#308 · Saturday, 10 October 2026

Ladder answer

• LOTUS 5 letters
• CONSULT 7 letters — adds two letters to the rung below
• COUNTLESS 9 letters — adds two letters to the rung below

LOTUS sits inside CONSULT, which sits inside COUNTLESS — the two letters added at each rung are the whole puzzle. Scrambles shown that day: TOLSU · NUCSLOT · SSUTLOCEN.

LockCode answer: 7856

The clues and what each one tells you:

1. 8257: 1 in the right place, 2 in the wrong place — 3 of 8, 2, 5, 7 are in the code.
2. 4936: 1 in the right place, 0 in the wrong place — 1 of 4, 9, 3, 6 are in the code.
3. 3461: 0 in the right place, 1 in the wrong place — 1 of 3, 4, 6, 1 are in the code.
4. 5238: 0 in the right place, 2 in the wrong place — 2 of 5, 2, 3, 8 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: HEART