# Lateral Thinking Puzzles. Let's do it again! **URL:** \ **Category:** Thread Games\ **Created:** [October 23, 2019, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193 "2019-10-23T21:32:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 45
**Author:** ![Go\_Arachnid\_Laser\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b2d939/32.png) [@Go\_Arachnid\_Laser\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Go_Arachnid_Laser_1)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2019, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/881 "2019-12-05T21:34:54Z")
Game of chance? Game of ability? Game requiring athleticism? Game requiring wits? ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2019, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/882 "2019-12-05T21:55:37Z")
Was it [The Game](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Game_(mind_game))? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2019, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/883 "2019-12-05T22:00:54Z")
Did he do anything that would be considered unethical? Did he help people out by getting money to them? Did he help people out by raising awareness for something? Would it also have been beneficial to those people if he had won? Would it also have been beneficial to him if he had won? ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2019, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/884 "2019-12-05T22:14:30Z")
Did he lose intentionally? Did he help people intentionally? Did he make money intentionally? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2019, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/885 "2019-12-05T22:32:49Z")
\*\*Mike just lost the game, but in doing so, he helped out a lot of people(and made a little money, too!). Why? \*\* > [@Go\_Arachnid\_Laser](#): > > Game of chance? NO > > Game of ability? YES > > Game requiring athleticism? (some) > > Game requiring wits? YES > [@Chronos](#): > > Did he do anything that would be considered unethical? NO > Did he help people out by getting money to them? NO > Did he help people out by raising awareness for something? NO > Would it also have been beneficial to those people if he had won? YES > Would it also have been beneficial to him if he had won? YES > [@Aspidistra](#): > > Did he lose intentionally? NO > Did he help people intentionally? YES > Did he make money intentionally? YES ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2019, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/886 "2019-12-05T22:35:13Z")
Was the game played for purpose of helping those people? Is the game one that typically has professional players? Was the game televised? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2019, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/887 "2019-12-05T22:37:29Z")
> [@Aspidistra](#): > > Was it [The Game](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Game_(mind_game))? NO ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2019, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/888 "2019-12-05T22:39:28Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Was the game played for purpose of helping those people? > > YES > > Is the game one that typically has professional players? > > NO > > Was the game televised? > > NO kk ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2019, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/889 "2019-12-05T22:42:09Z")
Was he being sponsored for charity? Did the game involve creating anything? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2019, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/890 "2019-12-05T22:53:12Z")
> [@Aspidistra](#): > > Was he being sponsored for charity? > > Did the game involve creating anything? No to both. ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2019, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/891 "2019-12-06T00:20:38Z")
Did the game involve discovering something? Was the game played with individual players? Pairs? Teams of defined size? Were there more than 50 people playing the game? More than 500? Was the game played with all the players in the same physical location (however broadly defined)? Did the game take more than an hour to complete? More than a day? More than a month? Was it anything to do with geocaching? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2019, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/892 "2019-12-06T01:21:35Z")
\*\*Mike just lost the game, but in doing so, he helped out a lot of people(and made a little money, too!). Why? \*\* > [@Aspidistra](#): > > Did the game involve discovering something? > > I’m going to need a more specific question to answer this. > > Was the game played with individual players? Pairs? Teams of defined size? > > Individuals vs. a team. > Were there more than 50 people playing the game? More than 500? > > More than 50. Less than 500. > > Was the game played with all the players in the same physical location (however broadly defined)? > > Yes. > Did the game take more than an hour to complete? More than a day? More than a month? > > More than an hour. Less than a day. Less than a month. > > Was it anything to do with geocaching? > > NO ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2019, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/893 "2019-12-06T01:50:43Z")
Were all the individual players playing against the same team? Was there an actual winner? If so, was it an individual? The team? Was the game played outside? Was it a one-off event? ---
**Author:** ![Personal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Personal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Personal)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2019, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/894 "2019-12-06T02:26:56Z")
Was the game a race? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2019, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/895 "2019-12-06T02:31:11Z")
> [@Aspidistra](#): > > Were all the individual players playing against the same team? > > YES > > Was there an actual winner? > > NO > > If so, was it an individual? The team? > > N/A > > Was the game played outside? > > YES(primarily) > > Was it a one-off event? > > NO > [@Personal](#): > > Was the game a race? NO (there is a timed element, but it’s not a race in the way you mean) ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2019, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/896 "2019-12-06T03:35:30Z")
Were animals involved? Were the people he helped playing the game? Did he help people learn to play the game or play the game better? Did Mike want to win? Does lost mean misplaced here? Would knowing the location of where this transpired help? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2019, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/897 "2019-12-06T03:47:17Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > Were animals involved? > > NO > > Were the people he helped playing the game? > > NO > > Did he help people learn to play the game or play the game better? > > NO > > Did Mike want to win? > > YES (I think) > > Does lost mean misplaced here? > > NO > > Would knowing the location of where this transpired help? > > Possibly. Hard to tell. Maybe a little bit. kk ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2019, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/898 "2019-12-06T04:19:52Z")
Does the game involve water? Uniforms? Vehicles? Knowledge? Robots? Puzzles? Performing Arts talent? Artistic talent? Physical challenge? A ball? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2019, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/899 "2019-12-06T13:28:42Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > Does the game involve water? > > Uniforms? > > Vehicles? > > Knowledge? > > Robots? > > Puzzles? > > Performing Arts talent? > > Artistic talent? > > Physical challenge? > > A ball? \*\*No to everything. \*\* ---
**Author:** ![Go\_Arachnid\_Laser\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b2d939/32.png) [@Go\_Arachnid\_Laser\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Go_Arachnid_Laser_1)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2019, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193/900 "2019-12-06T15:31:10Z")
Would you classify this game as an entertaining activity made for enjoyment? Would you classify it as a competition? Would you call it a wild animal in a hunt? Is it a symbolic game (i.e. the game of love, or game of thrones)? Is it a physical object described as a game (i.e. he lost a video game, or he lost a board game)? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193.md?page=44) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lateral-thinking-puzzles-lets-do-it-again/842193.md?page=46)