Only a handful of people can save a man’s life: Can you determine in 13 seconds which route is the safest for him?

Logic puzzles test our ability to think, analyse and react. Some leave room for calm thinking, others force you to act in a time crunch. It is the latter type that this puzzle presents, in which you have to determine the only correct path to survival in a matter of seconds.

Logic puzzles have a long tradition and often serve not only as entertainment but also as an exercise of the mind. They develop the ability to quickly assess options, look for connections and make use of available resources. While simple puzzles exercise patience, more complex puzzles simulate crisis situations where it is necessary to keep a cool head.

Why they are useful

Solving puzzles regularly benefits concentration and promotes creativity. It teaches us to work with stress, to look for effective solutions even where none seem to be available. Many people use them for memory training or as a relaxing activity that also stimulates logical thinking.

Three doors and one way out

The task of this puzzle is simple, but tricky at the same time. There are three doors in front of you, each with a different deadly danger. Behind the first one is a fiery trap, the second one hides an armed attacker and the third one leads to a freezing wasteland. In your hand, however, you hold a torch – and it is the key to survival.

Judicious reasoning shows that the only hope is to choose the third door. A fire in your hand may not ensure comfort, but it will provide enough warmth to last long enough to save you in the winter. To enter the flames or face an attacker would mean instant death. So this puzzle shows that even in a hopeless situation there is a way out – we just need to keep calm, think through the options and make good use of what we have available.