#276 · Tuesday, 8 September 2026

Ladder answer

• SPEED 5 letters
• PRESSED 7 letters — adds two letters to the rung below
• PROCESSED 9 letters — adds two letters to the rung below

SPEED sits inside PRESSED, which sits inside PROCESSED — the two letters added at each rung are the whole puzzle. Scrambles shown that day: EDPES · REDEPSS · ROPDSSEEC.

LockCode answer: 0539

The clues and what each one tells you:

1. 3520: 1 in the right place, 2 in the wrong place — 3 of 3, 5, 2, 0 are in the code.
2. 7189: 1 in the right place, 0 in the wrong place — 1 of 7, 1, 8, 9 are in the code.
3. 2894: 0 in the right place, 1 in the wrong place — 1 of 2, 8, 9, 4 are in the code.
4. 5892: 0 in the right place, 2 in the wrong place — 2 of 5, 8, 9, 2 are in the code.
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.

Lumen answer: FISH

5 players finished Lumen; 100% solved it, averaging 1.2 guesses.