Professor Layton and the Unwound Future/Puzzles 76-100

Caution! This page contains all the hints and solutions for every puzzle from 1 to 25. Scroll carefully or you might spoil the answer of a puzzle for yourself. The solutions are hidden behind spoiler tags, so only take a peek if you're desperate.

Puzzle 076

 * Name: Around the Table
 * Trigger: Talk to Maya
 * Location: Bookshop
 * Chapter: 8
 * Picarats: 40

Description: One day, King Arthur invited a number of honored guests to dine at his tables of tables. Everyone took their seats at evenly spaced intervals from one another. After sitting down, two lovely women in attendance, Guinevere and Nimue, were amused to find that neither of them saw a woman sitting left, right, or directly across the table. What's the minimum number of people that could be sitting at the Round Table?


 * Hint 1: The puzzle isn't too difficult if you use the Memo function to draw a picture of the table and the people around it.
 * Hint 2: Neither Guinevere or Nimue has a woman sitting left, right, or directly across the table from her. Of course, this doesn't mean there's a man in all of these locations, either.
 * Hint 3: First, picture a man sitting across from a woman. There are at least two women, so imagine another man and woman sitting across the table. That's four diners. Now place another man between the two women and someone across from him. This arrangement fulfills the conditions! Draw this image using the Memo function to see for yourself. But, wait! Is this really the minimum number that would work? There must be a way to do it with less...
 * Super Hint: There's no reason any of the diners need to have someone sitting directly across from them. The answer is an odd number.

Puzzle 077

 * Name: Timely Arrivals
 * Trigger: Talk to Horace
 * Location: Chinatown Gate
 * Chapter: 8
 * Picarats: 40

Description: "I think my watch is five minutes slow, but it's actually five minutes fast. My friend thinks his watch is five minutes fast, but it's actually five minutes slow! If we try to show up at our meeting point at the same time following only the time on our watches, how many minutes earlier than my friend will I arrive? Also, if I happen to arrive later than my friend, put a minus sign (-) in front of your answer."


 * Hint 1: If you're confused, try looking at an analog clock while thinking about the conditions of this puzzle.
 * Hint 2: What's the difference between the actual time of our meeting and the time when I will arrive? if you can figure this out, you'll know when my friend will arrive if you think about him as an exact opposite.
 * Hint 3: I think my watch is five minutes slow, so when I want to arrive on time, I show up five minutes earlier than the time shown on my watch. However, my watch is five minutes fast, so I'll actually end up arriving 10 minutes early.
 * Super Hint: I'll arrive at our meeting point 10 minutes early. Since the conditions for my friend are the exact opposite of mine, he will arrive 10 minutes late. So then, what's the difference between our two arrivals? That's your answer!

Puzzle 078

 * Name: Rabbit Hops
 * Trigger: Talk to Subject 3
 * Location: Riverside Area
 * Chapter: 8
 * Picarats: 20

Description: This peculiar rabbit has a unique method of getting around. He travels 70 centimeters with each hop, but when he lands, he immediately hops 30 centimeters toward the direction his tail is pointing. On a straight line, what is the minimum number of hops it will take this rabbit to reach a spot 10 meters away?


 * Hint 1: At first glance, you might think the best this bunny can do is travel 70 centimeters forward and then 30 centimeters back, for a gain of 40 centimeters every two hops. Can you think of a more efficient way for the bunny to move forward?
 * Hint 2: During the first 70-centimeter hop, there's something the rabbit can do to maximize his next jump. Remember, when he lands, he "hops 30 centimeters toward the direction his tail is pointing." Don't take anything for granted.
 * Hint 3: Imagine the rabbit doing a 180-degree turn in midair during each hop. This maneuver would allow him to move toward the target spot with each hop!
 * Super Hint: If during his first hop the rabbit does a 180-degree turn in midair, his tail will point toward the target spot when he lands, meaning his next hop will take him even closer to the target. As long as the rabbit does a 180-degree turn in midair during each hop, he will cover one meter every two hops! Pretty nifty, but it can make you dizzy just thinking about it.

