#269 · Tuesday, 1 September 2026

Ladder answer

• NIGHT 5 letters
• HEATING 7 letters — adds two letters to the rung below
• BREATHING 9 letters — adds two letters to the rung below

NIGHT sits inside HEATING, which sits inside BREATHING — the two letters added at each rung are the whole puzzle. Scrambles shown that day: HIGNT · NGTHIEA · NBATEHGRI.

LockCode answer: 3857

The clues and what each one tells you:

1. 3954: 2 in the right place, 0 in the wrong place — 2 of 3, 9, 5, 4 are in the code.
2. 2034: 0 in the right place, 1 in the wrong place — 1 of 2, 0, 3, 4 are in the code.
3. 2043: 0 in the right place, 1 in the wrong place — 1 of 2, 0, 4, 3 are in the code.
4. 1264 scored nothing, so 1, 2, 6, 4 are all out.
5. After all clues, 8 codes remain possible.

With 8 candidates left, a good second guess splits them by feedback so the third guess is forced. Read the LockCode strategy guide for the method.

5 players finished LockCode; 100% solved it, averaging 2.2 guesses.

Lumen answer: TEAPOT

9 players finished Lumen; 89% solved it, averaging 1.8 guesses.