Brain Out Level 77

Overview

The prompt "Add up 3 largest numbers in the following!" shows a pile of dominoes/dice with visible numbers (5, 1, 2, 6, 6) and an on-screen numeric keypad below with digits 1 through 9. A counter shows 0. The trap is to sum the largest dice numbers visible, but the prompt refers to the keypad itself, which contains numbers you can actually add.

• Difficulty: Regular
• Estimated moves: 2

Step-by-Step Solution

1. Look at the dice above. The visible numbers are 5, 1, 2, 6, and 6. The three largest on the dice are 6, 6, and 5, which add to 17.
2. But the prompt says "in the following," and the keypad below is the most obvious list of numbers on screen.
3. Look at the keypad: it contains digits 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9.
4. The three largest numbers on the keypad are 9, 8, and 7. Add them: 9 + 8 + 7 = 24.
5. Use the keypad to enter 24, then tap OK. The congratulations popup appears with the message "Don't forget the keyboard number!"

Dice show numbers 5, 1, 2, 6, 6. A keypad below has digits 1 through 9. The prompt says add up the 3 largest numbers in the following.

The keypad itself is the list. The three largest digits on the keypad are 9, 8, and 7. Their sum is 24. Enter 24 on the keypad and tap OK.

Type 24 on the keypad. The three largest digits on the keypad are 9, 8, and 7. Their sum is 24. If you sum the dice instead, you get 17, which is wrong.

Type 24 on the keypad. Do not sum the dice; the keypad digits are what the prompt refers to. If you enter 17, the level rejects it.

Strategy & Reasoning

The congratulatory message gives the answer away: the keypad numbers are what you should add, not the dice pips. The dice above are a distraction. The keypad is a standard telephone layout with digits 1 through 9, and the three largest digits are simply 7, 8, and 9. Their sum is 24. The trick is that "the following" refers to the keypad directly below the prompt, not the dice stacked on top.

The keypad is the list of numbers the prompt refers to, not the dice above. The three largest digits on a 1-to-9 keypad are 7, 8, and 9, which sum to 24. The dice numbers are a decoy because they look like the obvious answer. The congratulatory message reminds you not to forget the keyboard number, confirming that the keypad was the intended source.

Tips & Common Mistakes

• Do not sum the dice pips. The visible dice numbers are a decoy.
• Do not enter 17 (6+6+5). That is the dice sum, not the keypad sum.
• Do not include the 0 on the keypad. Zero is not one of the three largest positive numbers.