Can you outsmart 98% of people and crack Einstein’s legendary riddle?
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Veronica E.
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Do you enjoy a good brain teaser? Ready to put your logic skills to the test?
Then you're in for a treat.
Einstein’s Riddle—also known as the Zebra Puzzle—is one of the most famous and challenging logic puzzles out there.
And legend has it, only 2% of people can solve it!
Whether that’s true or just a clever hook, one thing’s for sure: this puzzle will stretch your thinking, sharpen your reasoning, and maybe even leave you feeling a bit like Sherlock Holmes by the end.

What is Einstein’s Riddle?
The riddle involves five neighboring houses, each painted a different color.
Every house is occupied by a person of a different nationality.
Each person drinks a different beverage, smokes a different brand of cigar, and keeps a different kind of pet.
The twist? No two houses share any traits—and only one person owns a fish.
Your job is to figure out who that is.
Also read: Jeopardy! scandal: Fans outraged over 'sexist' clue—Ken Jennings' shocking apology
The clues
You’re given 15 clues, and they’re your only guide:
Also read: Would you dare solve this chilling “numbers clue?” New homeowners uncover an eerie warning hidden in their house
How to solve it
You’ll want to use a 5×5 grid to keep track of house positions and traits: color, nationality, drink, cigar, and pet.
Start with the clues that give you fixed positions—like the Norwegian in the first house and the man in the center house drinking milk.
From there, use logic and elimination to piece the puzzle together.
Take your time—it’s not a race.
The fun is in working through it step by step and seeing the picture form!
A few puzzle-solving tips:
Also read: Are you smarter than the internet? Try solving this math puzzle that's baffling everyone online!
The answer (spoiler alert!)
If you stick with it and solve all the clues, you’ll find that the German owns the fish.
Even if you don’t get it on your first try, it’s still a great brain workout!
Puzzles like Einstein’s Riddle aren’t just fun—they’re great for your brain.
Studies show that logical thinking exercises can help maintain mental sharpness, especially as we age.
So, if you're spending time puzzling things out, you're doing your mind a favor!
Read next: This optical illusion is driving everyone mad – Think you can solve it?
Did you crack it? Let us know in the comments! And if you have a favorite brain teaser, we’d love to hear about it!
Then you're in for a treat.
Einstein’s Riddle—also known as the Zebra Puzzle—is one of the most famous and challenging logic puzzles out there.
And legend has it, only 2% of people can solve it!
Whether that’s true or just a clever hook, one thing’s for sure: this puzzle will stretch your thinking, sharpen your reasoning, and maybe even leave you feeling a bit like Sherlock Holmes by the end.

Einstein’s riddle puts your logic skills to the test—can you figure out which of the five neighbors owns the fish using only the clues? Image Source: YouTube / TED-Ed.
What is Einstein’s Riddle?
The riddle involves five neighboring houses, each painted a different color.
Every house is occupied by a person of a different nationality.
Each person drinks a different beverage, smokes a different brand of cigar, and keeps a different kind of pet.
The twist? No two houses share any traits—and only one person owns a fish.
Your job is to figure out who that is.
Also read: Jeopardy! scandal: Fans outraged over 'sexist' clue—Ken Jennings' shocking apology
The clues
You’re given 15 clues, and they’re your only guide:
- The Brit lives in the red house.
- The Swede keeps dogs.
- The Dane drinks tea.
- The green house is directly to the left of the white house.
- The green house’s owner drinks coffee.
- The person who smokes Pall Mall keeps birds.
- The owner of the yellow house smokes Dunhill.
- The man in the center house drinks milk.
- The Norwegian lives in the first house.
- The man who smokes Blends lives next to the cat owner.
- The man who keeps horses lives next to the Dunhill smoker.
- The man who smokes BlueMaster drinks beer.
- The German smokes Prince.
- The Norwegian lives next to the blue house.
- The man who smokes Blends has a neighbor who drinks water.
Also read: Would you dare solve this chilling “numbers clue?” New homeowners uncover an eerie warning hidden in their house
How to solve it
You’ll want to use a 5×5 grid to keep track of house positions and traits: color, nationality, drink, cigar, and pet.
Start with the clues that give you fixed positions—like the Norwegian in the first house and the man in the center house drinking milk.
From there, use logic and elimination to piece the puzzle together.
Take your time—it’s not a race.
The fun is in working through it step by step and seeing the picture form!
A few puzzle-solving tips:
- Stay organized—use a grid to track clues and possibilities.
- Start with clues that give absolute positions.
- Use the process of elimination—if something can't be true, cross it off.
- Be patient and double-check your logic as you go.
Also read: Are you smarter than the internet? Try solving this math puzzle that's baffling everyone online!
The answer (spoiler alert!)
If you stick with it and solve all the clues, you’ll find that the German owns the fish.
Even if you don’t get it on your first try, it’s still a great brain workout!
Puzzles like Einstein’s Riddle aren’t just fun—they’re great for your brain.
Studies show that logical thinking exercises can help maintain mental sharpness, especially as we age.
So, if you're spending time puzzling things out, you're doing your mind a favor!
Read next: This optical illusion is driving everyone mad – Think you can solve it?
Key Takeaways
- Einstein’s riddle is a famous logic puzzle that supposedly only 2% of people can solve, challenging you to work out who owns the fish among five neighbors with distinct traits.
- Successfully cracking the puzzle requires using a 5×5 grid to organize the clues about house colors, nationalities, drinks, cigars, and pets for each house.
- The main strategies involve starting with the most direct clues, methodically eliminating impossibilities, and working systematically rather than rushing.
- According to the solution, the German is the owner of the fish.
Did you crack it? Let us know in the comments! And if you have a favorite brain teaser, we’d love to hear about it!