Professor Layton and the Last Specter/Puzzles 051-075

Caution! This page contains all the hints and solutions for every puzzle from 51 to 75. 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 051

 * Name: Family Tides
 * Trigger: Talk to Nabby
 * Location: Market North
 * Chapter: 5
 * Picarats: 40

Description: A couple and their three children need to cross this river by raft. The raft can hold up to two people--one person to row and one passenger. Rowing is hard work, however. Both adults can row across twice, but they need to stop for a rest between the two trips. The children can only row across the river one time. Can you help get everyone in the family to the other side?


 * Hint 1: This one might be hard to work out all in your head. Try a more hands-on approach, and experiment by moving people on the raft. You'll work out the trick to this puzzle soon enough.
 * Hint 2: Once you've worked out the trick to this puzzle, concentrate on trying to get the children over first.
 * Hint 3: If you send two children over in one trip, you'll get stuck. Try sending the children over one at a time. After that, experiment with the order to get the parents across.
 * Super Hint: Here are the first few steps: 1. Child 1 rows across with Dad. 2.Dad rows back. 3. Child 2 rows across with Mom. 4. Mom rows back. 5. Child 3 rows across with Dad. You should be able to work out the rest without too much trouble. Do your best to help out this nice family in need.

Puzzle 052

 * Name: What Am I?
 * Trigger: Talk to Scraps
 * Location: Market West
 * Chapter: 5
 * Picarats: 20

Description: Who needs batteries or silly old springs? I have no want for those kinds of things. My top is my bottom, my bottom my top. If you knock me over, I surely will stop. Awake me from sleep with a soft touch. I'll never be late...at least, not by much. Can you guess what I am? Circle me!


 * Hint 1: The mystery object says that if you knock it over, it will stop. To which of the objects might this apply?
 * Hint 2: Are there any objects on the table that use batteries or "silly old springs"? The table clock is electrical, and the pocket watch surely needs springs to run like clockwork. So you can eliminate those two.
 * Hint 3: What could the object mean when it says "My top is my bottom, my bottom my top"? It sounds as if the top and the bottom of the object are somewhat similar...
 * Super Hint: According to the object, it will "never be late...at least, not by much." Perhaps it's something that helps keep time.

Puzzle 053

 * Name: Tricky Tomes
 * Trigger: Talk to Dean Delmona
 * Location: Lobby
 * Chapter: 6
 * Picarats: 20

Description: Here is a bookshelf crammed with thick, heavy encyclopedias arranged as shown. All the books have the same depth, and they fit perfectly onto the shelf. There is one book that nobody ever takes from the shelf first, no matter who is browsing the shelf. Touch which book that is.


 * Hint 1: Think about the puzzle carefully. When it says there is one book that nobody takes from the shelf first, it actually means there is one book that nobody can take first.
 * Hint 2: Think about the process of taking a book from a shelf. You can grab it and pull, hook a spine with a finger and pull, or push it in to try and get leverage on it. Is there a book you cannot remove using these actions?
 * Hint 3: Say you have a book placed between two other books. If the two books on either side is shorter, then you can grab the top of the middle book to pull it out. Books 3 and 5 are like this, so they can be taken out first.
 * Super Hint: Similarly, the books that have a gap between the top of the book and the shelf above can be hooked out from the spine. All the books except 3 and 8 are like this, and so can be taken first.

Puzzle 054

 * Name: It's in the Bag
 * Trigger: Check the green desk
 * Location: Layton's Office
 * Chapter: 6
 * Picarats: 45

Description: "I found an old bag while I was doing a spot of spring cleaning. What do you think was inside? See if you can create the mystery item using the three different pieces forming a bag shape below. Oh, and put the finished article on the table next to where the bag was."