Puzzle 079

 * Name: Five Swimmers
 * Trigger: Talk to Subject 3
 * Location: Riverside Area
 * Chapter: 8
 * Picarats: 40

Description: "The second-fastest swimmer is standing next to the biggest person." "I may have the biggest body, but I'm certainly not the fastest swimmer." "I've got the sweetest swimsuit, but I'm no match for the big B..." "I'm the smallest, but I'll finish fourth!" "I'll beat the person beside me to win!" Who is the fastest swimmer?


 * Hint 1: Let's narrow down the choices. The smallest person says "I'll finish fourth." Take a close look at the swimmers. Swimmer A is the smallest, so he will finish in fourth place.
 * Hint 2: "The second-fastest swimmer is standing next to the biggest person." OK, well, B is clearly the biggest of the swimmers. So A or C fits the above statement. However, you already know that A will come in fourth, so C must come in second.
 * Hint 3: "I may have the biggest body, but I'm certainly not the fastest swimmer." This must be B's statement. Since we've already figured out second and fourth place, that just leaves first, third, and fifth. B clearly states that he's not the fastest, so he must be third or fifth. Now there are just two places left to figure out!
 * Super Hint: "I've got the sweetest swimsuit, but I'm no match for the big B..." It's a matter of opinion, of course, but the only one really wearing a flashy swimsuit is E. You learned that B must finish third or fifth. Based on E's statement, you can now say that B is third and E is fifth. Just one left, now. Who is it?

Puzzle 080

 * Name: Making a Scene
 * Trigger: Talk to Beacon
 * Location: South Bank
 * Chapter: 8
 * Picarats: 40

Description: One male is standing in front of a child. Two males are standing behind a female. One male and one female are standing behind a male. A female is standing behind a child. What's the minimum number of people present in the scene described?


 * Hint 1: It's easy to figure out if you draw a picture of the scene. But there's something you need to be mindful of...
 * Hint 2: You know, the puzzle never specified that everybody was standing in the same direction...
 * Hint 3: What gender is the child?
 * Super Hint: The child is a male! Did you figure that out yet? It sure makes things a lot easier, doesn't it? With that in mind, a male child standing behind an adult male, both of whom have their backs to an adult female, fulfills all of the conditions. That's it!

Puzzle 081

 * Name: Diced Dates
 * Trigger: Talk to Barkeep
 * Location: Thames Arms
 * Chapter: 8
 * Picarats: 30

Description: You've decided to make a special pair of dice that can display each day of the month numerically on your desk, as shown by the 12 at the top of the screen below. Each day must use both dice, however, which means single-digit days like the first and second of the month will display as 01 and 02, respectively. You thought you had the design figured out, but the layouts below won't display all the dates. Draw a circle around the one number that needs to be changed.


 * Hint 1: Think about how you can make each date, starting with the first of the month.
 * Hint 2: The way things look at the moment, the seventh, eighth, and ninth of the month cannot be displayed. For example, it's impossible to display "07" for the seventh day of the month because there's no zero to pair with the seven.
 * Hint 3: Have you considered flipping any of the numbers upside down to help you create all of the days?
 * Super Hint: To display 07, you need to change one of the numbers on the right-hand die's layout to a zero. You need most of those numbers, but there's one you can spare if you flip the nine on the left-hand die upside down.

Puzzle 082

 * Name: Wheat Stash (US) / Flour Power (UK)
 * Trigger: Talk to Segal
 * Location: Black Market
 * Chapter: 9
 * Picarats: 30

Description: To stockpile some wheat in case of a future shortage, you've decided to mill some of your grain into flour and stash it away somewhere safe and dry. You've rustled up three different boxes suitable for storage. Which of these containers will store the most flour?


 * Hint 1: You'll be storing flour, which is basically powder, so you need a box that's both big and deep. Which one best fits the description?
 * Hint 2: If you compare boxes A and C, they're about the same size. However, their lids are quite different. Box B looks too small to even consider choosing.
 * Hint 3: If two of the boxes are the same size, it seems like the one with the bigger lid would be less useful, right? Unless there's another way of looking at it?
 * Super Hint: Imagine all of the boxes upside down. Now which box could hold the most?

