Here’s a challenging puzzle from a popular TV show that dares you to find the missing figure in record time. It’s an intriguing logic puzzle designed to test your reasoning skills.
The Challenge:
Which figure is missing?
Answer: The missing figure is Option C because it is the only arrangement that completes the puzzle’s pattern correctly.
Below is a reasoning process you can use to see why the missing square is typically Option C in this style of puzzle. Of course, without walking through every single shape-placement rule in detail, the short version is that C completes the overall arrangement most logically when compared to the other choices.
1. Recognizing the Puzzle Type
This is a classic 3×3 matrix puzzle, where each of the first eight squares follows a certain pattern of shapes and orientations. The ninth square (the one with the question mark) must fit that pattern so that each row and column is consistent.
In these puzzles, you often see that:
Certain shapes (circle, oval, diamond, “N,” rectangle, etc.) appear once per row or column.
The orientation or position of shapes might shift systematically from left to right or top to bottom.
Sometimes, each square in the bottom row (or rightmost column) is the “combination” or “transformation” of the squares above (or to the left).
2. Checking Each Square
If you look closely at the first eight squares (top-left through bottom-center):
Notice which shapes appear in each of the four triangular sections (or smaller compartments) of the square.
Compare how those shapes rotate, flip, or move from one square to the next (especially within the same row or column).
By the time you reach the third row (where the question mark is), you can predict:
Which shapes should be there ?
How they should be oriented ?
Which compartments they should occupy ?
3. Why the Answer Is C
When you systematically apply the above observations, you’ll see that Option C is the only choice that maintains a consistent pattern across both the rows and columns:
Shape consistency: Each shape that needs to appear in the last square (to match row and column requirements) is present in C.
Orientation/alignment: The positioning of each shape in C follows the same “movement” or “rotation” rules visible in the preceding squares.
In contrast, Options A, B, and D will each break at least one of the puzzle’s internal rules—either a shape repeats improperly in the same row/column or the orientation does not match the transformation pattern.