 * Hint 1: You will only need to flip one piece to complete the correct shape.
 * Hint 2: You might recognize parts of the object in the unassembled pieces. Could it be something that Professor Layton has at all times?
 * Hint 3: Professor Layton is known for his signature hat, isn't he? Try to rearrange the pieces to form a similar hat shape.
 * Super Hint: Flip one of the pieces that make up the body of the bag, and rotate both pieces so that they can be placed back to back. The part that makes up the handle of the bag will form the top of the hat.

Puzzle 055

 * Name: Hat Trick
 * Trigger: Check the cabinet
 * Location: Layton's Office
 * Chapter: 6
 * Picarats: 45

Description: "There was a tall silk hat inside the old bag. It's a bit too large to keep around, though... Is there any way you could make it smaller? You're not allowed to let pieces overlap, of course."


 * Hint 1: In the other puzzle, you made the hat shape by placing the three pieces next to each other. If you are using the same pieces, no conventional solution will result in a smaller hat. You're going to have to look at this problem in a new way.
 * Hint 2: The frame given to assemble the pieces in should serve as a hint. If the task is to make the hat smaller, then why have you been given a larger space to work in?
 * Hint 3: Take the piece that forms the top of the hat and place it on the bottom center without rotating it. The silk hat will rest on top of this piece.
 * Super Hint: Place the two larger shapes in the top-left and top-right corners. Can you see the outline of a silk hat as you place the shapes?

Puzzle 056

 * Name: Fortune Flowers
 * Trigger: Talk to Augustus
 * Location: Florist
 * Chapter: 6
 * Picarats: 30

Description: A young man tells his local florist about three games he intends to play by picking petals off of flowers one at a time. He'll start with "She loves me, she loves me not" and move on to "happy, unhappy, so-so." With the final flower, he'll choose whether to buy his sweetheart "A bouquet, a cake, a ring or a book." The florist decides to pick out a bouquet that he thinks will give the best answer on the last petal of each flower. Which bunch does the young man walk away with?


 * Hint 1: Consider the number of petals on each single flower in each bouquet. It all starts there.
 * Hint 2: The man intends to play three different fortune-telling games with the flowers he buys. Which outcome is best in each game? Keep in mind that the man probably has a preferred outcome for the first two, but he does not actually know which gift would be the best for his sweetheart.
 * Hint 3: Try thinking about it from the florist's point of view. Remember, it's the florist who will be selecting the bouquet for the young man.
 * Super Hint: For the young man, the best outcomes are "she loves me" and "happy". For the florist, the best outcome for the sweetheart's gift would be "bouquet," because that means he can sell the young man another bunch of flowers! Counting out on the petals, which flower would give you those three outcomes?

Puzzle 057

 * Name: Right the Routes
 * Trigger: Check the bus stop
 * Location: Bus Stop
 * Chapter: 6
 * Picarats: 45

Description: A route map is posted at the bus stop. The route of each bus can be worked out by following the lines of the grid according to the following rules: 1. Buses only move toward their destination and never turn back. 2. A bus turns whenever it has the option to do so. Someone rubbed out two vertical lines on the map, so some bus routes are now wrong. Add the two lines back in to correct the map. Draw the lines from an intersection on the map.


 * Hint 1: The solution should not contain any lines that might offer a bus more than one choice of direction at a junction. In other words, there are no four-way intersections. Keep the rules in mind, and try to work out which extra turns the buses must make.
 * Hint 2: Make sure you draw lines in places that won't affect the buses that already reach their intended destinations. If you add lines in other places, you'll only make matters worse.
 * Hint 3: There are actually two correct solutions to this puzzle. Start by adding a line between destinations B and C in the third column from the left. Both solutions require this section of road.
 * Super Hint: The other road sections must be placed between either destinations A and B or destinations B and C. If you can work out either one, you've got a solution!

Puzzle 058

 * Name: Favorite Umbrella
 * Trigger: Talk to Mick
 * Location: Museum Entrance
 * Chapter: 6
 * Picarats: 30

Description: The forecast is predicting rain. This girl needs help choosing the perfect umbrella so she can weather the storm. She wants one with a blue handle, a red rim, and a pattern of circular rings. Which of the four umbrellas meets her requirements? Choose from A, B, C, or D.


