#272 · Friday, 4 September 2026

Ladder answer

• UNTIL 5 letters
• OUTLINE 7 letters — adds two letters to the rung below
• EVOLUTION 9 letters — adds two letters to the rung below

UNTIL sits inside OUTLINE, which sits inside EVOLUTION — the two letters added at each rung are the whole puzzle. Scrambles shown that day: IUNTL · NEILOUT · VTILOENUO.

6 players finished the Ladder; 100% solved it, averaging 3.3 guesses.

LockCode answer: 7426

The clues and what each one tells you:

1. 7268: 1 in the right place, 2 in the wrong place — 3 of 7, 2, 6, 8 are in the code.
2. 0628: 1 in the right place, 1 in the wrong place — 2 of 0, 6, 2, 8 are in the code.
3. 2806: 1 in the right place, 1 in the wrong place — 2 of 2, 8, 0, 6 are in the code.
4. 0532: 0 in the right place, 1 in the wrong place — 1 of 0, 5, 3, 2 are in the code.
5. After all clues, 12 codes remain possible.

With 12 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; 60% solved it, averaging 7.7 guesses.

Lumen answer: CACTUS

6 players finished Lumen; 100% solved it, averaging 1 guesses.