History Main / RiddleMeThis

* The RiddleOfTheSphinx, a trope in its own right, is OlderThanFeudalism. The first author to mention it is Apollodorus.

* The RiddleOfTheSphinx, a trope in its own right. making this one OlderThanDirt.

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* Appears twice in ''DragonAge'': a set of three in the Mage origin story, and a set of 10 as part of the gauntlet protecting the Sacred Ashes. The second set particularly fits the trope, because [[spoiler: the answer to each ghost's riddle is also symbolic of the part they played in the history of the Ashes. Piecing together the history beforehand helps you figure out the riddle, and the ghosts' spiel lets you better understand the quest itself and which of its outcomes is the good/bad one]].
** When Alistair asks Sten what he did to pass the time during his two week stay in his cage, Sten replies that he would pose riddles to passing travelers and offer them riches in reward. Alistair asks if he really did this, and Sten, being among the resident DeadpanSnarkers, replies with a flat no.

* Occurs in [[http://drmcninja.com/page.php?pageNum=26&issue=14 this]] TheAdventuresOfDrMcNinja strip, and is beautifully subverted in the next one.

* One optional mission in ''[[WingCommander Privateer 2]]'' involves using math to identify the nav point you need to go to, to complete the mission.

* Subverted in {{Subnormality}}. The sphinx meets Oedipus' ''mother''. When she learns who she's talking to, the sphinx has a massive flipout about which one of them is considered the monster, and makes Oedipus' mother take her place.

* Appears twice in DragonAge : a set of three in the Mage origin story, and a set of 10 as part of the gauntlet protecting the Sacred Ashes. The second set particularly fits the trope, because [[spoiler: the answer to each ghost's riddle is also symbolic of the part they played in the history of the Ashes. Piecing together the history beforehand helps you figure out the riddle, and the ghosts' spiel lets you better understand the quest itself and which of its outcomes is the good/bad one]].
* In Planescape: Torment the witch Ravel presents travellers with the question "What can change the nature of a man?" Allegedly she grants wishes to those who get the answer right, and if they got it wrong she killed them. Subverted harshly because [[spoiler: she's lying. She kills everyone whatever they answer, as she only cared about the Player Character's answer]]

* SoWeird had a variation that subsituted trivia questions for riddles and if you answered even one incorrectly, you'd be turned into an eggplant. The [[MonsterOfTheWeek monsters of the week]] were very sneaky and would con people into playing without realizing it. (By asking a seemingly innocent question and then changing the person when they didn't know the answer, even though the person hadn't actually agreed to the game.) Fi ends up having to play the game in order to save her friends and family.

* Subverted in the very first {{Subnormality}} strip. The sphinx meets Oedipus' ''mother''. When she learns who she's talking to, the sphinx has a massive flipout about which one of them is considered the monster, and makes Oedipus' mother take her place.

* A riddling sphinx is one of the creatures encountered in the hedge maze during the last part of the Triwizard Tournament, in ''HarryPotterAndTheGobletOfFire.'' She counsels the students that if they answer correctly, they may pass her and use the shortcut; if they answer incorrectly, she will attack; or they can remain silent and walk away unharmed. Her riddle is quite different from the [[RiddleOfTheSphinx usual sphinx riddle]].
** Amongst other things, Harry has to answer at least three riddles, put them together, and THEN get the final answer. At least once, she almost pounces because he thinks out loud.

* A then a subversion in ''TheLordOfTheRings'', where the Fellowship ''thinks'' this is the way to open the door to the mines of Moria, but it turns out they're [[SpeakFriendAndEnter seriously overthinking it]].

* In ''TheHobbit'' Gollum challenged Bilbo to a riddle contest. Famously, Bilbo's final "riddle" is actually a question: "What have I got in my pocket?" Gollum protests that it shouldn't count, but goes for it anyway (demanding three guesses); the book itself wonders if it's fair, concluding that since Gollum tried to guess the answer anyway, it passes.

* This is the standard MO of TheRiddler in the ''{{Batman}}'' comics. DependingOnTheWriter, it could be a game he plays, or it could be an outright psychotic compulsion he feels he ''has'' to play.

* In ''TheHobbit'' Gollum challenged Bilbo to a riddle contest.

[[caption-width-right:286:Always {{Take the Third Option}}]]

http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/RiddlerSF.jpg
[[caption-width:270:[[SuperFriends It's my catchphrase!]]]]