Whenever you see puzzles like these, you just know there’s more to it than first meets the eye. Don’t be tricked into jumping to conclusions by shouting out the first answer that comes to mind! There’s usually a trick hidden in the puzzle, and that’s why they are called mind benders; they force you to think a little differently. The whole point of brainteasers like this one is to challenge your brain. So, try thinking outside the box!
I’ll be honest with you: my first answer missed the mark when I tried this one! You might hit the bull’s eye, though, so let’s see how you do.
The puzzle consists of several straight arrows (of equal length) arranged in square shapes. There’s more than one square—smaller ones inside larger ones. That’s about all we’ll tell you, though. It’s up to you to count all the squares that are in this arrangement of arrows. They have to be square, mind you; rectangles don’t count.
Look carefully. If you need a hint, check down below. Or, if you’re absolutely sure you’ve found them all (or if you’re helplessly stumped), then scroll down to the bottom to check the answer.
Probably most of us will have counted the big square perimeter. But it starts to get trickier when picking out all the smaller squares within the larger ones. There are the 4 quadrants, of course, and the 9 little (eighth-sized) squares, which are easy enough to spot. That totals 14 so far. But are there any more squares that could be hidden in between these ones?
Well, did you catch the quadrant-sized square in the very center? If you did, good for you! So did I! That’s 15 squares, and that is as far as I got. It may look like it’s all of them … but it isn’t!
Think ¾. Think odd-sized.
Find it yet?
The answer is 16!
If you found them all, well done! You are a true marksman!
