River Crossing Rules Quiz: Boats, Limits and Safe Trips
This river crossing rules quiz paddles through the oldest logic puzzles in the world. Play an interactive set of 10 questions on Alcuin of York, the wolf, goat and cabbage, minimum crossings, missionaries and cannibals, jealous husbands, the bridge and torch puzzle and smart ways to bring items back.
Start River Crossing Rules Quiz
🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 150 Seconds
Old
Who wrote down the wolf, goat and cabbage puzzle around 800 CE?
Boat
In the classic puzzle, what can the farmer's boat carry?
Danger
Which pairs cannot be left alone together?
First
What should the farmer take across first?
Trick
What is the clever move in the solution?
Count
What is the minimum number of crossings?
MC
In missionaries and cannibals, what must never happen on either bank?
MC count
How many crossings does the three-and-three version need?
Bridge
In the bridge and torch puzzle with 1, 2, 5 and 10 minute walkers, what is the fastest time?
Lesson
What skill do river puzzles train?
Your score
0/10
Scroll down to see the explanation for each question.
Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions
- Q1: Who wrote down the wolf, goat and cabbage puzzle around 800 CE?
Answer: Alcuin of York
It appears in a book of problems.
- Q2: In the classic puzzle, what can the farmer's boat carry?
Answer: The farmer and one item
That is the key limit.
- Q3: Which pairs cannot be left alone together?
Answer: Wolf with goat, and goat with cabbage
Something would get eaten.
- Q4: What should the farmer take across first?
Answer: The goat
The others are safe together.
- Q5: What is the clever move in the solution?
Answer: Bringing the goat back on a return trip
Return trips can carry items.
- Q6: What is the minimum number of crossings?
Answer: Seven
Count each trip one way.
- Q7: In missionaries and cannibals, what must never happen on either bank?
Answer: Cannibals outnumber missionaries
The boat holds two.
- Q8: How many crossings does the three-and-three version need?
Answer: 11
Careful planning is required.
- Q9: In the bridge and torch puzzle with 1, 2, 5 and 10 minute walkers, what is the fastest time?
Answer: 17 minutes
Send the two slowest together.
- Q10: What skill do river puzzles train?
Answer: Planning steps and checking constraints
Each move must keep everyone safe.
River Crossing Rules Quiz – Boats, Limits and Safe Trips
River crossing puzzles are among the oldest logic puzzles. Alcuin of York recorded the wolf, goat and cabbage problem around 800 CE, where a farmer's boat can carry him and only one item.
The wolf cannot be left with the goat, and the goat cannot be left with the cabbage. The trick is to take the goat first and later bring it back, solving the puzzle in seven crossings.
Other versions add new rules, like missionaries and cannibals, which needs 11 crossings for three of each. In the bridge and torch puzzle, sending the two slowest walkers together gives the best time of 17 minutes.
What This Quiz Teaches
Puzzle fans will enjoy these questions.
- Where the puzzles began
- What the rules are
- How to solve the classic
- Which variants exist
- What skills they build
Did You Know?
- Computer scientists use these puzzles to teach search methods.
- Drawing each bank's state helps avoid mistakes.
- Some versions involve jealous husbands and wives.
- Return trips are just as important as forward trips.
- Many puzzle apps include river crossing levels.
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