzzle 9The Bearded Man
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Puzzle 10The Number 42
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Puzzle 11Friday to Friday
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Puzzle 12Not One Hair
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Puzzle 13One Left Behind
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Puzzle 14Three Tickets
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Puzzle 15Three Pills
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Puzzle 16A Freezing Room
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Puzzle 17The Performance
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Puzzle 18Thirty People
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Puzzle 19Looking North
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Puzzle 20The Sealed Letter
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Puzzle 21Through the Window
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Puzzle 22Everyone Knows
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Puzzle 23Wet by One
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Puzzle 24The Empty Truck
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Puzzle 25The Thirty-Year Delivery
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Puzzle 26The Empty Seat
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Puzzle 27The Last Message
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Puzzle 28Four O’Clock
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Puzzle 29The Waiting Room
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Puzzle 30The Snowy Path
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Puzzle 31The Wet Umbrella
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Puzzle 32The Moving Statue
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Puzzle 33Tomorrow’s Obituary
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Puzzle 34Two Sunrises
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Puzzle 35Across the Room
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Puzzle 36The Basement View
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Puzzle 37The Fire Alarm
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Puzzle 38The Last Customer
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Puzzle 39Two Gold Medals
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Puzzle 40The Moving Staircase
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Puzzle 41The Full Cart
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Puzzle 42The Red Door
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Puzzle 43The Missing Hour
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Puzzle 44Table for Eight
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Puzzle 45The Paper Bridge
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Puzzle 46The Unanswered Question
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Puzzle 47The Locked Bicycle
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Puzzle 48The Perfect Copy
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Puzzle 49The Rooftop Garden
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How to play sideways

The wording is part of the puzzle.

01Notice assumptionsWhat did the story never actually say?

02Change the frameTry a different place, scale, meaning, or point of view.

03Follow the odd ideaThe ridiculous theory may be one turn away from the answer.