 * Hint 1: At first glance, it may appear that none of the umbrellas matches the given conditions. But if you think carefully about the description, you'll see that one of the umbrellas fits.
 * Hint 2: The blue handle and the red rim should be easy to spot. You may need to use a little more imagination when considering the last condition.
 * Hint 3: It would be difficult to solve this puzzle based solely on the images of the umbrellas as presented. However, they may look different when the umbrellas are actually being used to protect someone from the rain.
 * Super Hint: Try to visualize the young lady holding the umbrella while it's open. Even better, try to imagine how each open umbrella would look from a bird's-eye point of view. You can see clearly now, right?

Puzzle 059

 * Name: Lost in the Museum
 * Trigger: Talk to Evan
 * Location: Museum
 * Chapter: 6
 * Picarats: 30

Description: Oh no! You somehow got left behind on a museum tour. Where did everyone go? From a distant room, you can hear the tour guide describing an exhibit. "What you're looking at now has come here from farther away than any exhibit in the museum. It's not man made, and it's quite hard to find, but you do occasionally find them dotted here and there on Earth." Any idea which room they are in? Circle the tour group's location.


 * Hint 1: Think of a place that's very far from where you are now... You won't get the answer by looking at your feet.
 * Hint 2: Try thinking a bit less locally and look at the bigger picture. What's the farthest away place you can think of in global terms?
 * Hint 3: The object that the guide is talking about is something that burned up as it fell from the sky.
 * Super Hint: The object being described didn't come from earth--it came from space. What sort of thing that falls to earth from space might be put on display in a museum?

Puzzle 060

 * Name: Dinosaur Bones
 * Trigger: Check the fossil
 * Location: Museum
 * Chapter: 6
 * Picarats: 25

Description: The description of this prehistoric skeleton reads: "One can identify how many bones this dinosaur has with a thorough examination of the skeleton." A visitor nearby said:, "I have a feeling the number must be in the hundreds..." Can you come up with a more accurate figure? How many bones does this dinosaur have exactly?


 * Hint 1: You shouldn't have to count every bone one by one. Some visitors can work out the number of bones at a quick glance.
 * Hint 2: Take a close look at the skeleton, or maybe it will be more obvious if you back up a little. You should be able to figure it out however you look at it.
 * Hint 3: When asked to be more specific, the visitor said, "I'm sure it's in the hundreds, and one of the numbers is definitely a 6." Can you see a 6 somewhere?
 * Super Hint: If you look at the dinosaur's ribs upside down, it should be obvious. You can make out the number now, can't you?

Puzzle 061

 * Name: Find the File
 * Trigger: Check the boxes
 * Location: Archives
 * Chapter: 6
 * Picarats: 30

Description: You need to collect one of the files from these shelves. The file you want is two files over from a file with a 3 in its number. It is also three files over from a file with a 6 in its number and four files over from a file with a 9 in its number. Which file do you need?


 * Hint 1: The only thing to do with a puzzle like this is to narrow down the possible options. Take note on which files meet the conditions you are given.
 * Hint 2: It would be nice to narrow down the number of files that might meet your conditions. The most limiting factor is probably that the file must be "four files over from a file with a 9 in its number." Start with that, and then check it against the other conditions.
 * Hint 3: The next most limiting factor is that the file you want is "three files over from a file with a 6 in its number." Applying this condition and the one discussed in Hint 2 should bring you down to three options.
 * Super Hint: Your last condition to apply is that your file is "two files over from a file with a 3 in its number." Don't forget to check both the left and right of each file when applying the conditions.

Puzzle 062

 * Name: A Familiar Face
 * Trigger: Talk to Maggie
 * Location: Grand Plaza
 * Chapter: 7
 * Picarats: 30

Description: "One of these girls is my best friend. She has blonde hair, doesn't wear glasses, and has a mole under her right eye." Can you tell who it is?


