What looks like three simple overlapping squares hides a total of nine distinct squares—if you know where to look. Many solvers stop at the colored shapes and never notice the pairwise overlaps, the tiny triple-intersection, or even the square dot below the question mark. Others miss the large frame and background square that enclose the whole scene. Ready to test your powers of observation? Take a moment to scan every corner, tally each hidden region, and see if you can match our complete count before moving on to the full explanation!
What Do You Think?
At first glance, you see three translucent squares—pink, green, and yellow—overlapping in a neat row. The challenge seems simple: “How many squares are here?” But appearances can deceive! Before snoozing on what looks like a child’s doodle, take a closer look and count every square you can find (yes, even the tiny ones).
Video
Need to reset? Spend a minute on these playful puzzles!
Common Pitfalls
Forgetting the Overlaps
- It’s easy to count only the three big colored squares and miss the smaller ones formed where they intersect.
Ignoring the Question-Mark Dot
- Many fail to notice that the dot under the “?” in the title is itself a perfect little square.
Rushing the Scan
- Speedy scanning makes you skip the subtle, half-visible overlaps that hide in plain sight.
Step-by-Step Breakdown
Three Full-Size Squares
- Pink, green, and yellow each count as one: 3
Pairwise Overlap Regions
- Where pink and green overlap: 1
- Where green and yellow overlap: 1
Triple-Overlap Region
- The tiny central area where all three squares stack: 1
Title-Text Dot
- That little dot below the question mark is a square too: 1
Add them up: 3 (full) + 2 (pairwise) + 1 (triple) + 1 (dot) = 7—but we’re still missing two.
Puzzle Frame
- The rectangle border that encloses the entire image counts as one square.
Background Canvas
- Finally, the very canvas behind the shapes forms one more large square.
Grand Total: 9 squares in all.
Share Your Insight
Did you spot all 9? Which ones did you almost overlook? Drop your count in the comments below, and if you relished this visual brain-teaser, explore more of our puzzles to keep honing your observation and reasoning skills!