Puzzle 083

 * Name: Shelve the Books (US) / A Tidy Bookshelf (UK)
 * Trigger: Talk to Misha
 * Location: Bookshop
 * Chapter: 9
 * Picarats: 30

Description: Arrange the five books below into the green bookshelf following these rules:
 * No books can go left of the brown book.
 * Only the blue book can touch the brown book.
 * The yellow book goes to the left of the white book.
 * The blue book must touch the purple book.
 * The white book needs to be sandwiched between the yellow and purple books and not touch any others.
 * An empty space big enough for one book must be left next to the yellow book.


 * Hint 1: "No books can go left of the brown book." So this means it must touch the far-left side.
 * Hint 2: The third and fifth rules tell you how to arrange the yellow, white, and purple books. From left to right, put them in exactly that order.
 * Hint 3: The second and fourth rules should give you a good idea about where to place the blue book. However, if all of the books are placed vertically, you'll never solve this puzzle. If you keep this in mind, you'll find that there's only one place you can put the blue book...
 * Super Hint: Follow the rules and put all of the books into the bookshelf except the blue one. Now see that space on the top? Turn the blue book sideways, and it will fit right in!

Puzzle 084

 * Name: Crossing the River (US) / Four Cross the River (UK)
 * Trigger: Talk to Barton
 * Location: Noodle Shop
 * Chapter: 9
 * Picarats: 30

Description: Four police officers are attempting to chase a criminal across a river. However, their boat can hold only two people at a time. The first trip across takes one minute, but since the rower gets tired, the second crossing takes two minutes if the same person rows, the third takes three, and so on, getting slower and slower each time the same person rows. In minutes, what's the shortest amount of time it will take the four police officers to get across the river?


 * Hint 1: Think of the first two as A and B. One of them rows the other to the opposite shore. Whoever does the rowing gets tired, so make a note of that.
 * Hint 2: After the first trip across, have the officer who didn't do the work row back. Using this method, the first two who came across will each have rowed only once. When the one who rows back picks up the third officer, have the new person do the rowing.
 * Hint 3: After the action in Hint Two is complete, there will be three officers across the river who have each rowed once. One of them needs to go back and get the last person, but it doesn't matter who. They will each take two minutes because it will be their second time rowing.
 * Super Hint: After the action described in Hint Three, you have one minute across, one minute back, one minute across, and two minutes back. So it takes five minutes for the fourth officer to be picked up. There's just one trip across left. If you have the right person row, you should be able to figure out the answer, no problem.

Puzzle 085

 * Name: More Noodling Around (US) / Noodlin' Around (UK)
 * Trigger: Talk to Pepper
 * Location: Noodle Shop
 * Chapter: 9
 * Picarats: 30

Description: Bowls of plain noodles and pork noodles are lined up in a row on the counter. Switch the food around so that bowls of plain noodles and pork noodles alternate, but make sure they all remain evenly spaced on the counter. What is the fewest number of moves it will take to accomplish the task? Also, in this puzzle, simply switching the places of two bowls counts as two moves.


 * Hint 1: Isn't this the same as the last puzzle? Well, no, actually. It's a little different. Don't be afraid to try out different things.
 * Hint 2: Bowls of regular noodles and pork noodles... Think about how exactly these two dishes are different. Poke around a bit with your stylus, and see what you can find...
 * Hint 3: Whoa! You can just move the pork?!
 * Super Hint: Counting from left to right, move the pork slices from the fourth bowl to the fifth bowl. And...you're done! How many moves was that?

Puzzle 086

 * Name: The Impassable Gate
 * Trigger: Talk to Ward
 * Location: Belltower Gate
 * Chapter: 9
 * Picarats: 60

Description: "No one has ever solved the Impassable Gate! Give it a try, if you dare. If you make it to the top, I'll let you pass." Slide Professor Layton and Luke into the top square to solve this puzzle!


 * Hint 1: That green piece is always going to get in your way. You need to find some way of moving it. First, move Professor Layton and Luke over to the left. Then move the red piece down into the bottom-right corner. Now move the blue piece over into the space opened up against the right wall. What's next?
 * Hint 2: Continuing on from Hint One, move the orange piece down against the blue piece so that it fits nice and snug. Now you can move that pesky green piece off to the left. Next, move the orange piece up into the space vacated by the green piece. The green piece is now free!
 * Hint 3: Continuing on from Hint Two, move the green piece down above the yellow piece so that you can move the orange piece up into the square at the top. This is a key move. Now raise the green piece...
 * Super Hint: Continuing on from Hint Three, move the yellow piece up above Professor Layton and Luke so that you can move them left one square and up two squares. Then move the red piece over and beneath Professor Layton and Luke, and stash the blue, yellow, and green pieces in the bottom-right corner. Now the only piece left in the way is the orange one at the top...

