Brainteaser: How fast can you solve this ‘simple’ puzzle?

July 16, 2022

By Kim Komando

What’s the best way to pass a few minutes at home or the office? For us, a quick brainteaser or puzzle is the ultimate diversion. Tap or click to see if you can spot the four hidden images in this optical illusion.

Speaking of brainteasers. A puzzle that’s been around for years was posted to TikTok this week, and it’s gone viral, stumping most everyone who gives it a shot.

Do you think you can solve this mystery? Keep reading to check it out and wait for the wild twist.

Why we’re obsessed with this puzzle

This incredible TikTok made a splash this week, and we just had to share.

@boardsdirect Puzzle time! Can you connect all the dots with just 3 lines? Answer will be uploaded soon👀 #puzzle #challenge #games #puzzlemagic #puzzlechallenge ♬ Monkeys Spinning Monkeys – Kevin MacLeod & Kevin The Monkey

What’s the premise? You’ve got a field of nine dots on a whiteboard in front of you. The goal is misleadingly simple — to connect all nine dots with only three lines. Can you do it?

Many have tried and failed, ourselves included. After taking a couple of cracks at it, we found ourselves stumped.

This type of puzzle isn’t exactly new. It’s simple enough to remain timeless and challenging enough to keep puzzlers coming back for more. Over the years, we’ve seen dozens of variations on this classic. But this TikTok took the internet by storm this week.

Variations abound, and this lighthearted version ends with the gag of a lifetime. Watch the short video first — spoilers are just ahead!

How to solve this crazy puzzle

Instead of a clever and complete resolution, the TikToker solves the puzzle with three curved lines extending far beyond the nodes’ field. It’s not entirely possible to do things the old-fashioned way with only three lines, making this updated share more of a joke than a real riddle. 

Here’s the cheeky solution:

@boardsdirect PUZZLE SOLVED did anyone figure it out?😉 #puzzle #challenge #games #puzzlemagic #puzzlechallenge ♬ Monkeys Spinning Monkeys – Kevin MacLeod & Kevin The Monkey

Still, it’s the perfect way to spend a few minutes of downtime. We giggled. You probably will, too.

A bit of humor for your afternoon

It’s no secret that we love to laugh online. It’s probably one of our favorite things to do. 

While the ultimate conclusion to this short series of videos isn’t exactly a real reveal, it truly does embody the spirit of Gen Z — when you can’t find a way, you’ve got to make a way. Why so serious, anyway?

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