The player comes across a tough enemy that has to be defeated in a certain way. The game doesn't tell him how, so the player is left to figure it out on their own or look it up. It isn't until after the player defeats the enemy than an NPC tells him how to defeat it.

Can cross with Captain Obvious.

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Examples:

• In Robin Hood Prince Of Thieves on NES, Azeem tells you he dropped a key in the cell you were in, but in order to talk to him you would have had to found the key and escaped already.