Puzzle 087

 * Name: Sam's Allowance (US) / Pocket Money Poser (UK)
 * Trigger: Talk to Dylan
 * Location: Toy Shop
 * Chapter: 9
 * Picarats: 30

Description: Three boys are admiring a toy car on sale for 12 pounds. Jeff: "If Pete and I pooled our allowances, we could buy this car together in two weeks!" Sam: "Well, Pete and I could buy it in three weeks..." Pete: "It would take you guys six weeks to save up enough." All allowances are received weekly. How many pounds is Sam's weekly allowance?


 * Hint 1: Don't overthink it. Try plugging in some different variables, and see what you come up with.
 * Hint 2: Jeff's allowance is two pounds a week.
 * Hint 3: Pete's allowance is four pounds a week.
 * Super Hint: Jeff gets two pounds a week and Pete gets four pounds a week. Together, that's six pounds a week. They'll have enough for the toy car in two weeks. How much was that car again? And if it will take Sam and Jeff six weeks, hmm...

Puzzle 088

 * Name: The Discount
 * Trigger: Talk to Viv
 * Location: Toy Shop
 * Chapter: 9
 * Picarats: 30

Description: This shop only sells three different items for one, two, or three pounds. If you buy two of the same item, you can buy a third of that item at half price. You bought six items and paid 9.5 pounds. How many of each one-, two-, and three-pound item did you buy? You bought at least one of each, and there's no tax.


 * Hint 1: In the total amount that you paid, there's a fraction. Start your line of thinking from there.
 * Hint 2: The half-price items that result in a fraction are the one-pound and three-pound items. Remember the conditions for getting the half-off discount.
 * Hint 3: If you buy three of the three-pound items, you'll exceed 9.5 pounds if you try to buy a total of six items. The item that gives you the 0.5 is the one-pound item.
 * Super Hint: Your shopping total is 9.5 pounds. If you don't buy at least three of the same item, you won't get that 0.5 pound. If you buy three of the one-pound item, you get a total of 2.5 pounds. You still need to buy seven pound's worth of items, so think hard.

Puzzle 089

 * Name: Photo Finish
 * Trigger: Talk to Shmarton
 * Location: Warehouse Area
 * Chapter: 9
 * Picarats: 40

Description: This finish line photo of a race has been cut into strips, which were then mixed up. The runners finished the race in the order of the photo. Who came in third? Circle the answer.


 * Hint 1: If you look closely at how the pieces fit together, you'll get it. Base your observations on things that are easy to spot, like the birds or a person with a distinctive look.
 * Hint 2: For example, the white bird head by J tells you that their strip goes before (i.e., to the left of) the strip with D.
 * Hint 3: A's face appears in the strip with D. In other words, the strip with A goes behind the strip with D. Where is the head of the white bird by person I?
 * Super Hint: The head of the white bird in Hint Three is missing from the photo. From left to right, the strips follow this order: the strip with H, the strip with F, the strip with J, the strip with D, and the strip with A. Now find the person in third place.

Puzzle 090

 * Name: Eye of the Dragon
 * Trigger: Check the door
 * Location: Towering Pagoda
 * Chapter: 9
 * Picarats: 50

Description: This dragon's eyes aren't spheres but dodecahedrons. This means that each eye is a 3-D object constructed from 12 pentagons. Though one of the eyes is already made, the other one still needs to be assembled. Which option, A, B, or C, will create the exact same eye when folded together?


 * Hint 1: There are three options. Look for the differences between them. That's where you'll find your answer.
 * Hint 2: You could make your own dodecahedron with paper and scissors...but it's not exactly easy. It'll be faster to find where the model fits together.
 * Hint 3: One pentagon is the center of the eye. Concentrate on the areas cut from around it. Use the Memo function to draw lines between the corresponding areas.
 * Super Hint: Take the center of the eye in C. If you connect the center to the pentagons around it, it creates a pattern different from the assembled eye. You can tell right away because the pentagons close to the eye's center are missing something. The answer is A or B.