This isn’t your average brain teaser. It’s one of the most legendary logic puzzles out there, with over 10 clues that you’ve gotta link together perfectly to crack it.
Here’s the setup:
There are 5 houses in a row, each painted a different color. In every house lives a person with a different nationality. Each person drinks a different beverage, smokes a different brand of cigarette, and owns a different pet. No two people share the same drink, smokes, or pet.
The big question: Who owns the fish?
Let’s walk through how to solve it:
Step 1: Set Up Your Table
Draw a table with five columns — each one representing a house.
Step 2: Start With the Definite Clues
Clue #9:
The Norwegian lives in the first house.
→ House 1 = Norwegian
Clue #14:
The Norwegian lives next to the blue house.
→ House 2 = Blue
Clue #8:
The man in the center house drinks milk.
→ House 3 = Milk
Step 3: Work With House Colors
Clue #4:
The green house is immediately to the left of the white house.
→ This can only work if:
House 4 = Green, House 5 = White
Clue #5:
The person in the green house drinks coffee.
→ House 4 = Green + Coffee
→ House 5 = White
Step 4: Fill in the Remaining Colors
Only red and yellow are left.
Clue #7:
The person in the yellow house smokes Dunhill.
→ If House 1 = Yellow, that fits with House 1 being the Norwegian
→ House 1 = Yellow + Dunhill ✅
Step 5: Work in Nationalities
Clue #1:
The Brit lives in the red house.
→ Red hasn’t been assigned yet, and only House 3 is colorless
→ House 3 = Red + British
Step 6: Add the Remaining Nationalities
So far:
-
House 1 = Norwegian
-
House 2 = ?
-
House 3 = British
-
House 4 = ?
-
House 5 = ?
Left: German, Swede, Dane
Clue #3:
The Dane drinks tea.
→ House 2 is still missing a drink
→ House 2 = Dane + Tea
Step 7: Add Pets and Cigarettes
Clue #11:
The person with the horse lives next to the one who smokes Dunhill.
→ House 1 = Dunhill → So House 2 = Horse
Clue #6:
The one who smokes Pall Mall has birds.
→ Not yet placed
Step 8: Fit In the Remaining Clues
Clue #13:
The German smokes Prince.
→ House 4 = Green + Coffee, no nationality yet → works!
→ House 4 = German + Prince
Clue #2:
The Swede keeps dogs.
→ Only House 5 is unassigned
→ House 5 = Swede + Dog
Step 9: Place Pall Mall
Clue #6:
Pall Mall smoker owns birds.
→ House 3 = Still missing smoke + pet
→ House 3 = Pall Mall + Birds
Step 10: Fill In the Last Drink + Cigarettes
Clue #12:
The BlueMaster smoker drinks beer.
→ House 5 = Missing smoke + drink
→ House 5 = BlueMaster + Beer
Step 11: Final Connections
Clue #10:
The person who smokes Blends lives next to the one who has a cat.
Clue #15:
The person who smokes Blends lives next to the one who drinks water.
→ House 2 = Blends
→ House 1 = Water + Cat
→ House 2 = Horse + Blends
Final Answer:
House 4 = German + Prince + Coffee + Green + ???
All pets are taken: Cat, Horse, Dog, Birds… the only one left?
🐟 Fish! 🐟
So, the German owns the fish.