Dungeons & Dragons is still on the rise in 2026 thanks to the continued strong support from Wizards of the Coast, and we'll soon be heading off to a variety of exciting new worlds with the announcement of D&D Universes Beyond.

One way a DM can really get their party working together and thinking as one is by using puzzles. We're not talking about the literal piecing together of jumbled artwork, but instead scenarios created to push a group of adventurers to think outside the box and really get to know their characters and party members.

Updated on October 31, 2026, by Niall Walsh: We've revisited this list to ensure we're happy with the current entries and tidy up any minor mistakes throughout.

This puzzle, which some might not even consider a puzzle, is far simpler than it seems. The players become trapped in a room. The walls are covered in small holes or vents, with exactly ten levers or buttons on the left and right walls. On the opposite wall is a sealed doorway and a timer (hourglass, clock, whatever you think fits best), along with a cryptic but nonsensical message. Once the party is locked inside, the timer starts ticking down, giving them about 30 to 60 seconds before it reaches zero. Using combat rules, each player has five to ten turns to try to solve the puzzle.

Having an exact number of levers or buttons is important. This makes the puzzle sound intelligently designed and highlights the intended focus of its mechanics.

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