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The Devil's Shell Game

Inspired by the Skull Game in StoneStory RPG.

You make a deal with the Devil. You are granted your deepest desire, in exchange, eventually, for your eternal soul. Every year, on your birthday, he arrives at midnight to play a game. A fiery glow illuminates the room. If you win, you live another year. If you lose, he takes your soul immediately. The Devil does not cheat, but he does not play fairly either.

On the table between you and the Devil are three shells, no... skulls, and a solitary bead, at least you're telling yourself it's a bead. The three skulls are identical, except one has a gold tooth, gleaming in the light, distinguishing it from the other two skulls.

The skulls are in a line on the table (positions left, centre and right.) You watch him take the bead and place it under one of the skulls. He explains that he will now swap the position of two skulls, either left and centre, or right and centre, many times. The light goes out, you can't see a thing. You can only hear as the skulls slide across the table. Thankfully you can count how many times a swap was made, more than a hundred! The fiery glow returns. You see the three skulls in front of you, including the gold tooth.

You choose a skull. The Devil lifts it, revealing the bead. Disappointed, he vanishes, plunging the room back into darkness. It's difficult to sleep with the smell of sulphur in the air... and with the excitement that now you know that you can live forever!

What is your strategy to win the game every time and live forever?

  • The three skulls are originally in random order. The gold tooth is visible.
  • The bead is originally placed under any of the three skulls, and you know which one.
  • You know exactly how many swaps were made, but not which pair of skulls were swapped.
  • Each swap swaps the positions of either the left and centre skulls, or the right and centre skulls, but never the left and right skulls.
  • The bead remains in the skull it started in.
  • The gold tooth is visible at the end of the game.
  • The Devil does not cheat.