Can you solve the trickster god riddle? - Alex Rosenthal

Loki has challenged you to a winner-take-all game to end Ragnarok. Can you beat him and win the right to rule the new world?

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Ragnarok has been raging for far too long; many gods and heroes have fallen, and the rest can barely stand. Loki, his bright eyes dimmed by exhaustion, asks to meet. He proposes that you and he settle the conflict with a game atop a sacred table engraved with your names. Can you beat the infamous trickster and win the right to rule the new world? Alex Rosenthal shows how.

Lesson by Alex Rosenthal, directed by Igor Ćorić, Artrake Studio.

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[isdumbkhanh]

Man sees Ted riddle
Man clicks
Man confused
Man happy

[landongreen]

At this point, You know that when the rules dont specifically state: "NO SHENANIGANS", You know there's gonna be shenanigans.

[FederationAwesome]

Is there a feeling more familiar than the faith I have in myself to solve the riddle when I see the thumbnail, to then be completely lost and confused 1 minute later?

[GTron]

“If I had a nickel for every time a Ted Ed riddle seemed unsolvable but had clever wordplay in the rules, I’d have three nickels. Which isn’t a lot but it’s weird that it happened thrice.”

[CharlesB]

There's no way that the dagger says "Think" on it in Runic.😂 That's a fantastic little detail. Very creative animation as always.

[Malowith]

Oh my god, it's an actual riddle and not JUST a math problem. I never thought I'd see the day.



Edit: Yes everyone, I know sprouts is a math problem. That's why I emphasized the word 'JUST'. Because there's more to it that makes it an actual riddle.

[randomguy-tgok]

This is, of course, assuming that Loki, a TRICKSTER god, hasn't thought of the exact same thing, and won't just pick the "losing" option before springing the extra one on you.

[teamcyeborg]

This might be one of my favorite Ted-Ed riddles ever, between recognizing the game right away (I literally shouted "It's Sprouts!" at the screen), the game appearing to be completely rigged in every way, the rigging being _perfectly in-character_ for Loki, and the plot twist solution.

11/10, the ending left me cracking up and giddy because it's exactly the kind of thing that would be pulled in an actual Norse myth

[Solar_Glyph]

When Addison (narrator) said “carved with your names” and “carve crosses into the [same] table”, I knew smth deceptive had to be going on bc Loki is the Trickster God after all 🧐🧐🧐

[jangbang]

I love even how the thumbnail was the spoiler and rule page has the hint and I didn't give any nerve

[crimsondragon]

My first thought: this is mathematically impossible. For any given starting configuration, at most one player can force a win. Since your opponent chooses who goes first, they decide who gets to force the win, and thus have already won.

[mythicstar]

Finally! A TedEd riddle I actually solved! I didn’t go through the complicated logic, just went “Huh, there are crosses in our names why not use those when he doesn’t expect it” and I was flippin right! 🎉

[Insecurity]

Help, I’ve watched all the Ted ed riddles. I think I’m addicted

[lifedeather]

5:30 Bro really went through the 5 stages of grief

[wesleyt]

No matter what “strategy” you come up with to win, Loki can always just use it instead. The only way to win is to cheat, and hope Loki doesn’t also cheat.

[Skylah]

One of the only "rules wordplay" puzzles that I immedately solved, with loki saying "I get to choose if I go first or second" I instantly knew it was already impossible and I thought "well... It's obviously the cross in their name, isn't it? " and skipped solving it myself, and I was surprised I actually got this right XD

I knew it was impossible from the Nim Riddle's explanations alone

[bejafe]

I love these riddles. The voice of the narrator is so relaxing. I can`t solve many riddles, but I watch them anyways :D. Keep it up

[נירמנחמי]

Take any game with: perfect information, no draws, guaranteed termination, alternating turns, player 1 chooses the (symmetrical) set up and player 2 chooses who go first.

For any arbitrary set up player 1 makes there must be a wining strategy to eith the first or second player. Player 2 can always choose to be in a wining position.

[adtad]

Loki went from God of Mischief to God of Stories to God of Riddles. Perfect end to his character arc

[sketche]

can’t believe YouTube hid this from me for one minute