 * Hint 1: There are only three blonde girls, right? That rules out the other three girls already.
 * Hint 2: Of the three blonde girls shown, only two aren't wearing glasses.
 * Hint 3: One of the details you were given was that she has a mole under her right eye. If you take a close look at the remaining two candidates, you should be able to work it out.
 * Super Hint: The girl with her face turned to the side may have a mole that you can't see. The girl facing the camera definitely does not have a mole under her right eye, so the answer is clear.

Puzzle 063

 * Name: Son's Slipup
 * Trigger: Talk to Sean
 * Location: Quiet Townscape
 * Chapter: 7
 * Picarats: 30

Description: "Hey, Dad! I finished making the LONDON one that you asked for." "Thanks, son. It looks great, but...you got one letter wrong." "What?! No way! That's... Oh. I guess I did. I'll fix it right away!" So which letter did the son get wrong? Circle the incorrect letter.


 * Hint 1: Trying to figure out this puzzle in your head can be confusing. Instead, try using the Memo function to draw out the letters carefully and see what you can find.
 * Hint 2: Looking at the word as it's shown in the puzzle, it seems there are three incorrect letters. However, only one letter is incorrect. Try looking at it from a different angle.
 * Hint 3: For starters, try reversing the text as if looking at its reflection in a mirror. Use the Memo function to help visualize how this would look. Now you're just one step from figuring out how the word is supposed to look and which letter is incorrect.
 * Super Hint: Did you figure out what the word would look like reflected in a mirror? From there, shift your perspective 180 degrees or so...

Puzzle 064

 * Name: Cutting the Cake
 * Trigger: Talk to Tweeds
 * Location: Descending Path
 * Chapter: 7
 * Picarats: 25

Description: "I suppose I could share this triangular cake. It's really tasty, but I can spare half of it, and my friends can divide that between them. Then again, it is my cake. It's only fair that I should have most of it... I'll just cut two pieces with a ratio of 4:5 and take the bigger piece. That's still pretty generous, isn't it?" The sides of the cake are 15 in. long. How far along the side should he cut?


 * Hint 1: You don't need to perform complicated math calculations to solve the puzzle. You just need to remember that with this equilateral triangle, each side is the exact same length: 15 in.
 * Hint 2: Is it possible to divide the cake into several smaller equilateral triangles? If you can figure out a way to do that, it should be easier to determine the correct proportions of the two final slices.
 * Hint 3: To divide the cake into portions with a ratio of 4:5, you could cut the top section into four tiny pieces and the bottom into five tiny pieces of the same size. Therefore, how long would the side of one of those pieces be?
 * Super Hint: Try dividing the cake into triangular pieces with 5 in. sides. You should end up with nine pieces of cake. Can you see where you need to cut the cake now?

Puzzle 065

 * Name: Rubble Trouble
 * Trigger: Talk to Dugan
 * Location: Excavation Base
 * Chapter: 7
 * Picarats: 35

Description: Eureka! You've discovered priceless treasure at the bottom of the dig site. Unfortunately, it's buried under a ton of rubble. Move the rubble out of the way so that you can get your hands on that treasure.


 * Hint 1: See the block farthest to the right? Start by moving it straight up. Then move the block shaped like the backward "S" and the L-shaped block up into the top-right corner. Are things starting to look a little clearer now?
 * Hint 2: Next, take hold of the two blocks directly above the treasure and move them both as far to the right as possible. After that, move the remaining boot-shaped block down and to the right in a diagonal line.
 * Hint 3: Now move the treasure diagonally from its hiding space to the empty space you've created. All you have to do now is rearrange a few pieces of rubble to make room for the treasure. Can you almost taste the riches?
 * Super Hint: The buried treasure is almost yours! Move the blocks down toward the bottom-left corner, and don't leave any gaps between the rubble. The path to the exit should now be clear. Move the treasure out through the opening to complete the puzzle.